FastestVPN Review 2022

FastestVPN Review (2022) – Is This Really the Fastest VPN?

FastestVPN is a relatively new player in the VPN market. However, even though FastestVPN hasn’t been around for long, this VPN isn’t inferior to many of the best VPNs we have previously reviewed. This competitively priced VPN is very user-friendly and has rock-solid security. FastestVPN has even added an extra layer of security by including a built-in NAT firewall as well as an adblocker and DNS leak protection.

But is FastestVPN also as fast as its name suggests? We have extensively tested this VPN service and looked at its speed, security, privacy, user-friendliness, server network and its various options. Below you can read our findings.

Specifications FastestVPN

Price

From $1.11 a month

Operating systems

• Windows
• ,
• Mac
• ,
• iOS
• ,
• Android
• ,
• Linux

Simultaneous connections

• 10

Torrents

• Torrenting allowed

Netflix

• Works with Netflix

Logs policy

• Zero logs

Protocols

• OpenVPN
• ,
• IKEv2
• ,
• L2TP/IPsec
• ,
• PPTP

Payment methods

• Paypal
• ,
• Credit card

Money-back guarantee

• Yes

Works with

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Speed – How Fast is FastestVPN?

The speed of a VPN is very important. That is why we extensively test the speed of all VPN providers. The name of this provider, FastestVPN, sounds very promising. But is it really the fastest VPN? To find out, we ran a number of speed tests. Below you can read whether FastestVPN lives up to its name.

Speed test results FastestVPN 

We used speedtest.net to do a number of speed tests with FastestVPN. Speed test results are influenced by a number of factors, such as your location, internet provider and the time of testing. We tested FastestVPN with a local as well as a distant server. To get our baseline, we also tested our internet speed without a VPN connection.

Speed without a VPN (Speedtest.net):

Above you can see the results of our regular internet connection without a VPN. We’ll use these figures as our baseline, so we can compare them with the other test results.

Speed with a local server (Speedtest.net):

These are the speedtest.net results of our internet connection when we connected to a local FastestVPN server, which was located close to where we are situated. The results are good. As you can see, the ping response time increased a little while the download and upload speeds dropped slightly. However, the difference is minimal. This suggests that the speed of the local server is very good.

Speed with a distant server (Speedtest.net): 

Above you can see the speeds of our internet connection when we connected to a distant FastestVPN server, far away from our office. The ping response time increased significantly.  The download and upload speeds took a slight dive. However, for a VPN server that’s located far away from our actual location, these results are to be expected and actually quite decent.

Speed during daily use

We have also tested the speed of FastestVPN while performing everyday tasks. The results are very satisfying. We noticed little difference in speed.

Browsing was a breeze with this VPN. We also didn’t encounter any issues while streaming music, using YouTube or gaming. Moreover, we tested whether we were able to stream the American version of Netflix. This went well. Movies and series played smoothly and without hitches.

Downloading torrents is also no problem with this VPN.

Conclusion on FastestVPN’s speed

• FastestVPN’s connections are fast.
• We are satisfied with the speed of FastestVPN during daily use.
• Downloading torrents, gaming and streaming all went smoothly with this VPN.

Safety – How Secure is FastestVPN?

Safety and anonymity are some of the most important aspects of a VPN. A good VPN provider handles your data with care and offers you the opportunity to use their service as anonymously as possible.

So, what about the safety of FastestVPN? Below you can read all about the protocols FastestVPN supports, their logging policy and other safety-related matters.

Protocols

FastestVPN uses AES-256 bit encryption. This encryption meets the highest security standards. It’s seen as the most secure form of encryption and is also used by the military. So, with FastestVPN you won’t have to worry about your privacy.

FastestVPN offers the following encryption protocols:

• OpenVPN
• LT2P
• IKEv2
• PPTP

We recommend the OpenVPN protocol, because it has the strongest encryption. OpenVPN is very safe and can be used on almost all operating systems. At the moment, this protocol is generally considered to be the most secure and most reliable option for VPN users.

