FastestVPN Review 2023

Although FastestVPN is a relatively young VPN provider, it’s constantly adding new features and improving its service, as we discovered in our FastestVPN review. Its latest batch of improvements are designed to make the VPN faster, more secure, and easier to use.

In this FastestVPN review, we put this provider through the wringer to see how its features and performance compare to the best VPN services on the market. Check our hands-on test results and final conclusions below.

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FastestVPN: A Short Review

8.4

What We Like

• Solid security package
• AES-256 encryption
• Independently audited no-logging policy
• Good speeds on nearby servers
• Supports all major platforms
• Works with Netflix US
• Torrenting is allowed
• Beginner-friendly apps
• Split tunneling
• Affordable pricing
• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

What We Don't Like

• Small server network
• Poor performance on distant servers
• English only

FastestVPN is a mid-tier VPN service launched in 2017 in the Cayman Islands. It offers beginner-friendly apps that are very easy to install and navigate. It supports OpenVPN with AES-256 encryption, IKEv2, and WireGuard. Other notable security features include a kill switch, a NAT firewall, and an ad blocker.

FastestVPN operates around 600 servers in 35+ countries, which is rather modest by today’s standards. It dishes out good speeds on nearby servers but falls flat on distant locations. It can unblock Netflix US and other popular streaming services like Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu. Torrenting is also allowed on all servers.

With all that in mind, can FastestVPN truly justify its name? Keep reading to find out.

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Speed – How Fast is FastestVPN?

FastestVPN gave us some good speeds during our testing circuit, but it still can’t compete with the best VPN providers. With that in mind, we gave FastestVPN an 8 out of 10 for speed.

Here’s a short overview of our test results:

• FastestVPN offered good speeds in closer locations.
• We experienced noticeable speed drops on distant servers.
• We experienced latency issues while gaming and torrenting.

Speed test results for FastestVPN

For this FastestVPN review, we tested its Windows app from our office in the Netherlands. We first determined our speed without a VPN and compared it to FastestVPN’s performance on various server locations.

You might get different results based on your original connection speed and location, so the table below is best used as an indicator of potential speeds.

Here are the results of our FastestVPN speed test.

Server	Download (Mbps)	Upload (Mbps)	Ping (ms)
No VPN	94.56	94.78	4
Smart Connect (Sweden, Stockholm)	56.91	76.93	51
US East (New York)	22.14	49.05	169
US West (Los Angeles)	13.94	47.95	291
UK (London)	87.69	89.9	18
Japan (Tokyo)	9.26	24.9	447
Australia (Sydney)	8.57	18.63	600
The Netherlands (Amsterdam)	82.65	83.17	10
Germany (Düsseldorf)	88.67	89.73	13
Brazil (Sao Paulo)	10.63	45.06	401
Canada (Montreal)	28.88	87.68	178

FastestVPN’s performance was directly proportional to its ping values – closer servers with lower pings gave us good speeds and a lag-free experience. On the other hand, as we moved away from the Netherlands, the speeds started to drop. FastestVPN had some of the highest pings we’ve ever seen. So, if you’re looking for a good gaming VPN, this is not the tool for you.

Expert Tip:

Servers that are physically farther from your location will have higher ping values. Latency over 150 ms will negatively affect your gaming and streaming experience. Therefore, we recommend sticking to closer servers for such bandwidth-heavy operations.

FastestVPN automatic server selection was also disappointing. It picked a server in Sweden with a ping of 51 and cut our download speed in half. If you want the best speeds, you should manually select a server in your country.

There were also some minor location mixups during our testing. For example, our IP and location tool showed we were in Berlin while testing a server in Düsseldorf.

In conclusion, FastestVPN didn’t justify its name during our speed testing. It performed reasonably well but can’t compete with lightning-fast VPNs. Having said that, it’s still a good option if you don’t need a lot of long-distance connectivity.

Speed during daily use

During our testing of FastestVPN, we streamed some of the best Netflix shows and YouTube clips without any issues.

The aforementioned speed drops were especially evident during our gaming sessions. We tested FastestVPN with MTG Arena, which isn’t even that demanding. Even so, we were facing constant latency issues on distant servers. If you’re into bandwidth-heavy online games, we recommend sticking to servers closer to your location with FastestVPN.

