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.

What is ExpressAI?

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.  

What is ExpressMailGuard?

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.      

Improvements to Keys and a slight shift for Identity Defender

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.

New services don’t result in a price increase

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. 

• The Basic plan costs $13 per month, $52.39 total for the first 15 months or $68.40 total for the first 28 months, with the annual and two-year plans renewing at $100 per year. 
• The Advanced plan costs $14 per month, $62.89 total for the first 15 months or $88 total for the first 28 months, with the annual and two-year plans renewing at $120 per year. 
• The Pro plan costs $20 per month, $94.39 total for the first 15 months or $146.80 total for the first 28 months, with the annual and two-year plans renewing at $200 per year.    

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.