Fast speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and affordable plans have Fast VPN gaining popularity with gamers. It even touts itself as the fastest gaming VPN of 2019. Despite that, it can't beat its competition when it comes to pingback time, a crucial element for gaming.
The speeds are fast enough for streaming in HD and UltraHD, and it unblocks some popular providers like Netflix. Still, Fast VPN's Privacy Policy has conflicting information that leads me to believe it isn't a no-logs VPN.
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Fast VPN Features — 2024 Update
6.5
💸
Price
|
3.49 USD/month
|
📆
Money Back Guarantee
|
3 Days |
📝
Does VPN keep logs?
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No |
🖥
Number of servers
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1000+ |
💻
Number of devices per license
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5 |
🛡
Kill switch
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No |
📥
Supports torrenting
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No |
Streaming - Can It Unblock Netflix? Yes
Of those servers, there are 5+ in the US, and I was easily able to unblock Netflix. I was initially blocked by Netflix, but switching servers resolved the issue. I also unblocked BBC iPlayer, Netflix UK, and Disney+.
Speeds - Consistent Across Servers
My basespeeds were blazing-fast to begin with but I did expect a natural drop in speeds when I connected to the VPN. Anytime you connect to a VPN you will notice a drop in speeds because your data is now being filtered through multiple servers, sometimes thousands of miles away from your true location. The farther your data has to travel, the more significant the decrease in speed will be.
I was pleasantly surprised that the download and upload speeds for the servers I tested remained consistent after I connected, only the ping speeds increased significantly.
Download and upload speeds stayed consistent across servers
While I experienced a more than an 80% drop in download speeds, it's important to note I am the only house connected to this fiber optic node. Basically, that means since I live in the country and no other houses are connected to this fiber optic receiver, I get breakneck speeds.
This basespeed isn't the average speed for individuals living in well populated areas who likely experience significantly lower speeds, as many houses may be on the same receiver. For that reason, download speeds of 58Mbps or over are actually incredibly fast when put into perspective. Additionally, it takes around 25Mbps to stream buffer-free in UltraHD/4k, so Fast VPN is more than fast enough for comfortably streaming high definition movies on each of the servers I tested.
Is Fast VPN Fast Enough for Gaming? No
For a service that totes its gaming speeds, I was surprised by how drastic a rise I experienced in pingback. Anywhere from 20-100ms ping is acceptable for gaming, otherwise you end up with lag, disconnects, and freezing during play.
That means 100ms is the high end of acceptable, and 20ms is the recommended speed. The New York and Quebec servers are closest to my true location, so I was surprised that the pingback increased so drastically; approximately 10 times slower ping than my basespeed. When I hit London ping speed was already over the highest recommended speed, so I wasn't expecting much when I logged into Mobile Legends.
When I connected to Mobile Legends I was a little disappointed at the initial connection speeds. I was also disconnected from the server twice but that could have been due to server congestion or a host bypass issue.
Still, I wouldn’t call it a strong gaming VPN just yet. While the speeds are good, the host server connections are a bit shaky and it has a long way to go before it can compete with our top gaming VPNs.
Servers - Decent Network Size
Fast VPN has 1,000 servers that span 90 locations in 90 countries, a fair amount for a smaller VPN.
It also offers access to servers in 11 different countries on the free version. That's decent coverage for a free service, usually you get three or four locations to choose from and they can't unblock services like Netflix or BBC iPlayer.
Does Fast VPN Work in China? No
Fast VPN does have servers in Hong Kong, but I was unable to access content in China using them. If you want to access local Chinese content abroad, you would be better off with one of these VPNs.
Security & Privacy
In terms of security Fast VPN features wifi protection for public connections and uses 256-bit encryption. Available protocols include SS, TLS, TLS+ and the default protocol (which it doesn't reveal on its website or the app). There’s no kill switch or split tunneling, so if you illegally download something by accident while torrenting it could be traced back to you if the server fails.
While the service says it doesn't keep logs, it's privacy policy tells another story. I found out that it may share personal information in the following cases:
- If you violate the laws of the VPN
- Other instances it deems relevant to the laws, regulations, and policies of its website
- As required by judicial or administrative institutions
There are other instances that draw alarm bells in the privacy policy too, many of them are located directly after the area that states Fast VPN doesn't collect or share your data unless you allow it. For instance, it says it won't share your information with unrelated third parties, and in the same sentence goes on to mention the application and affiliate third-parties can decide to share your information alone or jointly.
Fast VPN may share your information under certain circumstances
Is Fast VPN Safe for Torrenting? No
I didn't come across any specific statements discouraging torrenting or endorsing P2P activities, but the ambiguous Privacy Policy is a deal-breaker for me. Given the inconsistent information about how personal data is stored and shared, I wouldn't suggest using this service for torrenting.
Installation & Apps
6.3
The Android app installed without an issue and took less than two minutes to set up. The one major issue I had with navigating the interface was the ridiculous amount of ads I encountered. Every time I connected to, switched, or disconnected from a server I saw an ad. Even when it told me I was connected, there was an ad at the bottom of the screen (more on that in the set up section).
Simultaneous Device Connections
Fast VPN allows you to use the service on up to 5 devices simultaneously.
Compatibility
According to the website Fast VPN app is only available for iOS and Android, and can be found in the App Store or on Google Play. For a VPN that expresses how great it is for gaming all over its app and website, this is odd. To use it on a router, desktop, or gaming device you'd need to install an Android emulator.
Set Up & Installation
Once you get to the main interface you can choose the option for one-click connect, or select a server from the menu. You can also select the protocol you want to use directly beneath the quick connect feature, available protocols include SS, TCP, TLS, and TLS+.
Fast VPN's Android app design is extremely intuitive
When I tried to download the APK, I received an ‘access denied’ error message and was unable to complete the process. For standard use, you won’t need the APK file, but it’s worth mentioning.
I had to watch three ads before I even go to the main user interface to use the one-click connect feature, which seemed a little overboard even for a free VPN. Most free VPN services do use advertising to pay for the cost of upkeep but not many make you watch more than two ads in a row.
There were ads before connecting, after connecting, when connected, and any other time between accessing features
Pricing
2.3
$
11.99
/ month
per month
Editor's Note: Fast VPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Fast VPN has a free plan, and three separate options for paid VIP plans. Regardless of whether you choose the free or paid version of Fast VPN, it features no-logs, 256-bit AES encryption, and 24/7 customer support. That's where the similarities end.
The free plan gives you access to servers in 11 countries, use on one device, and is paid for with advertising. Any time you connect to a different server or even start the app you will need to watch ads. Unlike the paid version, you won't have access to the fastest, optimized servers for streaming or gaming.
The VIP options give you access to all 1,000 servers in 90 locations across 90 countries. Fast VPN has a 3-day free trial for all of its VIP plans and you can use it on up to 5 devices with one license. You also get a 3-day money-back guarantee. The best part, no ads!
Reliability & Support
4.3
Fast VPN doesn’t offer chat or phone support and there’s no ticketing system, just email support that's accessible 24/7. Its website doesn’t have a knowledge base or a help center either, so if you have trouble you’ll have to wait for a response from email support. I did find an FAQ section but it had five questions in it, almost all of which were basic troubleshooting for connection issues.