ExpressVPN launches ExpressAI with end-to-end encryption to challenge ChatGPT on privacy

This VPN provider is launching a privacy-first alternative to other AI platforms

AI is data-hungry: platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini are built on wild amounts of data, both scraped freely from across the web and collected from people interacting directly with the AI. Today, ExpressVPN says that it's made an AI product meant to make one part of that equation better for consumers. ExpressVPN has announced its first AI offering: ExpressAI. In contrast with other AI platforms, ExpressVPN says that ExpressAI doesn't use any of your inputs to train AI models, keeping your personal data separate from the infrastructure supplying the AI interface. With ExpressAI, nothing you enter into the interface is used to train models, ExpressVPN says, and none of your data is ever reviewed by humans. ExpressVPN hasn't created its own AI models for ExpressAI, instead leveraging a total of five different off-the-shelf models for different use cases, supplied by companies like OpenAI and Nvidia. ExpressAI has been reviewed by German cybersecurity firm Cure53, which says that "the general architecture and technical stack used across the tested scope have been well-conceived," though it does also raise some security concerns that it says merit "further refinement." You can read Cure53's 39-page write-up on its findings here. ExpressAI is available now as part of a bundle that also includes ExpressVPN, the ExpressKeys password manager, and more. That bundle costs $20 per month when billed monthly, but right now, you can also grab a 28-month subscription in bulk for $209.72 -- though time will tell whether consumer AI products are still available at the relatively low prices they are now come 2028.

ExpressVPN Just Launched ExpressAI: Your Prompts Are Now Invisible

The Pro plan is $7.49 per month on a 28-month commitment (two years plus four bonus months), with a 30-day money-back guarantee. That now gets you the VPN itself, ExpressAI, the ExpressKeys password manager, ExpressMailGuard for disposable email addresses, Identity Defender (US only), a dedicated IP address, and coverage for up to 14 devices. Worth noting: ChatGPT Plus alone costs $20 per month. A separate VPN subscription on top of that pushes you past $25. ExpressVPN Pro bundles both for less than $8. ExpressAI is a web app that puts five language models in one interface. The lineup includes models from OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Nvidia's Nemotron, each suited to different tasks: writing, reasoning, coding, document analysis, and multilingual work. You can run the same prompt across multiple models simultaneously and compare the outputs side by side. Try ExpressAI with no risk Here's what makes it different from ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Every prompt runs inside a confidential computing enclave, a hardware-isolated environment where encryption keys are generated on the chip itself. ExpressVPN says it cannot access your prompts, your files, or your conversation history. Neither can the cloud provider hosting the infrastructure, or the companies behind the AI models. Your data never feeds into model training. Pro subscribers get 500 daily credits (one credit per prompt per model), a 50MB upload limit per file, and 2GB of encrypted vault storage. A "Ghost Mode" lets you set conversations to auto-delete. Files are processed in memory rather than stored on servers. Privacy claims are easy to make. ExpressVPN hired Cure53, the cybersecurity firm that has audited Signal and other privacy-focused tools, to test ExpressAI before going public. The audit ran from February to March 2026 and covered penetration testing, source code review, cryptography implementation, key management, and infrastructure security. Every vulnerability Cure53 identified was fixed before today's launch. Cure53's conclusion: ExpressAI meets its stated privacy objectives by processing interactions inside cryptographically isolated enclaves. That's not marketing copy. It's the auditor's own assessment, and the full report is published on ExpressVPN's site. For users who have been asking sensitive questions to AI tools (taxes, medical situations, confidential work documents), an independently verified zero-access architecture is a real differentiator. A few things to keep in mind. ExpressAI is a web app only for now. There's no desktop or mobile client. The 500 daily credits are generous for most people, but if you run multi-model comparisons on long documents, you'll burn through them faster than expected. ExpressVPN hasn't confirmed how credit allowances will work for Basic and Advanced plan holders when access expands. The competitive picture is also worth looking at. NordVPN's Prime tier costs $7.39 per month but has no AI tool included. Proton Unlimited bundles its own AI assistant, Lumo, but charges $9.99 per month. Neither competitor offers multi-model comparison or hardware-level encryption for AI prompts. At $7.49 per month for the full Pro bundle, ExpressVPN's pricing is aggressive, especially with the 30-day refund window to test everything before committing.

