ExpressVPN launches privacy suite with ExpressAI and email protection to rival Proton

ExpressVPN's New Privacy-Focused AI and Email Protection Features Could Be Game-Changers

Expertise Attila has nearly a decade's worth of experience with VPNs and has been covering them for CNET since 2021. As CNET's VPN expert, Attila rigorously tests VPNs and offers readers advice on how they can use the technology to protect their privacy online. ExpressVPN, CNET's current top-rated VPN, announced a handful of significant updates that should help customers use the service to protect their privacy in new ways. In doing so, Express is positioning itself as a fuller online privacy and security suite rather than just a VPN. To supplement its core VPN service, Express is rolling out a brand-new ExpressAI consumer AI platform and ExpressMailGuard email alias tool alongside its existing Keys password manager and Identity Defender suite. Instead of living as part of the ExpressVPN app, each will be its own standalone app and will be available as part of ExpressVPN's bundled subscription plans. Express pitches ExpressAI as a privacy-first AI platform that doesn't log your conversations and ExpressMailGuard as an email alias tool that can help keep your true email address private and cut down spam and phishing messages. The company says that separating Keys from the VPN app will give people a more streamlined password manager experience and help engineers more efficiently roll out features and improvements. Identity Defender remains largely the same, but will soon be available as a standalone app rather than integrated into the VPN app. I've liked Keys since it was released in 2023 because I always saw its potential to develop into a serious contender in the password manager space. Now, as a standalone app, I think Express is on its way to taking Keys to the next level. And although Identity Defender can be useful for some users, I'm still somewhat lukewarm on it given that a lot of its functionality can be obtained for free from other sources while it's only available on the Pro and Advanced plans. However, ExpressAI and ExpressMailGuard both have the potential to be true game changers for a lot of people. ExpressMailGuard and the new ExpressKeys app are available now, but the company says that ExpressAI will be made available at a later date. With the almost limitless ways we can use AI to enhance our daily lives, it's easy to ignore the massive data harvesting that goes on behind the scenes when we use large language models and the associated privacy risks. Tools like ChatGPT and other LLMs collect every user input, including conversations, files and images, in addition to other personal data connected to the user's account, device and network to train their models and tailor responses. This is why it's extremely risky to share highly confidential files or other personal information with these AI models. Express is looking to eliminate all that risk with ExpressAI, a web app that gives users a truly private way to interact with an LLM in a zero-knowledge environment. This means that neither Express, nor the server infrastructure providers have eyes on what a user inputs into the tool. Pete Membrey, ExpressVPN's chief engineering officer, said that it's not a promise that the company won't collect your data, but a mathematical guarantee because of the end-to-end encryption that happens as user inputs are sent through a "secure enclave." In other words, only you can decrypt the data. ExpressAI is an extension of the company's philosophy that the best way to protect data is not to collect it in the first place, Shay Peretz, ExpressVPN's COO, said in a press release. "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 cannot access," Peretz said. In addition to being zero-knowledge, ExpressAI is set up to be "zero-training," meaning that the model is never trained on user inputs. File uploads are processed in memory only and never saved to a hard drive, and you can set messages and other inputs to automatically delete. You can safely ask questions or upload images and files for ExpressAI to analyze without putting your privacy at risk. I also really like how ExpressAI lets paid subscribers compare the outputs of multiple LLMs side-by-side in real time, which may help give you a fuller picture or additional context into your query. Basic users are limited to just ExpressAI's output, but Advanced users can compare three models, and Pro users can compare five. Basic users are also restricted to a 5MB file upload limit and 50 inputs per day, while Advanced users get 10MB and 150 inputs per day and Pro users get 50MB and 500 inputs per day. Email has traditionally been one of the least secure methods of communication, on top of being an easy target for phishing. You've probably willingly shared your email address with hundreds of companies, many of whom in turn likely pass it along to other entities, including data brokers. Before long, your email address is exposed in a data breach or otherwise ends up in the hands of thousands of different entities that don't care about your privacy. This can lead to your inbox filling up with junk mail and phishing messages. ExpressMailGuard is a web app that lets you create