FastestVPN Review for macOS and iOS – Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Are you online right now? If you’re reading this post, the answer is yes. Whenever you are online, someone is watching you. It might be “just” your internet provider or it might be a hacker, but in any case, someone is logging, recording or watching your activity. That’s why you might want a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

A VPN protects your online activities from being monitored by outsiders. If you bank, stream, pay bills, or shop online you need a VPN. If you use a Wi-Fi hotspot at your local Starbucks or in a hotel when you’re traveling, you need a VPN. Plus, a VPN offers a great way to access content from other parts of the world that may normally not be available in your area.

There are five great reasons to use a VPN:

1. To protect personal and business information while browsing on public Wi-Fi.
2. To protect your online anonymity.
3. To access your favorite U.S. content while you’re abroad.
4. To access content in other countries that you normally don’t have access to.
5. To access content blocked by your school, workplace, ISP, or government.

FastestVPN

As a part of our regular VPN review series, I’ll be reviewing VPN provider FastestVPN. The provider does a top-notch job of protecting your online travels from observation by prying eyes, opens access to blocked content from your favorite streaming services, and prevents your ISP from throttling your connection.

Inexpensive VPN that unblocks U.S. Netflix and Hulu, Provides Relatively Fast Download Speeds, and Provides Optimal Online Protection

Features

Apps

FastestVPN offers native app support for the most popular device platforms. Apps are available for the following platforms:

• macOS
• iOS
• iPadOS
• Windows
• Android
• Amazon Fire TV

FastestVPN can also protect and enhance your experience with your other connected devices, including the Apple TV (and other streaming devices, such Roku), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, smart TVs, and other connected devices by setting the service up on a compatible router.

To test FastestVPN, I used both the iOS and macOS versions of the provider’s apps. You’ll find both apps are easy to install and use. The apps provide one-click encryption for your internet connection.

While the provider lacks an “optimal” or “best server” option that many other VPN providers offer, selecting a provider is as easy as scrolling through the list of servers and clicking on the one you wish to connect to.

Neither the macOS or iOS app didn’t put a huge hit on my system resources, and on both devices delivered fast and reliable connections.

FastestVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous connections on a single set of login credentials. This makes the provider an attractive option for users that either own a business, or have a large family.

Connection Speeds

While connection speeds are definitely not the only consideration to keep in mind when considering a VPN provider, it does come in handy for numerous online activities, including file sharing, gaming, and viewing high-definition video.

I performed speeds tests for this review on my iPhone XS Max and early 2015 MacBook Pro. I have a gigabit ethernet connection. Keep in mind that your connection speeds will vary, depending on your location, the location of the VPN server you select, and the connection speeds provided by your ISP.

I used the Speedtest app, first testing my ISP-provided download speeds, and then starting up the VPN app, connecting to the VPN server closest to me (that’s in Atlanta for me), and once again testing my download speeds using the Speedtest app.

My iPhone connection speeds without the VPN were 205 Mbps down and 89.9Mbps up, while my VPN-protected download speeds came in at 66.3 Mbps down and 52.1 Mbps up.

My MacBook Pro tests showed unprotected connection speeds measuring in at 221 Mbps down and 59.9 Mbps up, while my VPN connected speeds were 104 Mbps down and  23.3 Mbps up.

Speeds on both platforms proved to be more than up to any of my favorite online activities, including video and music streaming, downloading large files, and online gaming.

Global Server Network

When considering a VPN provider, pay close attention to the size of the provider’s global server network. A large global server network is key to providing optimal access to to website, streaming services, game servers, and other online content that might normally be unavailable in your region of the world.

A VPN’s global server coverage also comes in handy when you’re inside the borders of countries with extremely restrictive online regulations, such as China, Iran, and other countries.

FastestVPN’s global server network includes servers in 30+ countries around the globe. (The provider doesn’t offer any information about the number of individual servers located in those countries. While that kind of server coverage isn’t the best I’ve seen, it is likely adequate for most users’ needs.

Access to Netflix and Other Streaming Services

FastestVPN offers access to many of the popular video streaming services, including Netflix in the U.S., India, Poland, Romania, Russia, and South Korea. The also offer access to Hulu in the United States and BBC iPlayer in the U.K.

I tested the app with U.S.-based Netflix and Hulu, as well as the United Kingdom-based BBC iPlayer, and in all cases the content played trouble-free, with no extended waits for the show to begin.

Torrenting (P2P File Sharing)

While torrenting (Peer-to-peer file sharing) is one of the most popular online activities today, it is also highly controversial, and can land you in legal hot water if you share the wrong type of files. While the technology itself isn’t illegal, and is even used by some game publishers to distribute updates to players, sharing copyrighted files such as movies, games, and other content is illegal.

This illegal sharing of files has led to software developers, movie studios, and other content providers to pressure ISPs to throttle or outright block P2P activity on their networks.

However, a VPN offers a way to avoid ISP throttling or blocking of your P2P action, by encrypting your internet connection. The encryption acts as a secure tunnel that prevents your ISP from detecting your file sharing. And, they can’t block what they can’t see.

FastestVPN says it supports P2P on all of its servers, except for those located in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and India.

Encryption, Privacy & Other Protection

FastestVPN’s military-grade encryption keeps your online travels well protected from prying eyes. In addition to optimal encryption, the provider offers kill switch protection to disconnect your internet connection to ensure it isn’t left open to monitoring. Also provided is ad and malware blocking, and DNS leak protection.

The provider doesn’t collect or save any information about your online activities while you’re connected to their servers. We didn’t find a reason not to believe these claims.

Support

FastestVPN provides around-the-clock support, including 24/7 live support chat, searchable FAQs and tutorials, and email support. The provider’s support folks offered responsive responses to my support questions, and the FAQ and tutorials sections were extremely helpful.

Pricing

FastestVPN’s normal pricing is some of the most reasonable in the industry, at $10 per month for the month-to-month option, $2.49 per month for the 1-year plan ($29.95 annually), and $1.11 per month for the 3-year plan ($39.95 every 3 years). A lifetime subscription is available for a one-time payment of $80. However, for a limited time, a Lifetime Subscription to FastestVPN is available through our online store for just $39.99 for 10 simultaneous connections.

• 1 Month Plan at $10.00/mo
• 1 Year Plan at $2.49/mo
• 3 Year Plan at $1.11/mo
• Lifetime Plan at $39.99/ever – 10 devices

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Very affordable pricing
• Fast connection speeds
• Reliable access to Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer
• App support for all major platforms
• 24/7 live support chat
• Comprehensive security and privacy protections

Cons:

• Global server coverage could be better
• Fans of other streaming services will be disappointed
• P2P access isn’t available worldwide
• No optimal or fastest connection option

Verdict

FastestVPN is an attractive option for users looking for an inexpensive protection for their online activities. The provider’s connection speeds are more than up to streaming, file sharing, and any other activities a user might have in mind.

The provider’s streaming service support is limited to Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer but worked well. Since those are three of the most popular streaming services, that support should be sufficient for a large number of users.

While the provider’s app support isn’t the best I’ve ever seen, it does cover five of the most popular connected devices used today.

The provider’s P2P file sharing support should also prove more than up to most user’s needs. The provider’s no logs policy, kill switch, and excellent online protection will do well to keep any of your online activities undercover.

If you’re looking for VPN to specifically stream Amazon, HBO, or ESPN, there are better options. However, if you’re looking for the least expensive VPN service that does the basic trick and well, you’ll have to look hard to find a better alternative.

Score: 7.7/10

Summary