FastestVPN is a virtual private network developed by Fast Technology Limited, which is headquartered in the Cayman Islands. It supports a variety of tunneling protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN, and offers native applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android. The service provides access to servers in 49 countries and permits up to 10 simultaneous device connections on a single account. The company frequently markets the service through a low-cost, one-time payment option.
Our Verdict
FastestVPN is great for torrenting thanks to its unlimited data usage and P2P-friendly servers. It features a reliable kill switch with protection against IP and DNS leaks, ensuring your identity remains hidden even if your VPN disconnects. However, FastestVPN's download and upload speeds are below average, so downloading larger files takes additional time. You can pay with a variety of cryptocurrencies for anonymity, but you're still required to provide a valid email address and password on signup.
Accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
Offers a one-time payment option.
No data limit and a generous 31-day refund policy.
Doesn't leak your IP address or DNS queries.
Functional kill switch.
No registration options that preserve anonymity.
TLS vulnerability poses risk of traffic interception.
Very slow download and upload speeds.
FastestVPN is decent for private browsing. It successfully encrypts your IP address and DNS requests, and its kill switch blocks unencrypted traffic from leaking if the application crashes or your system reboots. However, its privacy policy allows the collection of user data and analytics, and its 2023 single audit lacks sufficient data to be meaningful. The VPN has improper TLS and BGP implementation, leaving your traffic potentially vulnerable to interception while connected. Although you can pay with cryptocurrency for some anonymity, you're still required to provide an email address and password to register.
Accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
Offers a one-time payment option.
No data limit and a generous 31-day refund policy.
Doesn't leak your IP address or DNS queries.
Functional kill switch.
No registration options that preserve anonymity.
Collects and shares user data and analytics.
TLS vulnerability poses risk of traffic interception.
Poor communication and ill-defined policies.
Limited information on past audits and company history.
FastestVPN's policies and company practices are poor. While the VPN claims to have a strict no-logs policy, their data logging policy outlines their collection of app analytics, diagnostic data, and usage telemetry. Their only independent privacy audit was published in 2023, and the findings are exceptionally vague. The company relies heavily on aggressive pop-up marketing for its lifetime deals, and emphasizes "blazing-fast speeds" that directly contradict the VPN's real-world performance.
Offers a one-time payment option.
No data limit and a generous 31-day refund policy.
No registration options that preserve anonymity.
Collects and shares user data and analytics.
Poor communication and ill-defined policies.
Limited information on past audits and company history.
Aggressive marketing and misleading speed claims.
FastestVPN has good security. It effectively hides your true IP address and keeps DNS queries within its encrypted tunnel. Its kill switch successfully prevents unencrypted traffic from bypassing the VPN during a system reboot or an unexpected loss of internet connectivity. Unfortunately, its protection against man-in-the-middle attacks is poor due to improper TLS verification and BGP implementation.
Offers a one-time payment option.
No data limit and a generous 31-day refund policy.
Doesn't leak your IP address or DNS queries.
Functional kill switch.
TLS vulnerability poses risk of traffic interception.
We're testing this VPN's speed on an ongoing basis and will update this verdict when we have more data. See the Performance section of the review to view the data we've collected so far.
No data limit and a generous 31-day refund policy.
Aggressive marketing and misleading speed claims.
Very slow download and upload speeds.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
FastestVPN offers a single tier of service that you can access through their monthly, yearly, or one-time payment models. All payment plans provide the exact same server access and features; the only difference is how often you pay. We bought and tested FastestVPN via its lifetime subscription option.
Popular VPN Comparisons
While most VPN services operate on a recurring payment model, FastestVPN positions itself as a markedly flexible option through its heavily promoted lifetime subscription plan. While its strong leak protection and functional kill switch provide a decent baseline of protection, its incredibly slow connection speeds, infrequent audits, and potential vulnerability to man-in-the-middle attacks make it a poor choice for most VPN use cases. FastestVPN's policies are vague and nondescript, with clauses reserving the right to collect the user's data and modify their privacy policy without notice. Users seeking anonymity and more reliable stewardship of their personal data will be better served by reputable alternatives like Mullvad or Windscribe. For those on a tight budget who don't mind a data cap, free options like Windscribe Free or Proton VPN Free offer a higher level of transparency and stronger security across the board.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best cheap VPNs, the best VPNs for torrenting, and the best VPNs overall.