disposable email aliases you can use to hide your real email address when doing things like signing up for subscriptions online or registering for an app. When you use an email alias from ExpressMailGuard, all correspondence sent to that alias is automatically forwarded to your primary email address without the sender ever having direct access to your true email address, similar to Apple's Hide My Email feature. Regardless of which plan you purchase, you can create an unlimited number of aliases, giving you the opportunity to use a different alias for every one of your online accounts. This can help you drastically reduce the amount of spam and phishing emails you receive. "Email addresses are permanent, but many of the services people sign up for are not," Peretz said in a press release. "ExpressMailGuard is like a VPN for e-mail. We're making it easy for anyone to protect their real email address, reduce unwanted exposure, and manage aliases in one place, no matter which email provider they use." There are multiple options to create custom forwarding or blocking rules for your aliases, disable aliases at any time if you start getting spam, and route aliases to preferred inboxes. Express also says it's working on rolling out PGP encryption for MailGuard to encrypt incoming mail to ensure your inbox stays protected. Features and functionality vary by plan type, but like ExpressAI, all users get at least some access to the tool. Ultimately, ExpressMailGuard seems to sit somewhere between Surfshark's Alternative ID and Proton Mail -- with the added versatility of being compatible with any email provider and the ability to create an unlimited number of aliases. While Proton and Surfshark offer excellent inbox protection features and unique functionality in their own right, you're limited to a set number of aliases with Alternative ID and to a single primary email address with Proton Mail. ExpressMailGuard hits a sweet spot that could appeal to a wide contingent of users. ExpressKeys is newly redesigned as a standalone app and is available for iOS, Android and as a browser extension, enabling you to use it across your devices. The company says that, as a standalone app, engineers will be able to focus on ExpressKeys' development separately to accelerate improvements and iterate faster over time, giving users access to new features in a more timely manner. "With today's launch of ExpressKeys as a dedicated password manager app, we're giving users a simpler, more secure way to save, organize and autofill their credentials," Peretz said in a press release. Identity Defender remains essentially the same, aside from it being spun off into its own standalone app on Feb. 26. Basic users won't get access to any Identity Defender features, but Advanced and Pro subscribers can get access to dark web monitoring, ID theft insurance, change of address alerts, SSN monitoring, data removal, credit scanning and credit reports as part of the available suite of services. When I first heard that ExpressVPN was adding additional services to its portfolio, I was excited about the prospect of a shiny new suite of tools, but I was also bracing for another price increase. I was very happy to learn that Express isn't raising its prices at all, despite adding some truly useful tools in ExpressAI and ExpressMailGuard. ExpressVPN's prices are broken down into three different tiers: Basic, Advanced and Pro. The Basic plan includes the VPN with 10 simultaneous connections, basic ad-blocking and limited access to ExpressAI and ExpressMailGuard features. The Advanced plan includes everything in Basic, plus 12 simultaneous VPN connections, advanced DNS filtering, access to ExpressKeys and additional ExpressAI and ExpressMailGuard functionality. The Pro plan includes 14 simultaneous VPN connections and full access to all features and allowances on the full suite of available tools. In fact, ExpressVPN introductory prices are even slightly cheaper right now than they normally are, with the Valentine's Day sale the company is currently running. Monthly plans aren't being discounted during the sale, but you can save a bit of money on the first term of the annual and two-year plans on each tier. However, while ExpressVPN's order page frames the sale as though you can save up to 81%, the reality is a bit more modest, but still a decent deal -- and the cheapest you're likely to find ExpressVPN all year. The 81% figure is based on the assumption that a user is paying the monthly price of the Basic plan ($13) for 28 months, which comes out to $363.72. But I doubt anyone is actually paying $364 for ExpressVPN Basic over two years. In reality, you're only saving a grand total of $29.32 over the course of that initial 28-month period, translating to a 30% savings compared to the normal introductory price for the two-year plan. Either way, I'm happy that Express is committing to diversifying its portfolio and offering additional bundled options on top of its core VPN product. And especially given that its prices remain unchanged, the company now delivers greater value than it previously did and is positioned to better compete with other top VPNs offering bundled services like NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton.

