FastVPN Review 2024 — Intuitive and Cheap, but Is It Safe?

FastVPN, powered by the well-known domain name registrar Namecheap, makes some big claims. It promises high-performance servers, customer satisfaction, robust security, and a no-logs policy — all without breaking the bank. But can it rival the top VPNs, or is the price so low because it’s no good?

After thorough testing, I can’t recommend FastVPN (previously Namecheap VPN) due to questionable privacy practices and the potential request for sensitive data. Plus, its network isn’t extensive enough to handle overcrowding issues. I recommend you choose a reliable VPN from this list instead, as they’re far better than FastVPN on all fronts.

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FastVPN supported secure and smooth streaming on all local services my teammates tested from their respective countries. Quality stood out on regular servers, but the dedicated ones for streaming, still in beta, also held their own.

While you can theoretically use FastVPN to view geo-restricted content, doing so constitutes copyright infringement. My colleagues only connected to servers within their respective countries during testing.

Works With: Netflix, Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, ITVX, BBC iPlayer, and Peacock

Our UK-based tester streamed seamlessly on ITVX and BBC iPlayer using both regular and specialty servers. He watched live shows and movies like Skyfall on ITVX without buffering. The streaming quality on BBC iPlayer was just as good.

My teammate in the US also reported a comparable experience with local services. Using both server types, he watched Barbie on Max, Rio 2 on Disney+, John Wick on Peacock, and The Baxters on Amazon Prime Video, but there was a small discrepancy. For example, when watching Max, he noted regular servers achieved the best quality faster.

The same connections supported uninterrupted streaming on Hulu

Watching their full Netflix libraries was also easy for our global team members in Canada, Japan, the US, and the UK. They all reported high-quality videos with minimal load times. The exception was when our US tester used the standard server; he noted that Gentlemen pixelated during playback.

My US colleague experienced improved quality with the optimized server

Overall, FastVPN works much better for streaming than it did in our last round of tests. If the VPN keeps adding streaming-specific servers in more locations, I could easily see it become a top choice for secure streaming.

FastVPN dropped our speeds considerably on most of its servers. All tests were conducted using the fastest protocol (WireGuard) from the same location in the US to thoroughly assess its performance.

Our US tester carried out several tests on each server, and the averages are below. Although his tests spanned FastVPN's global network, vpnMentor recommends that you stick to local servers while streaming. As previously mentioned, we do not support using FastVPN in ways that breach streaming services' T&Cs.

The US testers speeds fell 49% on servers nearby and 57% on far-away ones

You can expect a 10-20% dip on short-distance servers with top VPNs; FastVPN's closest server dropped our speeds by 26%. It’s not a huge issue if you have high base rates. But, if you don’t, it could become too slow for bandwidth-intensive activities like torrenting and gaming. All VPNs drop your speeds at least a little, but FastVPN does it more than the average.

Some great VPNs drop your speeds by over 40% at this distance

Far-away servers in France and the UAE (both over 8,000km away) performed well largely due to low server load. I do appreciate that FastVPN shows you how crowded each server is. A server's response time hinges on its current load and can slow significantly when it gets too busy. Still, with FastVPN’s smaller network, there will be many times when you have no choice but to connect to a crowded server.

Overall, you might experience significant slowdowns with FastVPN. If you want a VPN that’s consistently fast, consider one of these options that perform exceptionally well at all distances.

FastVPN’s low ping rates let me enjoy smooth gameplay. FastVPN’s South African server — the closest to my location in Kenya — kept my rates below 70ms. You need a ping that’s under 85ms to avoid delays between your keyboard inputs and the in-game responses.

I had a similar experience while playing World of Tanks

Loading games on far-off servers like France and the USA was time-consuming, prompting me to exit before the fun began. However, this isn’t a big issue as I haven't found a VPN yet that can handle gaming on long-distance servers. Overall, FastVPN is great for gaming on nearby servers.

FastVPN has a small network, but it's decently distributed. Most of the servers are in Europe, with several locations spread across the Americas and Asia. It has a limited presence in the Middle East and Oceania, with only 2 servers each, and a single server in South Africa represents its African footprint.

All its servers are managed by StackPath, which acquired IPVanish before Ziff Davis (formerly J2 Global) took over. While these companies are well-regarded within the tech and cybersecurity sectors, I prefer VPNs that own their servers to avoid third-party privacy risks.

There is only one virtual server in India. This was done so NameCheap wouldn’t need to comply with the country's recent regulatory changes. The other servers are physically situated in their designated countries.

This makes it easier to find one near you for the fastest speed

I appreciate that it has joined its peers in offering streaming-optimized servers, currently available in the UK, the US, and Canada. Despite being in beta, this marks a significant leap, especially since some of its top competitors have yet to make this move. Unfortunately, switching to these servers means losing access to features such as the kill switch, auto-protect, and split tunneling. Plus, you'll be limited to using the IKEv2 protocol.

It doesn't use RAM-based servers or offer dedicated IPs, both of which enhance security. The latter is my go-to when I want to circumvent annoying CAPTCHAS while gaming, browsing, and torrenting. However, I do appreciate that it routes all DNS requests through its secure, private DNS servers. I'll elaborate on the advantages of internal DNS servers in the security section.

While its network is nicely distributed, it might not have a server near your location for the best speeds. So, I suggest you take a look at this list of high-quality VPNs with thousands of servers all around the world.