We experienced a similar pattern when we used FastestVPN for torrenting. Servers with lower pings provided snappy, effortless downloads, while distant locations struggled quite a bit.

FastestVPN was much better at preserving our upload speed. This makes it a good tool for upload-heavy operations like securing your video conferencing activities or streaming on Twitch.

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Safety – How Secure is FastestVPN?

FastestVPN offers a solid security setup, as proven by our extensive testing. It will anonymize your browsing and protect you from online snoops. After our testing circuit, we gave FastestVPN a 9.5/10 for online safety.

Here’s a quick overview of our conclusions:

• FastestVPN supports OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 protocols.
• It maintains a solid no-logging policy.
• It comes with an automatic kill switch.
• We didn’t experience any data leaks during our tests.
• Registration requires your name (optional), email, and payment info.

Protocols

Your VPN’s overall performance, security, and flexibility are determined mainly by the VPN protocols it supports. These will also affect your ability to bypass online censorship and unblock geo-restricted platforms like Netflix.

Here are the protocols supported by FastestVPN:

• OpenVPN (TCP/UDP): The most popular VPN protocol with the best speed-security balance. It should satisfy the needs of the majority of VPN users.
• IKEv2: Less CPU-intensive than OpenVPN but blocked more easily. It’s perfect for mobile users and people who travel a lot.
• WireGuard: The latest addition to FastestVPN’s protocol roster, known for its unparalleled speed and excellent security. It’s ideal for bandwidth-hungry operations like streaming.

FastestVPN uses the AES-256 cipher to encrypt your online traffic. This is the best encryption method we have today. It’s primarily known as “military-grade” encryption but is also used by banks, hospitals, and other institutions.

You can set FastestVPN to pick a protocol automatically. This beginner-friendly tool chooses the best protocol based on your location and connection speed. It’s a great help when you’re unfamiliar with the technical side of VPNs.

OpenVPN should satisfy the needs of most VPN users, so we recommend starting with this option. TCP will be slower but more resilient to VPN filters and firewalls, while UDP is faster but easily blocked.

Logging and privacy

FastestVPN is an excellent choice for privacy-minded individuals based on our research of its privacy policy. It’s based in the Cayman Islands, a jurisdiction without mandatory data retention laws. This means they’re not obligated to store user data on their servers. The Cayman Islands are also outside the Eyes Alliance, which is a huge plus in our book.

FastestVPN has a good no-logging policy, which means it doesn’t record any data that could be used to identify you. It doesn’t log your online activity, IP address, location, connection timestamps, or other information that could trace your traffic back to you.

Important notice:

FastestVPN’s commitment to user privacy was officially confirmed at the beginning of 2023 with a successful independent logging audit performed by AltiusIT.

Essentially, FastestVPN only records your email address and payment info. This allows you to remain completely anonymous since you can always create a burner email and pay with crypto. So, FastestVPN is as close to a good zero-log VPN service as possible.

Kill switch

FastestVPN comes with an automatic internet kill switch that prevents all internet access outside a secured VPN tunnel. It’s a feature similar to the “permanent” kill switch offered by Proton VPN.

We’re not huge fans of exclusive permanent kill switches. We prefer having them as an option while also having access to a “regular” kill switch that lets you go online without VPN protection.

You can turn it on in the “Settings” menu. During our last review, we got error messages when activating the kill switch. Not this time, though. It’s clear that FastestVPN has dealt with the bugs, and the kill switch now works seamlessly.

Note that FastestVPN’s kill switch is deactivated by default, and you’ll have to turn it on manually if you wish to use it.

NAT firewall

FastestVPN has a built-in NAT firewall. This feature is implemented server-side, so you won’t find any options in the software you have downloaded. It’s not even mentioned there, so most users won’t even know it’s active. Since you don’t have any control over it, you won’t be able to turn it off.

This implementation uses something called “DNS-blackholing,” which checks your DNS requests against a blacklist of known malware sites. If your request matches a domain on the list, it will be blocked. In other words: don’t be alarmed if you can’t access a sketchy website — it’s just the firewall doing its job.