No longer just a VPN - ExpressVPN launches four new products to create a total privacy suite

ExpressVPN has launched four new tools in another significant overhaul of its VPN subscriptions. ExpressVPN, ExpressKeys, Identity Defender, ExpressAI, and ExpressMailGuard - the latter two newly created - will now have separate apps but come bundled together in one ExpressVPN subscription. ExpressVPN is no stranger to significant product announcements. Its constant innovation is why we rate it as one of the best VPNs - you can read our ExpressVPN review for more details. This move sees it evolve from a single-product VPN to an extensive digital privacy suite. The features are included in ExpressVPN Basic, Advanced, and Pro plans, with access varying depending on your level of plan. ExpressVPN has confirmed that all new apps will automatically become available to existing ExpressVPN users at no additional cost. ExpressKeys and ExpressMailGuard are live now. The US-exclusive Identity Defender feature will launch on February 26, 2026, but its current iteration will continue to operate for existing ExpressVPN Pro subscribers. ExpressAI was due to launch today but has been delayed. ExpressVPN did not give a date for its release. ExpressKeys was previously built-in to the ExpressVPN app but it's now its own beast. It provides Android, iOS, and browser extension users with a dedicated password manager, capable of securely storing and generating complex passwords. According to ExpressVPN, separating the VPN and password manager allows ExpressKeys to "iterate faster and expand over time with new features that give users greater control and security." The app is more streamlined and, as well as password generation, gives you the ability to store logins, credit cards, and secure notes, with autofill available for all. You can also use it as an authenticator. All information is protected by zero-knowledge encryption, meaning only you can see your data. Existing ExpressKeys users can download and log in to the new app and find all their passwords and login information ready and waiting. ExpressKeys is included with ExpressVPN Advanced and Pro plans, as well as legacy subscriptions. ExpressKeys will remain accessible within the ExpressVPN mobile app until March 5. After this date, it will only be accessible via the ExpressKeys app. ExpressMailGuard is one of two newly-launched features from ExpressVPN. The VPN describes ExpressMailGuard as "a new email aliasing and inbox protection service designed to help users take control of one of their most exposed digital identifiers: their email address." Disposable email addresses can be created and these mask your real email address when signing up for services and/or using apps. Mail can be forwarded to your genuine inbox and you can block and delete aliases that receive unwanted mail, such as spam. ExpressVPN said ExpressMailGuard "works with any email service and any device" and is designed to "reduce exposure" to scams, spam, and email-associated threats. ExpressVPN COO, Shay Peretz, said ExpressMailGuard was "like a VPN for email." He said ExpressMailGuard makes it "easy for anyone to protect their real email address, reduce unwanted exposure, and manage aliases in one place, no matter which email provider they use." ExpressMailGuard is included in all ExpressVPN plans, but the amount of features vary. ExpressVPN Basic subscribers receive 10 active shared domain aliases and 10MB of bandwidth. ExpressVPN Advanced subscribers receive 50 active shared domain aliases and 100MB of bandwidth. ExpressVPN Pro subscribers receive unlimited active shared domain aliases and unlimited bandwidth. ExpressAI is the second brand-new feature introduced in this update. It was due to be released on February 5 but ExpressVPN has confirmed its rollout has been delayed. The company did not give a new date but said it wanted to ensure it delivers the quality experience its users deserve. The feature is a "private-by-design" AI platform where you're not profiled and your data and prompts are not used for LLM training. The platform uses zero-knowledge, end-to-end encryption. Only you can decrypt your data - not ExpressVPN or any other third-party. Conversations can be configured to automatically expire and be deleted and no files are stored server side. There is a dedicated ExpressAI website and it includes a variety of models to cover everyday tasks. You can compare models side-by-side, running the same prompts simultaneously. All plans include ExpressAI, with your level of access varying at each tier. ExpressVPN Basic subscribers have access to one model, 50 credits per day, and a 5MB file upload limit. ExpressVPN Advanced subscribers see this increase to three models, 150 credits per day, and a 10MB file upload limit. ExpressVPN Pro subscribers can use all five models, 500 credits per day, and have a 50MB file upload limit. Identity Defender is also coming later than the other features, releasing on February 26. ExpressVPN has not released full details about Identity Defender but has said new options will be coming. With the US-exclusive feature, you're protected by up to $1 million of cyber insurance. You'll also benefit from credit scanning and monitoring, ID alerts, and a data removal service. For a limited time, Identity Defender Pro comes as part of the ExpressVPN Advanced and Pro plans. Typically, only the Lite version is bundled with ExpressVPN Advanced and the Pro version reserved for ExpressVPN Pro. It will continue to work in its current form before being upgraded at the end of February. The inclusion of five privacy apps in one subscription is a huge step for ExpressVPN. It can now not only challenge NordVPN's suite and the likes of Proton Unlimited, but arguably outclass both. Price is where ExpressVPN really stands out. It's currently running a limited-time deal which means you can grab ExpressVPN Pro for $5.24 per month ($146.80 upfront pre-tax). This is incredible value for the amount of product you get. NordVPN Prime offers a similar set of features for a higher price - $7.39 per month. It also doesn't include AI or dedicated email features beyond scanning for threats. Proton Unlimited works better as a dedicated ecosystem. It has Proton VPN, Drive, Pass, Mail, Calendar, and Wallet, plus its own AI, Lumo. All are end-to-end encrypted and sync effortlessly across your devices. However, at $9.99 per month, it's the most expensive VPN suite on the market. Two-year ExpressVPN plans are the best value for money. At launch, all two-year plans will come with an additional four months for free, and all have a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN Advanced also comes with three days of unlimited holiday.com eSIM data, rising to five days with ExpressVPN Pro. As well as the new apps, you'll continue to receive the core ExpressVPN features. These include 188, RAM-only, server locations worldwide, post-quantum encryption support, 1,000+ Mbps speeds with Lightway Turbo, a fully audited no-logs policy, and beginner friendly, easy-to-use apps.