Logging and privacy

When it comes to your privacy, FastestVPN is an excellent choice. The VPN provider is based in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands aren’t part of any international surveillance alliances, such as 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes. The islands also have no data retention laws. This means FastestVPN isn’t obligated to store data or share information with the government.

FastestVPN has a “no log” policy. Only your email address, which is required to be able to log in, is saved by the VPN provider. This email address is also used for billing purposes. When users deactivate their accounts, their email addresses are automatically removed from FastestVPN’s database.

Kill switch

If your VPN connection suddenly drops, for whatever reason, your internet traffic is no longer secure. This can leave you in a very awkward or undesirable situation. The kill switch offered by FastestVPN ensures that you’re always protected, even when your VPN connection is lost. The kill switch will simply block all internet access and protect your IP from exposure.

You can find this kill switch in the dashboard settings. By activating the kill switch, you can prevent information from being accidentally leaked if your VPN connection cuts out unexpectedly.

What information does FastestVPN need?

When you sign up, 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.

As soon as a user deactivates their account, their email address is removed from their database.

Conclusion on FastestVPN’s safety

• FastestVPN works with strong 256-bit encryption.
• FastestVPN does not keep logs.
• FastestVPN’s built-in kill switch ensures that you’re always protected.
• To create an account, you need to enter your email address and payment details.

Usability – How User-friendly is FastestVPN

How user-friendly is FastestVPN? Below you can read everything about the user-friendliness of FastestVPN. We discuss the website, the installation process, the software, the price and FastestVPN’s customer service.

The FastestVPN website

FastestVPN has a clear and orderly website. However, when you open the website, a large pop-up appears with an offer. Although you can click it away in a heartbeat, this isn’t exactly user-friendly and comes across as intrusive.

Your IP address is shown at the very top of the page. By doing so, FastestVPN immediately shows that your internet connection isn’t protected and that you need a VPN to protect your personal information.

By using the menu bar at the top of the screen, you can easily navigate to other parts of the website. Here, you can find more information about the different features, pricing, servers and apps. You can also click-through to customer service or your personal account page. In the blog section you can read interesting articles about VPNs, find an explanation of what a VPN is and get the latest news on updates and deals.

When you scroll down the homepage you can read why you should use a VPN and which devices work with FastestVPN. There are also a number of videos from tech experts giving their opinion on FastestVPN. Unfortunately, these videos are overly commercial and obviously not very objective.

That being said, the homepage’s lay-out is very clear and you’ll easily and quickly find the information you’re looking for. It should be noted, however, that English is the only available language on FastestVPN’s website.

Installing FastestVPN

The installation process of FastestVPN is very simple. FastestVPN works on almost all devices and platforms, including Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, iPhone, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, game consoles and more. We have tested the Windows application of FastestVPN.

You can install FastestVPN by following the steps below:

1. Select a FastestVPN plan.
2. Enter your email address to create an account.
3. Select the payment method and complete the order.
4. You will receive an email with your account’s login details (i.e. your email address and a password) and a link that directly takes you to the download page.
5. Click the link, then the icon for your operating system and download the application.
6. Open the .exe file that has been downloaded.
7. Follow the installation wizard.
8. Open the FastestVPN software by clicking the shortcut.
9. Log in with the data you received via email.
10. You are now connected to the VPN and can connect to over 250 servers in 40+ countries.

As you can see above, installing FastestVPN is very simple. After selecting and purchasing a plan, you can immediately download the VPN application for your device. When the installation is complete, you can use the VPN straight away.

FastestVPN’s appearance and ease of use

The user interface of FastestVPN’s software is very clear. There aren’t too many features, which suits the majority of users. Most importantly, the on and off button and the option to change your server location are central to the software and cannot be missed.

The on and off button can be found in the circle on the right-hand side of the screen. When you click on the lightning bolt, you connect to the VPN. At the top of the screen you can check whether you’re indeed connected, as well as the specific location you’re connected to.