Double VPN

FastestVPN now also offers double VPN servers (also known as “multi-hop”). You can find these servers under the “D-VPN” tab in the software. The available options are:

• France via UK
• USA via the Netherlands
• UK via USA

The advantage here is doubling your security by wrapping your traffic into two layers of encryption. Unfortunately, heavier encryption of double VPN servers will also result in higher speed drops.

Does FastestVPN leak your data?

FastestVPN provides IPv4 and IPv6 leak protection. During our extensive testing of FastestVPN, we didn’t notice any IP or DNS leaks, which is always a huge plus for user privacy and security.

As you can see, our ipleak.net test only showed the location of the server we were using at the time. In other words, FastestVPN didn’t leak any data we wouldn’t want to share with our ISP or any other entity lurking online.

What information does FastestVPN need?

During registration, FastestVPN will ask for your email address and payment information. Their website clearly states that your email address will only be used for billing purposes and account registration.

These requirements allow you to remain as anonymous as possible during your account creation. If you wish, you can always create a fresh email without any personal credentials and buy this VPN with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

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Usability – How User-Friendly is FastestVPN?

FastestVPN is a beginner-friendly provider that doesn’t have a bunch of confusing advanced options. This makes it an excellent choice if you’ve never used a VPN before. That’s why it got an 8.5 out of 10 for usability.

Here are some points to keep in mind:

• FastestVPN’s website is easy to navigate.
• The installation is quick and effortless on all operating systems.
• Its VPN interface is simple and beginner-friendly.
• FastestVPN offers split tunneling and a built-in ad blocker.
• It’s one of the cheapest VPNs out there.
• Crypto payments are accepted.
• FastestVPN offers 24/7 customer support (live chat support included).
• The support team is quite knowledgeable and willing to help.

FastestVPN’s website and installation process

FastestVPN’s website is quite simple and easy to navigate. Everything is well laid out, and we had no problem finding our way around. However, it does go overboard with numerous pop-ups and advertising in general.

Clicking the “Buy Now” button will take you to the purchase screen, where you can create your account and pick a subscription package. The “My Account” button will open up your personal dashboard. Here, you can review your account, download FastestVPN apps and extensions, and inspect its server locations.

FastestVPN supports all major platforms. You can download software for Windows, Linux, and macOS, as well as the FastestVPN app for Android and iOS. It also has apps for some of the best VPN routers, gaming consoles, and more. FastestVPN offers good browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

For this FastestVPN review, we primarily tested its Windows app. The installation was quick and effortless, although it required some extra steps.

Here’s how to install FastestVPN:

1. Go to FastestVPN’s official website.
2. Click on “Buy Now” in the top-right corner.
3. Pick a subscription package.
   
   
4. Sign up with your chosen credentials.
5. Use the received email to create your password.
6. Click on “My Account” to access your personal dashboard.
7. Download the installation file for your device.
   
   
8. Unzip the file and click on the downloaded installer to start the installation.
9. Click “Yes” when prompted to install the TAP driver.
10. Finish the installation.

After installing the software, you’ll receive an email (that might end up in your spam folder). This message is very important since it contains the password reset link that will allow you to create your password.

This can be somewhat confusing since you should be creating your password, not resetting it. The wording on the password reset screen is also not very clear.

After completing all the steps and installing the VPN, you’ll get a login screen that requires your registration credentials. You can always use the “Remember” option if you don’t want to type them in every time you start FastestVPN, or you can use a good password manager to gain quick access to your credentials.

You can install FastestVPN on up to 10 devices simultaneously, which is more than enough for most VPN users out there.

FastestVPN’s appearance and ease of use

The FastestVPN app for Windows is simple and well-organized. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, you’ll be able to navigate the client with ease.

The on/off button and the option to change your server location are central to the main screen and cannot be missed. You’ll also see your current location and IP address at the bottom of the client.

The Settings menu in the top-right corner allows you to:

• Change the VPN protocol.
• Enable “Launch” at the start.
• Activate the kill switch.
• Activate automatic redial when the connection drops.
• Auto-connect after “Launch.”
• Disconnect the VPN when you exit the app.
• Activate split tunneling.

During our last review, FastestVPN crashed several times. However, it’s clear this VPN service has dealt with this problem, as we did not experience any crashes during this round of testing.

One downside of FastestVPN is that it only supports the English language. We always like to see support for as many languages as possible, allowing non-English speakers to receive the same level of protection. We hope the team will work on that in the future.

