FastestVPN aims to be, well, the fastest VPN. While it may not achieve that lofty goal, it offers a compelling blend of affordability, decent performance, and essential features. This review delves into FastestVPN’s strengths and weaknesses, examining its speeds, security, features, and, most importantly, its value proposition.
FastestVPN’s most attractive feature is its lifetime subscription plan for a remarkably low price. This, coupled with decent speeds, 10 simultaneous connections, and a free password manager and cloud storage, makes it a tempting option for budget-conscious users. However, a smaller feature set and some limitations with streaming services might deter power users.
Key Features and Services
FastestVPN User Interface
FastestVPN’s redesigned interface is cleaner and more intuitive than previous versions. The application displays a categorized list of countries (Countries, Streaming, D-VPN, and P2P) for easy connection. A prominent connect button, along with basic connection information (IP address and server location), sits on the right. The left sidebar provides access to the home screen, settings, support, and account information.
FastestVPN Settings Menu
The settings menu allows users to adjust the VPN protocol, activate the kill switch, configure split tunneling, and manage startup and reconnection options. These are standard features for most modern VPN applications.
FastestVPN boasts over 800 servers in more than 49 countries. While this is an improvement from previous iterations, it’s still smaller than networks offered by competitors like Private Internet Access and CyberGhost VPN.
The inclusion of split-tunneling and multi-hop (Double VPN or D-VPN) features enhances privacy. Multi-hop connections route traffic through multiple VPN servers for double encryption, a valuable feature not universally offered by competitors.
FastestVPN Multi-Hop Feature
FastestVPN offers broad device compatibility, supporting Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Roku, Amazon Firestick, and more, along with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
A welcome addition is the display of server latency numbers, allowing users to select the fastest connection. This demonstrates FastestVPN’s responsiveness to customer feedback. Furthermore, the service provides 24/7 chat and email support, a free password manager, and up to 2TB of cloud storage.
Pricing and Plans
FastestVPN Pricing Plans
FastestVPN’s pricing is extremely competitive. The monthly plan is comparable to Mullvad VPN and significantly cheaper than premium VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. The annual plan offers even greater savings, and the lifetime subscription for a one-time fee is exceptionally affordable. While no free trial is available, all plans come with a 31-day money-back guarantee and support various payment methods.
Performance and Speed
Tests across servers in six countries showed decent speeds, averaging up to 50% of the base download speed and 68% of the base upload speed. While not the fastest, these results are respectable, indicating the positive impact of FastestVPN’s upgraded 10Gbps+ speed servers.
FastestVPN’s ability to bypass geo-restrictions is inconsistent. While some standard servers successfully accessed services like Netflix and Disney+, others were blocked. However, the dedicated streaming servers performed reliably in tests.
Security and Privacy
FastestVPN Protocol Options
FastestVPN offers a range of protocols, including WireGuard, IKEv2, TCP, UDP, and Auto. The inclusion of WireGuard is a significant advantage, given its speed and security.
Based in the Cayman Islands, FastestVPN operates outside the jurisdiction of the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes alliances, enhancing user privacy. The company’s no-logs policy, independently audited by AltisIT, further reinforces its commitment to user privacy.
FastestVPN utilizes AES 256-bit encryption and includes IPv6 and DNS leak protection. Tests confirmed no IP or DNS leaks, ensuring user location and online activities remain private.
Conclusion
FastestVPN continues to evolve and improve. While it may not be the absolute fastest or most feature-rich VPN, its focus on affordability and privacy makes it a strong contender, particularly for budget-conscious users. The lifetime subscription is a remarkable value proposition. While some areas, such as streaming reliability, could be improved, FastestVPN offers sufficient speed, security, and features for everyday use. The added benefits of free cloud storage and a password manager sweeten the deal.