ExpressVPN launches ExpressAI to make AI less nosy

ExpressVPN is on a roll this year with new product launches. In February, the service released ExpressKeys, ExpressMailGuard, and a revamped Identity Defender app. Now, it has officially launched a chatbot style platform called ExpressAI. At a glance, ExpressAI looks like yet another entry in the crowded AI assistant space. But under the hood, it sets itself apart with a privacy-first architecture that directly challenges how most AI tools operate today. While mainstream services often rely on server-side processing and may use user inputs for training, ExpressAI leans heavily into what ExpressVPN calls "zero-access" design. That means end-to-end encryption, zero data retention for training, and a system where even ExpressVPN claims it can't see your prompts or files. The underlying technology that ExpressAI uses to achieve this goal is called confidential computing. Instead of decrypting user data on standard servers, ExpressAI processes it inside secure enclaves -- isolated environments designed to keep data inaccessible to operators and infrastructure alike. It's a technology more commonly found in enterprise security software, but ExpressVPN is betting that the concept can make it a strong selling point for privacy-conscious users. Feature-wise, ExpressAI presents some interesting things. At launch it supports five different general-purpose models, including options geared toward writing, coding, reasoning, and even image and document analysis. There's also a side-by-side comparison tool that lets users run the same prompt across multiple models for easy comparison. Other privacy-centric touches include a "ghost mode" that auto-deletes conversations, encrypted file storage, and a password-protected vault to store chat history that only the user can access. The major lynchpin for ExpressAI's privacy model, though is that none of your data are fed back into the model -- the data stays within your chat. This claim has already been independently verified by security firm Cure 53 during a pre-release audit. Access to ExpressAI is rolling out globally in phases beginning on March 31, 2026. New and existing ExpressVPN Pro plan users will receive first access, with broader availability opening up to other users over time. Pro users will immediately get 500 daily credits, 2GB of storage, and access to all five AI models. ExpressAI signals a broader shift for the company. As AI tools become more embedded in daily workflows, privacy is quickly moving from a niche concern to a mainstream demand. ExpressVPN is clearly hoping that its reputation in security gives it an edge.