On the left-hand side of the screen there’s a list with different server locations. Here you can select a server in a country of your choice.

You can also choose “smart connect”. This button connects you with the fastest server for your location. In most cases, this is the server closest to your actual location. When we tested this feature, however, FastestVPN first connected us to a Spanish server, then to a server in Serbia and then Turkey, instead of a local server in The Netherlands. Therefore, we are inclined to say this feature isn’t as “smart” as it’s made out to be, and you might be better off choosing a server of your own liking.

Via the cogwheel at the top right-hand corner of the screen you can go to “Settings”. Here you can adjust the settings of the VPN.

Within FastestVPN’s settings you’ll find the kill switch, which is disabled by default. You can also select your preferred protocol. Change the VPN protocol by simply clicking on one of the five buttons: IKEv2, L2TP, PPTP, TCP, or UDP.

FastestVPN also has a default option to set up a connection automatically the moment you start up your device, as well as an option to reconnect if the VPN connection drops. We recommend activating this last option.

In addition, there’s the option to automatically disconnect the VPN connection when you close the FastestVPN application.

The software also offers free malware protection via its adblocker and a NAT-firewall. Both are enabled by default. If you prefer not to use these features, you can switch them off.

The app is very user-friendly and everything is self-explanatory. Still, we experienced some negative moments during our tests as well: it took considerably longer to establish a VPN connection than with other VPN providers we have tested in the past.

Pricing and methods of payment

FastestVPN offers various subscription options at attractive prices. You get a better deal if you take out a subscription for a longer period of time. You can choose a monthly subscription, an annual subscription, or a three-year subscription.

A monthly plan costs $10 per month. For an annual subscription you pay $2.49 per month. The three-year plan is the cheapest, at only $1.11 per month.

With one subscription you can protect up to ten devices at the same time.

At the time of writing, FastestVPN even offered a five-year subscription for just $0.83 per month. This limited offer kept reappearing in a large pop-up in the middle of our screen. Although admittedly, the offer is a very good deal, one of the cheapest you will come across, the constant pop-up was quite annoying. Also, the fact that this is offered through a pop-up likely means that not all customers will get this offer.

You can pay for your FastestVPN subscription via:

• Credit card (MasterCard, DISCOVER, VISA, American Express, JCB, Union Pay); or
• PayPal

Some VPNs offer country specific options, but FastestVPN does not. Anonymous payment with Bitcoin also isn’t possible.

There’s also no free trial available, but FastestVPN does offer a 15-day money-back guarantee. So, if for any reason you are unhappy with this VPN service, you can simply ask for a refund.

Customer service

You can contact FastestVPN in several ways. The fastest way is via Live Chat. This service is available from their website 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you run into an issue, you can use Live Chat to quickly solve your problem. We submitted a question via Live Chat and received an immediate response. FastestVPN gave a clear and comprehensive answer to our question. We were very pleased with FastestVPN’s Live Chat, which actually has a person behind it instead of a chatbot.

To talk to an expert, we were asked to first provide our name, email address, phone number, and our question. Entering your phone number is optional, therefore we decided not to enter it. This didn’t influence anything; FastestVPN helped us anyway. We also tested this service using both an email address that was registered with FastestVPN and one that wasn’t. This also made no difference whatsoever.

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.

There’s also an FAQ section on the website. Here you’ll find several frequently asked questions. This section may also help you solve common problems.

Conclusion on FastestVPN’s usability

• FastestVPN’s website and software are user-friendly and clear.
• Users can choose between various payment options.
• FastestVPN offers a 15-day moneyback guarantee on all subscriptions.
• Customer service is excellent and very fast.
• Customer service is available in English only.

Server Network FastestVPN

The server network of a VPN is very important. The more servers you have at your disposal, the more parts of the internet you can unblock. FastestVPN has more than 250 servers in 40+ countries, with 52+ locations to choose from. Below you can read more about the servers, server locations, and options of this provider.

