Don’t be fooled by the price - Here’s why you shouldn't choose this VPN deal
Five years of FastestVPN for $18, too good to be worth it?
When it comes to investing in reliable security software, a better quality VPN should always win over a bargain price.
For instance, FastestVPN's brand new VPN deal looks like a very tempting offer – on paper, at least. In celebration of its 6th anniversary, new subscribers can decide how much to pay. With a price range that goes from $15 to $25 and $18 to $40 for a 3 or 5-year subscription respectively, users can save up to 93% of the overall price.
What's more, FastestVPN is also throwing in 2TB of Internxt cloud storage and PassHulk password manager as an extra freebie – and for some, this deal could be worth it for that alone.
However, following a mediocre performance during our testing, we wouldn't place FastestVPN among our best VPN recommendations. And, subsequently, we wouldn't suggest everyone takes advantage of this deal – despite the unbelievable price.
Read on for why we think this offer from FastestVPN isn't as good as it may look, and below, we break down some better deals that might be worth checking out instead.
Is FastestVPN worth it?
Even though this is probably the cheapest VPN deal we've ever seen, our testing showed that FastestVPN lacks some important capabilities that its higher-ranked competitors have had for quite a while.
First of all, if a good streaming VPN is what you're after, FastestVPN is likely to disappoint. We couldn't bypass geo-restrictions on any streaming platforms last time we checked.
The fact that it doesn't support the WireGuard protocol – now a standard among the top security software – is likely to be the main reason behind its poor performance when it comes to connection speeds. Despite its name, the provider's average connection speeds are well below the fastest VPN services around.
We also found a few issues while using its apps. This is likely because it's been a while since the provider implemented any updates. Plus, an unimpressive support system and assorted technical hassles make it even more difficult for us to recommend.
However, it's worth noting again that this is an incredibly cheap way of bagging 2TB of cloud storage and a password manager – and at just $18 for five years, it's an offer that's hard to say no to.
Better VPN deals to choose from:
The good news is that FastestVPN isn't the only provider out there offering eye-catching discounts and packages. So, here we've rounded up our top picks of today's best deals:
ExpressVPN | 1 year | $12.95 $6.67/pm + 3 months FREE
TechRadar's #1 trusted VPN for privacy and unblocking content worldwide. Get it today with a no-hassle 30-day money-back guarantee, 15 months for the price of 12 AND a whole year of unlimited cloud backup from Backblaze, too! Fantastic value on a fantastic pair of products.
Surfshark | 2 years + 2 months free + FREE antivirus | $2.30/pm
Sat at third position on our top services list, Surfshark is currently giving away its security suite Surfshark One – worth an extra $35 – as a freebie with its 2-year plan. Rated as the top cheap VPN, you'll also get two extra months of protection on top for the bargain price of $2.30 a month.
Hide.me VPN | 30 60 days + FREE cloud storage | $9.95
If a short-term subscription is what you are after, Hide.me could be the right choice for you. With its super-fast connection speeds and unlocking abilities, Hide.me really impressed us during our last testing. Take advantage of its summer offer to get two months of protection for the price of one at $9.95, together with a 2TB of cloud storage via Internxt for a whole year.
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Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life—wherever cybersecurity, markets and politics tangle up. She mainly writes news, interviews and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. Got a story, tip-off or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com