Technical Specifications
- Primary Protocol
- Lightway (Throttled by GFW)
- Success Rate
- 40-50% (Inconsistent)
- GFW Resistance
- Low (Selective Throttling)
- Average Latency
- 350ms+ (When Connected)
- Price
- $12.95/month
- Refund Policy
- 30-Day Guarantee
Why ExpressVPN No Longer Leads in China
ExpressVPN was once the go-to recommendation for China. Its proprietary Lightway protocol offered good speeds and reasonable reliability. However, the Great Firewall has evolved, and Lightway has become a victim of its own success.
The GFW's automated probing systems have identified the Lightway handshake signature. While connections can still be established, the firewall applies selective packet loss that throttles speeds to unusable levels within 15 minutes of session start.
The Lightway Protocol Problem
Lightway is built on WolfSSL and uses a UDP/TLS hybrid approach. While technically superior to standard WireGuard, it shares the same fundamental weakness: a recognizable handshake pattern that GFW classifiers can fingerprint.
Throttling Behavior
Unlike outright blocking, GFW applies entropy-based throttling to Lightway connections. You may connect successfully, but speeds degrade from 50Mbps to ~500kbps within 15 minutes. This makes video calls, streaming, and even browsing unreliable.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- ✓ Polished apps: Excellent UI/UX across all platforms
- ✓ Wide server network: 94 countries available
- ✓ Good support: 24/7 live chat available
- ✓ Sometimes works: 40-50% initial connection success
Limitations
- ✗ Throttled speeds: Degrades to 500kbps within 15 min
- ✗ Expensive: $12.95/mo for inconsistent service
- ✗ Frequent reconnects: Sessions drop randomly
- ✗ Not reliable for work: Video calls fail mid-session
Who Might Still Use ExpressVPN
- Users who already have an active subscription and want to try
- Casual users who only need occasional, non-critical browsing
- Travelers who primarily use VPN outside China
Not recommended for: Business travelers, remote workers, anyone needing reliable video calls, or users willing to pay premium prices for premium service.
Better Alternatives
Professional expats in China have moved on from ExpressVPN. For the same or lower price, you can get significantly more reliable service:
Recommendation
For business/work use, Astrill VPN offers 98% uptime with the StealthVPN protocol. For budget travelers, LetsVPN provides better reliability at a fraction of the cost.