Number of servers and locations

FastestVPN currently has a fairly sized server network with more than 250 servers in 40+ countries, in 52+ different locations. Below you can see most of the countries where FastestVPN has servers.

1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Brazil
5. Bulgaria
6. Canada
7. Czech Republic
8. Denmark
9. Egypt
10. Finland
11. France
12. Germany
13. Hong Kong
14. India
15. Italy
16. Japan
17. Luxembourg
18. Mexico
19. Norway
20. Netherlands
21. Poland
22. Portugal
23. Romania
24. Russia
25. Serbia
26. Singapore
27. South Korea
28. Spain
29. Sweden
30. Switzerland
31. Turkey
32. United Arab Emirates
33. United Kingdom
34. United States

For most users, the size of this network will be more than sufficient. However, if you compare the number of servers FastestVPN has with the number offered by larger VPN providers, such as PIA and ExpressVPN, FastestVPN’s server network seems quite disappointing.

Dedicated IP address

Some VPN providers offer dedicated IP addresses. This means they give you the option to request a unique, static IP address 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 good providers who offer this option, such as NordVPN and CyberGhost.

Conclusion on FastestVPN’s server network

• FastestVPN has more than 250 servers in 40+ countries.
• FastestVPN doesn’t offer dedicated IP addresses.

FastestVPN’s Options

Most people use a VPN mainly to stay safe and anonymous when going online. However, a VPN has many more advantages. With some VPNs you can, for example, download safely and anonymously or watch a foreign version of Netflix and enjoy a wider range of films and series.

Below we discuss the extra options and functionalities that FastestVPN offers.

FastestVPN and Neflix

Many people outside the US use a VPN to watch the American version of Netflix. This is because the number of movies and series available on US Netflix is much higher than on many other versions. When you connect to a VPN server in the US, your data traffic is routed through the United States. Therefore, Netflix will think you’re in the US and grant you access to the American version of Netflix.

We tested whether we could indeed watch the American version of Netflix from outside the US with FastestVPN. During our test, we connected to several US servers. Every single time we were granted access without any problems.

FastestVPN and torrents

FastestVPN has P2P servers for downloading torrents. The P2P-optimized servers ensure that you can quickly download and stream videos without experiencing any buffering. All this, while FastestVPN protects your internet connection.

Split tunneling

FastestVPN offers split tunneling. This option lets you pick and choose which apps are routed through a VPN and which you allow to directly connect to the internet. This is an advanced option that many other VPNs don’t offer.

With split tunneling you can ensure that some of your internet traffic goes through an encrypted VPN. You can exclude certain apps or only allow just a few. 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.

One thing that should be noted is that, currently, this FastestVPN option is only available for Android.

NAT-firewall

FastestVPN has a built-in NAT-firewall. This firewall provides an extra layer of security. All unsolicited traffic sent to your device is blocked by the firewall. This is very useful should a virus try to enter your computer via your browser.

Adblocker

FastestVPN’s built-in adblocker ensures that unwanted advertisements and pop-ups – or at least most of them – will no longer annoy you. This feature comes in handy when you’re streaming or downloading. It rids you of those irritating pop-ups.

Conclusion on FastestVPN’s options

• With FastestVPN you can get access to the American version of Netflix.
• Safe torrenting is possible with FastestVPN.
• FastestVPN comes with split-tunneling, a built-in NAT-firewall, and an adblocker for extra protection.

Conclusion – Our Experience with FastestVPN

FastestVPN isn’t the fastest VPN we have ever tested, but the speed is good and we didn’t notice any speed issues during daily use.

In terms of safety, we are very pleased with FastestVPN. Thanks to excellent encryption and the built-in NAT-firewall, you won’t have to worry about your privacy. In addition, the kill switch ensures that you’re always protected.

FastestVPN is reasonably priced and user-friendly. The software is also very easy to navigate, which is good for novice VPN users. If you have questions or experience issues, their excellent customer service is very quick and helpful. All in all, we are very pleased with FastestVPN.