ExpressAI is finally here - but not everyone can use it yet

ExpressAI is finally here. It's a "private-by-design" AI tool, targeted at those who want to use AI, without compromising their data privacy - and its launch completes ExpressVPN's five-app privacy suite as announced back in February 2026. The ExpressAI app itself is end-to-end encrypted with the promise that chats and prompts are not used to train AIs. It's been independently audited by Cure53 and consists of five separate AI models, each with its own use case. ExpressAI is first available with ExpressVPN Pro plans, with wider availability coming soon. A "private-by-design" AI tool Existing AI models pose a risk to your data privacy. They often collect and store information, using it to train models. ExpressAI is different. ExpressVPN says it is "private-by-design". It says its "secure enclave technology" means an "isolated environment" is created, where nobody can read or access your data - including ExpressVPN. This zero-knowledge, end-to-end encryption means only you can decrypt your data. Unlike traditional AI models, your conversations, prompts, and files are not used for model training. Files also use the same encryption approach as chats, meaning any stored content remains inaccessible to third-parties. Ghost mode can be enabled, which allows users to configure conversations to automatically delete. All chat history is stored in an encrypted vault, which is password protected. Only a user, with knowledge of the password, can unlock it and we'd recommend using a secure and complex password for maximum security. At launch, ExpressAI has five general-purpose AI models available for use: * GPT OSS 120B - an open-weight model from OpenAI for everyday reasoning and writing. * DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B - For problems that require careful thinking. Excels at multi-step reasoning, logic puzzles, and research analysis. * Qwen2.5-VL 32B - Useful for reading documents, extracting data, and analyzing charts and diagrams. * Qwen3.5 35B-A3B - a "smart and efficient" model for long and complex tasks. Excels at coding, multi-step reasoning, and multilingual tasks. * Nemotron 12B - a powerful yet compact model designed by NVIDIA. It can be used for solving math problems, generating code, and tackling complex reasoning tasks. Models can be run side-by-side for easy comparison. You can run the same prompt through multiple models and "benefit from a range of perspectives and reasoning styles." "With ExpressAI, ExpressVPN is effectively extending its long-held stance on traffic protection to AI interactions: The best way to protect user data is not to collect it in the first place," said Shay Peretz, COO at ExpressVPN. "We're not just making privacy claims - we're proving it with cryptographic guarantees. With our enclave architecture, your messages exist in a secure, isolated environment that even we can't access. This is the future of reliable, private AI." How to use ExpressAI ExpressAI will first be available to ExpressVPN Pro subscribers, before being gradually rolled out to other subscribers. It can be used via its standalone web app - app.expressai.com. You can personalize your experience by setting yourself a nickname, giving your occupation, and sharing interests, values, and preferences for models to keep in mind. You can also enter custom instructions dictating how models should behave and answer. ExpressVPN Pro users will receive 500 daily credits, 2GB of storage, and access to the five AI models. ExpressVPN confirmed that credits are used each time ExpressAI processes a request. It provided the following examples: * 1 message using 1 model = 1 credit * 1 message using 3 models = 3 credits * 1 image or file upload = 1 credit There's also no word on how this quota will eventually differ between ExpressVPN plans. The features available with its existing apps vary between plans, with premium plans unlocking more features. We'd expect this to be the same with ExpressAI. Typically, a 28-month ExpressVPN Pro plan costs $7.49 per month. This is expensive for a VPN plan but considering you receive five apps, plus Dedicated IP, it's certainly not a bad price. However, ExpressVPN's exclusive gaming deal still appears to be live. You can get two-year plans, with four months free, for a heavily discounted price. A 28-month ExpressVPN Pro plan costs $4.87 per month ($136.32 upfront pre-tax), which is incredible value. We can't say how long the price will remain in place, but it's active at the time of writing. It's also worth noting that Identity Defender is a US-exclusive. If you want Dedicated IP or ExpressAI, ExpressVPN Pro is still worth the price. If you don't, you may be better off with ExpressVPN Basic or Advanced. An immediate independent audit ExpressAI is being released having undergone a successful independent audit. Cure53 completed its assessment between February and March 2026. It completed a source code review and penetration testing, across ExpressAI's frontend and backend systems. As well as this, Cure53 examined cryptography, key management, and underlying infrastructure. According to ExpressVPN, "all identified security vulnerabilities by Cure53 were addressed and remediated ahead of launch." Cure53 said ExpressAI "meets its stated privacy objectives," confirming its effective use of secure cryptographic enclaves. One subscription, five privacy apps ExpressAI is the final product to join ExpressVPN's newly launched privacy suite. Alongside ExpressVPN, you'll receive ExpressMailGuard, ExpressKeys, Identity Defender, and now ExpressAI. Features and app availability vary between plans. At the time of writing, ExpressVPN Basic only comes with the VPN and ExpressMailGuard. ExpressVPN Advanced unlocks ExpressKeys and core Identity Defender features. ExpressVPN Pro unlocks everything ExpressVPN has to offer, and is the only plan to include ExpressAI - for now.

'Even we can't access it': ExpressVPN launches ExpressAI chatbot to comprehensively end the era of AI data mining

* ExpressAI offers cryptographically secure AI chatbot rival to ChatGPT, Gemini and others * Five models from OpenAI, Nvidia, DeepSeek and Alibaba will ship from launch * ExpressVPN Pro users get it first (for free), other plans will come soon ExpressVPN has launched its own AI chatbot in response to growing demand for more secure artificial intelligence without privacy compromises. Rather than sending unencrypted data to servers for processing, the new ExpressAI offering has added a secure enclave step that means only the associated users can decrypt the data, essentially creating a "cryptographically isolated environment." "With our enclave architecture, your messages exist in a secure, isolated environment that even we can't access," COO Shay Peretz outlined. ExpressAI chatbot launch Besides offering zero-access encryption whereby only users can access their data, ExpressVPN also promises not to use the content of any chats to train its models. An additional 'ghost mode' will automatically delete conversations to disappear from your account, but if users want to access previous chats, they can encrypt them behind their chosen password in a dedicated vault. At launch, ExpressAI will be available with five separate model choices by four companies - two Chinese firms and two US firms. ExpressAI will pick between OpenAI's GPT OSS 120B for general writing and summarizing, Nvidia's Nemotron 12B for math and technical work, DeepSeek's R1 Distill 32B for reasoning and analysis, Alibaba's Qwen 2.5-VL 32B for image and document understanding, or Qwern 3.5 35B-A3B for coding and other complex tasks. Users can also run the same prompt across multiple models to compare for the best answer. ExpressAI is rolling out globally as of today, beginning with ExpressVPN Pro users at no extra cost as a web app. ExpressVPN noted that Pro users get 500 daily credits, 2GB of storage and access to the five AI models - it's unclear whether lesser plans that follow at a later date will be limited in terms of models. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

