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While there are plenty of VPN providers on the market, some of which are even free to use, there are still many reasons why someone may opt to subscribe to a VPN plan. Yet, if you intend to pay to use a VPN, you need to make sure it fares better than other run-of-the-mill VPN providers.
FastestVPN is a somewhat new name in the VPN market, but it’s one that certainly has a lot to promise. The question is: is it really the fastest VPN out there? And what about its security and pricing?
In case you’re considering trying it out, then this in-depth FastestVPN review is here to help you decide – we’ll explore all the points of strength and weakness of this VPN provider, so keep reading!
At a Glance
FastestVPN may fall a little short of its claim of being the fastest VPN provider, but it still provides adequate speeds and fool-proof security. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hit-or-miss with streaming websites.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No international surveillance
- Stellar encryption
- Reliable Windows kill switch
- Torrent-friendly
- Zero-logs policy
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Free NAT Firewall
- Unblocks US Netflix
- Free ad blocking
Cons
- No security audit
- Limited configuration
- Limited split-tunneling
- Can’t unblock Amazon Prime or BBC iPlayer
FastestVPN - Full Review
Features
FastestVPN offers zero bandwidth limit for file uploads and downloads, as well as an ad-blocking feature. There are also no restrictions when it comes to switching from one server to another, and you can use 10 simultaneous connections with a single subscription.
Moreover, it boasts around 250 servers in 31 countries, a more humble offering than other competitors. This is enough for simple anonymous browsing but pretty limited if you need different IPs or plan to watch geo-restricted content.
It also offers split tunneling, but only on its Android and iOS apps. This feature allows you to connect to a public and private network simultaneously. However, FastestVPN is planning to add this feature to its Windows app soon.
Speed
Anyone would be excused to expect a VPN named FastestVPN to deliver on the speed front. Unfortunately, while far from being disastrously slow, the speed is pretty average for a VPN provider in this price bracket.
Using FastestVPN, you can expect to hit an average of 35-45% of your base speed. While that’s far from the fastest VPN, it’s perfectly adequate for most users. However, the actual speed you should expect depends on many factors, including your location and the server location.
FastestVPN’s speeds were exceptional in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the download speed didn’t suffer too much when connecting to further servers. As expected, however, upload speeds took a hit over long-distance connections.
Privacy
When it comes to privacy, FastestVPN truly excels. It utilizes state-of-the-art AES 256-bit encryption technology, which is widely trusted by security experts. It does so over multiple protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec, OpenConnect, and L2TP. It effectively protects your data and prevents DNS leaks outside its VPN tunnel.
Additionally, FastestVPN is headquartered in the Cayman Islands, which doesn’t have any mandatory data retention laws and isn’t part of any intelligence-sharing alliances. This means the provider isn’t legally obligated to keep browsing records or turn over users’ data.
FastestVPN’s privacy policy claims that they don’t store any activity logs, including originating IP addresses, bandwidth usage, or chosen server locations. In fact, the only thing it keeps is the user’s email address, which is deleted when the account is deactivated.
Unfortunately, the privacy policy isn’t as straightforward as we’d hoped, though, and the provider doesn’t undergo any external security audits.
Performance
Thanks to its stellar encryption, FastestVPN is an excellent choice for torrenting since it can easily mask your IP address and hide your activity from your internet service provider and third parties.
The VPN provider even offers a few P2P-optimized servers to make your torrenting experience smoother, and the unlimited data cap certainly helps as well.
As for streaming, it was pretty hit-or-miss. While it comes with a server especially optimized for accessing US Netflix, it couldn’t get past BBC iPlayer, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. It also had limited success with Disney+ through select, non-US servers.
Moreover, the lower number of available servers and locations means you’ll be missing out on a few geo-blocked libraries and streaming services outside the States.
Subscription Plans
The provider offers multiple subscription options providing the same full suite of features. The monthly plan costs $10, which is on the pricier side. However, you can save a lot by opting for the 1-year or 3-year plans.
The 1-year plan, which costs $29.95 billed annually, means the service only costs you $2.49 per month. For the 3-year plan, you can pay even lower than that: $39.95 in total, which amounts to $1.11 per month only.
As mentioned above, all plans include up to 10 simultaneous connections, which is enough for an entire household. But just in case you require more, you can add additional devices to your plan for one dollar per device. You can make payments via PayPal, credit cards and Bitcoin.
Unfortunately, FastestVPN doesn’t currently offer any free trial for those who want to get a taste of the service before fully committing. They do, however, offer a 15-day money-back guarantee. While that means you need to input your card details and make a payment, FastestVPN will refund you in full if you are not satisfied with the service.
The Verdict
Now that you’ve read our FastestVPN review, you can decide if this is the VPN for you. But let’s recap. This VPN provider may not quite live up to its name, but it’s still pretty fast for the average user. And while it still has a limited server library, it’s still a fantastic choice for torrenting and streaming, thanks to its stellar encryption.