FastestVPN is better than NordVPN in terms of security, while the latter outperforms in terms of speed. NordVPN is much faster and provides better protection against man-in-the-middle attacks, but it lacks a functional kill switch, and leaks unencrypted traffic in the event of a sudden disconnect. Both companies are available on all major operating systems and have support for up to 10 simultaneous devices. They also maintain similarly poor privacy policies and a modest record of independent audits. NordVPN is available in 118 countries, whereas FastestVPN is limited to just 49.
Proton VPN is a better VPN than FastestVPN in most regards. Proton VPN delivers much faster download and upload speeds, making it better suited to large downloads, torrenting, and streaming. It also provides better overall security and privacy with a functional kill switch, protection against man-in-the-middle attacks, and the ability to register without an email. Both companies' policies are obfuscated by jargon and allow for the collection of user data, but Proton publishes more frequent third-party audits that return positive results whereas FastestVPN has published just one, with very little information on actual findings.
Mullvad is much better than FastestVPN, particularly for users focused on privacy and security. Mullvad allows for completely anonymous registration using a randomly generated account number and accepts cash payments in addition to cryptocurrency and standard payment methods. It also has an outstanding privacy policy and a clean track record backed by frequent, comprehensive third-party audits. FastestVPN's company history is dubious, and the service requires an email address and password to register. They also openly log your usage data and email for marketing, and the VPN has severe vulnerabilities that can leave your data exposed to third parties.
Windscribe Free is a better option than FastestVPN for most users, despite its monthly data cap. Windscribe Free offers excellent protection against man-in-the-middle attacks along with a functional kill switch, while FastestVPN fails to validate TLS certificates properly and can leave traffic exposed to bad actors. Windscribe also has exceptional company practices and a robust, frequently audited privacy policy. FastestVPN offers unlimited data and a cheap lifetime plan, but its slow speeds, dubious company history, and lack of transparency make it a far less reliable steward of your data.
Test Results
Like most VPN providers, FastestVPN lacks proper Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) implementation. BGP vulnerabilities pose negligible risk to the average user, given that such attacks are resource-intensive, highly targeted, and typically reserved for state-level actors.
However, FastestVPN notably failed one part of our TLS certificate validation test while connecting to Google.com. This means we couldn't verify that the encrypted connection matched the certificate chain we expected to receive. Services like Google can occasionally serve an irregular certificate depending on server location and network routing, and while we didn't find definitive proof that FastestVPN intercepted or decrypted traffic, an unexpected TLS verification result raises concerns about how consistently a VPN succeeds in maintaining a secure connection when handling your traffic.
Check out our article to learn more about TLS and its role in network security.
FastestVPN has a bad privacy policy that allows for the collection and sharing of user data, registration info, and analytics to third parties for marketing purposes. Furthermore, the company reserves the right to change this policy at any time without notifying users. Its claims rely on only one independent audit conducted by Altius IT in January 2023. The scope of this audit is concerningly narrow, and the resulting report provides very little detail about the methodology used or any specific findings.
FastestVPN's company practices are middling. Its marketing strategy relies heavily on aggressive pop-ups promoting its lifetime deal every time you visit the page, and the company's claims of blazing-fast speeds directly contradict our test results. The company's last and only available transparency report was dated October 2022, and their trademark filing has not been renewed. Additionally, the VPN software lacks an option to opt out of data collection in its settings.
FastestVPN requires a valid email address and password to register for an account. They accept standard payment methods like credit cards and PayPal, as well as a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. However, you can't pay with cash, and no anonymous or hashed login options are available.
During testing, we found that some of FastestVPN's servers are highly unstable. We weren't able to reliably connect to their Australian servers, and we experienced similar inconsistencies with one of their two New York servers. This is a drawback if you need a dependable connection to specific geographic locations.
In addition to native Windows and macOS applications, FastestVPN provides packages for major Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and CentOS. Applications are also available for iOS, Android, Android TV Box, and PS4/PS5.
FastestVPN allows you to connect to servers in 49 different countries. Five of these countries offer multiple cities to choose from, which helps you find a server closer to your physical location. However, it doesn't allow you to choose specific servers within those cities.