ExpressVPN Launches ExpressAI, An AI Platform Built For True Privacy

Leading consumer privacy and security company ExpressVPN today announced ExpressAI, a new private-by-design AI platform designed for people who want the power of modern AI without being profiled or having their prompts and files fed back into training pipelines. As more people use AI to draft emails, summarise documents, and troubleshoot everyday problems, they're also increasingly sharing more sensitive content, like work files, financial questions, and personal details. Too often, that means choosing between powerful AI features and personal privacy. ExpressAI is built to remove that trade-off, ensuring user data remains encrypted and unreadable to anyone, including ExpressVPN. Unlike most existing AI platforms that still process data on traditional servers, ExpressAI brings groundbreaking secure computing enclave technology to everyday users. This approach ensures that conversations are decrypted only within a secure enclave, a cryptographically isolated environment that is inaccessible to the host system and infrastructure operators. "With ExpressAI, ExpressVPN is effectively extending its long-held stance on traffic protection to AI interactions: The best way to protect user data is not to collect it in the first place," said Shay Peretz, COO at ExpressVPN. "We're not just making privacy claims - we're proving it with cryptographic guarantees. With our enclave architecture, your messages exist in a secure, isolated environment that even we can't access. This is the future of reliable, private AI." ExpressAI brings together privacy, model choice, and real usability in a single product. ExpressAI delivers a stack of privacy-focused features that set the platform apart from traditional AI chat tools: At launch, ExpressAI offers a suite of five general-purpose models to cover everyday tasks: ExpressAI features a convenient side-by-side comparison view, allowing users to run the same prompt across multiple models simultaneously and benefit from a range of perspectives and reasoning styles. It also offers transparent credit tracking for clear visibility into usage. For chat history, ExpressAI uses user-controlled encryption: users set a primary password, and only that password can decrypt past conversations, ensuring chat history remains unreadable to anyone else, including ExpressVPN. ExpressAI has been independently audited by Cure53, a leading cybersecurity firm known for its rigorous security assessments. The audit, conducted in February and March 2026, included penetration testing and a source code review across ExpressAI's frontend and backend systems, as well as its cryptography, key management, and underlying infrastructure. "Cure53 concludes that the product meets its stated privacy objectives by providing modern AI capabilities within confidential computing enclaves, where user interactions are processed in cryptographically isolated contexts," said Cure53. All identified security vulnerabilities by Cure53 were addressed and remediated ahead of launch. The full report is available here. "People are already turning to AI for high-stakes, personal conversations - from health questions to financial decisions. Whether you're accessing a bank account online or discussing private matters with a professional, you expect strong privacy protections. But those protections don't automatically carry over to everyday AI chats," said Peretz. "That gap has left many users uneasy about how their data is handled. ExpressAI was built to remove that fear and show that private, trustworthy AI can be part of the tools people use every day." Privacy-by-design has always been core to ExpressVPN. With ExpressAI, the company is applying that same privacy-first architecture beyond VPN to the everyday tools people use most, including passwords, messaging, and now AI. ExpressAI reflects ExpressVPN's evolution from a single, core product into a broader privacy ecosystem. The company's vision is to bring its uncompromising privacy and security principles to more digital tools people use every day. ExpressAI will roll out in phases, with new and existing ExpressVPN Pro plan users receiving first access. For more information, visit https://www.expressvpn.com/expressai. Notes: Founded in 2009, ExpressVPN helps millions of people worldwide take control of their digital privacy and security. Best known for its award-winning consumer VPN, ExpressVPN has evolved into a broader privacy and security company designed to protect users across every aspect of their online lives. The company's expanding portfolio includes the ExpressVPN app powered by its open-source Lightway protocol; ExpressKeys, a zero-knowledge password manager; Identity Defender, a dedicated identity protection app (U.S.); ExpressMailGuard for inbox privacy, and ExpressAI, a private-by-design AI platform built on confidential computing. The umbrella also extends to business and lifestyle solutions, including ExpressVPN for Teams for growing organisations, the Holiday.com eSIM service, and EventVPN, a free VPN with unlimited privacy at its core. ExpressVPN's technology and privacy safeguards have been independently audited and verified by leading third-party experts, including PwC, Cure53 and KPMG. Registered in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN has been part of Kape Technologies since 2021. For more information, visit www.expressvpn.com.