ExpressVPN launches new digital privacy tools for subscribers

The new ExpressKeys app is free for ExpressVPN Advanced and Pro subscribers starting today. Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is rolling out a suite of new and reworked digital security tools for its subscribers. Most of them will join its existing Basic, Advanced, and Pro plans at no extra cost, and current subscribers can start using two of them immediately. The suite's freshest features include ExpressMailGuard, an email-disguising service, and ExpressAI, an encrypted AI platform that isn't trained on user data. ExpressMailGuard is available globally as of Thursday, Feb. 5, while ExpressAI will launch at a later date. ExpressVPN is also turning its built-in password manager and identity protection tools into standalone mobile apps for iOS and Android. ExpressKeys, the former, launches today alongside ExpressMailGuard. The other, Identify Defender, is set for release on Thursday, Feb. 26. It bears mentioning that none of these tools will improve ExpressVPN's actual VPN service. Rather, they add to the value of an ExpressVPN subscription. The goal here is to turn ExpressVPN into a "broader privacy ecosystem," according to a press release. Proton, the parent company of ProtonMail and ProtonVPN, one of ExpressVPN's biggest competitors, is already doing something similar. ExpressVPN's VPN service remains its marquee product, but maybe one day the company will just be "Express." I'm spitballing here. ExpressMailGuard lets users create disposable email aliases that they can use to sign up for services, apps, and newsletters. If a sender fills your primary email inbox with junk or unwanted messages, you can block the alias associated with them. ExpressVPN said this tool works with any email service and device, "[unlike] existing email alias tools." ExpressMailGuard makes it so that users don't have to give out their real email address as often, lessening their likelihood of appearing in a data breach. It's "like a VPN for email," said ExpressVPN COO Shay Peretz. ExpressVPN Basic, Advanced, and Pro subscribers are all receiving varying degrees of access to ExpressMailGuard starting today. ExpressAI is billed as "the world's first consumer AI platform built on confidential computing." Translation: User conversations, prompts, and files are encrypted to everyone, including ExpressAI's model providers and ExpressVPN itself. The company said the technology involved was previously exclusive to Nvidia's enterprise data centers. Additionally, ExpressAI's models are never trained on user data. ExpressAI is designed to better protect sensitive content, "like work files, financial questions, and personal details," compared to other AI platforms, ExpressVPN said. Users can choose from up to five different models depending on their ExpressVPN subscription tier, including GPTOSS 20B, DeepSeek R1 Distill, Qwen2-VL 2B, Qwen3 32B, and Nvidia Nemotron. The same prompt can be run across multiple models simultaneously for easy comparisons. All ExpressVPN subscription tiers will include access to ExpressAI. The ExpressKeys app works as a password generator, a password strength checker, a two-factor authenticator, and secure storage for logins, credit card information, and notes. It supports autofill, offline access, and automatic syncing across different devices. Everything is encrypted, so no one can see your data except you. By moving this tool out of its VPN's mobile apps, where it was previously called "Keys," ExpressVPN will be able to grow it at a greater scale, the company said. New ExpressKeys users can log in with their ExpressVPN credentials and import information from other password managers. Existing Keys users can continue to use that service until March 5, 2026. ExpressVPN Advanced and Pro subscribers are getting complete access to ExpressKeys starting today. It's not available for ExpressVPN Basic subscribers. ExpressVPN Advanced and Pro subscribers will get full access to the Identity Defender app's services later this month. That includes dark web monitoring, $1 million in identity theft insurance, change of address alerts, automatic data removal, and a credit scanner. ExpressVPN Basic subscribers will not get access to the Identity Defender app.