Split tunneling

FastestVPN offers split tunneling. This option lets you choose which websites are routed through a VPN and which can access the internet directly. Unfortunately, the split tunneling feature is only available on its Android and iOS apps. Note that on iOS, the split tunneling feature is labeled as smart tunneling.

With split tunneling, you can ensure that only some of your internet traffic goes through an encrypted connection. You can, for example, decide that you only want to use the VPN for downloading torrents, while all other traffic doesn’t go through that encrypted VPN tunnel.

Ad blocker

FastestVPN offers a good ad blocker that blocks most unwanted advertisements and pop-ups. This feature especially comes in handy when you’re streaming or downloading: it rids you of those irritating pop-ups.

Similarly to their NAT firewall, this feature is also implemented server-side via DNS blackholing. In practice, this means you won’t see any mention of it in the VPN’s interface, and you can’t turn it off (nor is there any reason you should).

Pricing and payment methods

FastestVPN is one of the cheapest VPNs out there. Currently, FastestVPN has some amazing available deals. Their current subscription plans include the following:

Pricing plans

• FastestVPN Lifetime $40mth Deal View offer
• FastestVPN 12 Months $2.08mth View offer
• FastestVPN Monthly $5mth View offer

We especially like the FastestVPN lifetime subscription package. For only $40, you get permanent protection and all the updates to come from FastestVPN. After a single payment, you don’t have to worry about VPN protection ever again. We feel this is a great deal that will pay off immensely in the long run.

Each plan comes with 2TB of Internxt cloud storage as well as the PassHulk password manager. You can pay for your FastestVPN subscription via:

• Credit card (MasterCard, DISCOVER, VISA, American Express, JCB, Union Pay)
• PayPal
• Crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash)

There’s no free trial available, but FastestVPN does offer a 15-day money-back guarantee on all subscriptions. This is below the established 30-day standard but still enough for new users to test it. If, for any reason, you are unhappy with this VPN service, you can simply ask for a refund.

How does FastestVPN’s money-back guarantee work?

If you’re not satisfied with FastestVPN’s service, you can get a full refund within 15 days of your purchase. At the end of our research, we asked for a refund through their live chat, and the agent quickly submitted our request. They said the agent mentioned that our refund would be processed within three working days, but we got our money back in less than a day.

Customer service

When it comes to customer support, FastestVPN fares well. You can contact FastestVPN in several ways, the fastest of which is their live chat support. This service is available on their website and through their software 24/7.

When starting a live chat session, you’ll have to provide your email address and type in your question. We don’t recommend providing any additional data during the conversation if you want to maintain your online privacy.

If you run into an issue, you can use the live chat feature to quickly solve your problem. We submitted a question via Live Chat and received an immediate response. The chat operator gave a clear and comprehensive answer to our question.

It’s also possible to send an email to FastestVPN’s customer service. We tried this option as well and received a clear and comprehensive answer to our question just half an hour later.

While the modest FAQ section of their website won’t be of much help if you run into issues, the knowledge base within the installation guides is quite impressive.

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Server Network – Can FastestVPN Unblock the Internet?

FastestVPN is able to overcome geo-restrictions and bypass VPN filters of popular streaming platforms. FastestVPN’s current server network setup and unblocking capability get a 7.5 out of 10 from us.

Our main conclusions for this functionality were:

• FastestVPN has 600+ servers in 35+ countries.
• It can unblock Netflix US and other streaming platforms.
• Anonymous torrenting is allowed.
• FastestVPN doesn’t offer dedicated IP addresses.

Number of servers and locations

FastestVPN currently operates only 600+ servers in 35+ countries and 55+ locations. This feels quite modest, especially when compared to the likes of Private Internet Access which has more than 30,000 servers in 80+ countries.

The full list of server locations for FastestVPN includes the following:

• Americas: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, and the United States
• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom
• Asia: Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates
• Oceania: Australia

You can’t sort the servers in the FastestVPN interface, but you can create a list of favorites. The software also doesn’t include any population or ping indicators.

When you use the “Smart Connect” option, the VPN should automatically pick the best server for you. In 99% of the cases, this will be the server closest to your physical location.