FastVPN lacks advanced features like double VPN and an ad blocker, but it secures your online activity against snoops and hackers with high-level encryption and protocols. Its leak protection also proved effective in my tests.

I didn’t run into any DNS, IP, or WebRTC leaks on these servers

My initial excitement about trying FastVPN waned when VirusTotal flagged its Windows installation file for containing harmful trojan malware. I talked to its technical team, and they fixed the issue.

I was still wary because there’s a chance Namecheap could request sensitive information during payment verification. It performs “cross-checks” of your payments, which can trigger a fraud alert and subsequent demands for personal documents, such as a passport or driver's license. Thankfully, this never happened to me, but it did happen to a colleague of mine who attempted to sign up.

My colleague didn't feel comfortable sharing this information

He decided not to send them anything, and I wouldn’t have either. So, I advise caution with FastVPN and suggest you check out one of our top choices to keep your devices and data safe.

Encryption

FastVPN uses the industry standard AES 256-bit encryption to keep you safe online. It’s practically unhackable and is the same level used by top VPNs and various organizations, including cybersecurity firms and banks.

Security Protocols

The VPN also uses top security protocols: OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2. OpenVPN is the safest protocol around because it’s open source, meaning experts constantly check it for vulnerabilities. WireGuard establishes connections faster because it uses less codes. IKEv2 is an older protocol that works well with mobile devices. However, it’s not quite as secure as OpenVPN or WireGuard.

You can only utilize FastVPN’s scramble feature with OpenVPN, which masks your VPN usage. This allows you to use the VPN on restrictive networks, like work and school.

Kill Switch

This feature helps you maintain an encrypted connection. It quickly terminates your internet connection whenever you switch to a new server (or if a server unexpectedly disconnects), preventing data leaks.

FastVPN's kill switch blocks all connections outside its secure tunnel. So, remember to turn it off when not using the VPN for normal web browsing.

Split Tunneling

You can use this feature to choose which apps and websites get routed through the VPN. I like using it to keep everything but my torrenting traffic outside of the secure tunnel. This gets me better speeds, as only my P2P traffic gets encrypted.

Auto-Protect

Once enabled, this feature automatically launches the VPN whenever it detects a new WiFi or network, so your privacy is protected.

FastVPN claims to maintain a no-logs policy, but I found it holds onto sensitive information that can be linked back to you. Besides, the VPN is located in a country with strict data-sharing laws. There are many other providers that I find more trustworthy, so I recommend you check out some of the top VPNs with better privacy policies and protections.

Does FastVPN Keep Logs? Yes

It collects not only standard sign-up details (like email and payment information) but also your IP address and demographic data. It also uses third-party services to monitor your browsing habits, which is unusual with VPNs. Namecheap (the company behind FastVPN) might share some of this non-personal data with advertisers and partners too.

I don't feel confident this information won't be shared

The VPN can also track your “user behavior” if you enable this within the app. A chat with the support team further revealed that FastVPN could ask for access to your apps and resources, even when you're offline, all to keep features like the kill switch in shape. This got me raising an eyebrow and wondering if the VPN really sticks to its no-logging promise.

More troubling is the service's policy on data deletion. It only deactivates your account rather than erasing it, stating it might need the information to adhere to legal obligations. To minimize the data you share, I suggest you pay for your subscriptions using cryptocurrency and sign up with a one-time email.

In general, FastVPN's privacy measures fall short of my expectations. While the VPN asserts that its logged data is anonymized, the fact that it asks for and retains sensitive information makes me wonder how seriously it takes its users' online privacy.

Was FastVPN Audited? No

FastVPN’s privacy policy hasn’t been audited or verified by any independent third parties. I touched base about this with the live agents, and they promised to raise the issue with the tech team. The best VPNs let independent experts thoroughly examine their practices to prove they're trustworthy.

Based in the US

FastVPN headquarters are located in a country known for poor privacy protection laws. The US is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between governments to share their citizens’ information.

So, it’s possible NameCheap could be forced to change its policies in the future. If you think this is just paranoia, consider the well-documented instances where US VPNs have been compelled to submit user data to authorities.

Does FastVPN Work in China? Uncertain

Customer support couldn't guarantee that the VPN will work when visiting China.

Their main tip was to try switching servers to make it work

FastVPN suggests using US West Coast servers in Los Angeles or San Jose from China. It claims these ones provide optimal speeds and security for your connection. It also recommends using IP addresses instead of server names.

It’s also best to use the OpenVPN UDP or TCP protocols. If both options fail, you can resort to the same protocols coupled with the Scramble feature (available in the Windows app).

The Chinese government tends to block VPN technology, but there have been no publicly reported cases of individuals getting into trouble for using VPNs. However, my team and I don’t condone any illegal activities, and we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the country's laws prior to using any VPN there. If you're visiting China and need a VPN, check out this list.

Even using a nearby South African server, FastVPN significantly lowered my download speeds. I could finish the 1.26GB copyright-free file in 23 minutes with no VPN, but it took nearly 40 minutes with an encrypted connection. This performance isn’t great since I’ve had faster speeds with VPNs that don’t even offer servers in my region (Africa).

On the positive side, FastVPN has leak protection and a kill switch, which is good for secure torrenting. I also like that you can torrent with any server. However, its slow speeds are disappointing, and you can achieve faster download times with a VPN from this list.

Torrenting is legal in most countries, but downloading copyrighted files isn’t. My team and I do not condone any illegal activities. We recommend you only access torrents in the public domain to make sure you’re abiding by the law.