ExpressVPN crowned top VPN in the Tom's Guide Awards 2020

ExpressVPN
(Image credit: ExpressVPN/Tom's Guide)

There's a lot of variety when it comes to choosing a VPN, but there's one standout service that's head and shoulders above the rest. We believe great achievements should be rewarded, and that's why we've named ExpressVPN the best VPN in the first-ever Tom's Guide Awards for 2020.

Much of the provider's success comes down to great user experience. The apps—available on pretty much any device—work seamlessly, and make online security a cinch for even the greenest VPN user.

However, just having a pretty face won't win you a Tom's Guide Award, and ExpressVPN proves its worth with class-leading security. While other VPNs might have a few various extra features that the competition lacks, Express brings them all together in one package.

We're talking complete P2P support on its servers, fully functional browser extensions, WebRTC leak blocking, private DNS servers, Perfect Forward Secrecy, split tunnelling, a kill switch, a selection of protocols and a huge variety of servers across the globe. 

That's not to say there's no worthy competition, though. One of the few downsides to ExpressVPN is the fact it costs a little more than average and, for the penny pinchers, Surfshark offers a great alternative—although it can't truly match ExpressVPN's all-around performance.

Express's other closest rival is NordVPN, and the security behemoth remains a hugely popular option with millions of users. However, as the all-around best VPN, ExpressVPN is a worthy winner—so here's to making staying safe online as painless as possible.

  • More: Discover everything you can do with VPNs in our guide to VPN uses
  • You might be able to guess who comes out on top in ExpressVPN vs NordVPN
  • Save your cold hard cash with the best free VPN
VPN Editor

Mo is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide. Day-to-day he oversees guides on the best VPNs, privacy, and cybersecurity content, and also undertakes independent testing of VPN services to ensure his recommendations are accurate and up to date. When he's not getting stuck into the depths of a VPN you've never heard of, you'll find him working on his Peugeot 205 GTi or watching Peep Show instead of finally putting up those shelves.