However, FastestVPN chose servers in Sweden, Turkey, and other countries instead of connecting us to their Dutch counterparts, even though we were in the Netherlands. This led us to believe that the Smart Connect function is not as smart as we expected.

FastestVPN and streaming (Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, BBC iPlayer)

The best VPNs for Netflix manage to bypass the streaming service’s VPN filters and allow users to get the best catalog anywhere in the world. With that in mind, FastestVPN offers geo-unblocking services in six regions:

• The US
• Canada
• The UK
• India
• Japan
• Italy
• Korea

You can find a section for specialized streaming servers in the FastestVPN software. Clicking on it will reveal a list of servers that you can connect to unblock streaming services. Their Chrome extension also features these VPN server locations.

These servers work extremely well. Here’s a table with our test results that should paint a good picture of FastestVPN’s geo-unblocking capabilities.

Platforms	Can FastestVPN unblock it?
Netflix	✔
Disney Plus	✔
Hulu	✔
Amazon Prime Video	✔
BBC iPlayer	✔
Crunchyroll	✔
HBO Max	✔

We were able to stream Netflix US without any problems. With Netflix tightening up its VPN block and other streaming services following suit, it’s good to know that we have a budget-friendly VPN that can still unblock them.

We also unblocked and watched BBC iPlayer and other streaming sites like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

Note that we were using FastestVPN’s Chrome extension for our streaming tests. So, if you just want to unblock something quickly, the extension performs just as well as the desktop client.

FastestVPN and torrents

FastestVPN allows torrenting on all servers but also has P2P-optimized locations. If you can’t imagine a day without putting your uTorrent client to work, we recommend sticking to servers closer to you. Otherwise, the speed drops will truly ruin your day.

Contrary to what’s said in some FastestVPN reviews out there, the service doesn’t seem to offer any servers specialized (or optimized) for torrenting. If you’re looking for such benefits, we recommend checking our list of the best VPNs for torrenting instead.

Dedicated IP address

Some VPN providers offer dedicated IP addresses. This means you get a unique, static IP that only you can use. Your real IP address will remain hidden. FastestVPN doesn’t offer this option.

If you prefer working with a dedicated IP address, we advise you to look at providers that offer this option, such as NordVPN.

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Our Experience With FastestVPN

FastestVPN is not even close to being the fastest VPN service on the market. That title still belongs to Surfshark. Having said that, it does provide good speeds on nearby servers paired with solid internet security. Their privacy policy and customer support are also quite impressive, and they offer Chrome and Firefox extensions.

FastestVPN has definitely improved its usability by redesigning its apps to make them easier to navigate. While the app crashed during our initial testing, FastestVPN solved these issues swiftly. The software and the kill switch worked just fine during our most recent tests.

One possible downside is that FastestVPN’s server network is still quite small. We’d like to see the VPN add fast servers and more server locations in the future so it can really compete at the top of its game.

With all that in mind, we can recommend FastestVPN if you need a cheap VPN with reliable performance. The potential is there, and this FastestVPN review showed that it’s on the right track to being named among the best VPNs out there.

FastestVPN Review: Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions about FastestVPN? Check out the FAQs below or leave us a comment.

How secure is FastestVPN?

FastestVPN excels in security, given its AES-256 encryption, selection of multiple protocols (including OpenVPN and IKEv2), and no-logs policy. Its kill switch and ad blocker help keep you safe from various threats. Read our full FastestVPN review for a thorough study of its security features.

Does FastestVPN work with Netflix?

Yes, FastestVPN can unblock Netflix, as well as Disney Plus, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Note, however, that it can only unblock services in six regions: US, Canada, UK, India, Japan, and Italy.

Where is FastestVPN located?

During our FastestVPN review, we discovered that it is based in the Cayman Islands, which doesn’t have any mandatory data retention laws. This makes FastestVPN a good choice if you’re looking for a VPN service that values user privacy.

Personal Opinions of VPNOverview’s Experts

“A VPN provider with excellent security and good speeds on nearby servers”

8.4

Djordje Djordjevic

Tech Journalist

FastestVPN is a very secure and user-friendly VPN with excellent customer service. However, FastestVPN’s server network is still quite small, so we’d like to see the VPN add fast servers and more server locations in the future.

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