NordVPN vs FastVPN in 2024

Both NordVPN and Namecheap VPN are well-known in the digital landscape. However, many people don’t know that the latter offers a virtual private network service called Namecheap VPN or FastVPN. But how does it fare against a critically-acclaimed VPN veteran?

Thus, in this NordVPN vs FastVPN battle, we’ll look at performance, global coverage, security, privacy, ease of use, and other key aspects. Additionally, we’ll reveal how well both providers handle geo-blocks and other restrictions.

Don’t have the time to read the whole article? Below you’ll see a quick NordVPN vs FastVPN comparison.

NordVPN vs FastVPN: specifications

Launched in 2018, Namecheap VPN (now known as FastVPN –) can be considered a rookie in the VPN industry. But it ticks the right boxes in terms of security, bandwidth and pricing.

However, it can’t compare to NordVPN’s fastest speeds in the industry, broad device coverage, and feature-packed apps. Plus, it comes with excellent streaming and torrenting capabilities. Let’s dig in – once we finish the comparison, it won’t be surprising why NordVPN is the winner.

NordVPN vs FastVPN: pricing

The providers use identical pricing strategies. For example, both NordVPN and FastVPN offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if something goes awry. Moreover, they provide similar payment options (credit Card, crypto).

Additionally, you can choose from full-priced monthly plans or discounted long-term subscriptions. However, neither offers a freemium version, so you’ll have to pay to use the services. Still, FastVPN proves to be the cheaper option.

NordVPN pricing

What’s great about NordVPN is that you can try it without paying, thanks to the 7-day free trial. You can get it through Google Play Store and use it with other compatible devices afterward. And, as mentioned before, you can take advantage of the month-long cash-back warranty.

Moreover, for an industry-leading product, NordVPN is fairly cheap. Also, you can choose a plan that fits your needs the best:

• Standard for 1 month– $12.99/month
• Standard for 1 year – $4.59/month
• Standard for 2 years – $2.99/month
• Plus for 1 month – $13.99/month
• Plus for 1 year – $5.49/month
• Plus for 2 years – $3.89/month
• Complete for 1 month – $14.99/month
• Complete for 1 year – $7.49/month
• Complete for 2 years – $4.89/month

The Complete subscription offers NordPass: cross-platform password manager, data breach scanner, and 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage. Meanwhile, the Plus provides everything, apart from storage. And obviously, the Standard gives you the essentials. If the prices seem too steep, you can always use a NordVPN discount coupon to save some cash.

Payment-wise, NordVPN accepts credit cards, Google Pay, ACH Transfer, and cryptocurrencies. The latter method is great for privacy-cautious users. Lastly, you can find hard copies of NordVPN in some countries and pay by cash.

FastVPN pricing

One of the places where FastVPN truly shines is the pricing. It would probably end up on our cheapest VPNs list if it had more features. Plus, you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee if you feel like the service is not good enough.

Here are the plans Namecheap offers:

• Monthly – $5.88/month
• 1-year plan – $2.88/month

But as you can see in the image, Namecheap VPN gives massive discounts to first-time subscribers. You can get a month-long subscription for $5.88/month. Or, take a one-year plan for $2.88/month, which is very cheap. Not to mention, you can use various payment methods, like credit card, crypto, and PayPal.

Speed comparison

For starters, hardly anyone can match NordVPN, as it’s the fastest VPN on the market. That’s because it utilizes the proprietary NordLynx tunneling protocol. To put it plainly, it’s like an improved version of the trusty Wireguard. Plus, you can switch to the OpenVPN tunneling protocol.

Sadly, Namecheap VPN can’t match its opponent. This provider only utilizes OpenVPN and IKEv2 tunneling protocols. They are older and slower than NordLynx. Additionally, macOS and iOS users can only use the IKEv2 tunneling protocol, which some users might see as a disadvantage.

Feeling curious about the performance of other providers? Check out our VPN speed comparison and see how fast other services are.

NordVPN vs FastVPN: which is more secure?

Safety features play a major role when deciding whether NordVPN or Namecheap is better. Luckily, both providers offer the essential security benefits:

• AES-256 encryption
• A VPN kill switch
• DNS, WebRTC, and IP leak protection

Nevertheless, NordVPN is more secure. It hails from Panama, adheres to a no-logs policy that’s been audited several times, and runs the whole server fleet on RAM modules.

Privacy

For one, it’s important to highlight the importance of jurisdiction for a VPN provider.

Unlike NordVPN which is headquartered in Panama, FastVPN is based in the United States, a member of the Five Eyes Alliance. What that basically means is that FastVPN can be coerced by authorities to collect and provide its user data to the government should they demand it.

The repercussions behind this are only compounded further when you consider that unlike NordVPN, FastVPN does not employ RAM-based servers. That means despite its no-logs policy (unaudited, mind you) its user data can be stored on their servers. That’s not good from a security standpoint.

Logging

The no-logs policy is a dicey subject when it comes to VPNs. For more credibility, it’s important for VPN providers to put their money where their mouth is. To do that, a provider needs to be audited by an independent entity like PwC or Deloitte.

NordVPN has undergone three independent audits so far. FastVPN claims to have a zero-based logs policy, but that’s only in word.

Servers location

Server-wise, FastVPN is merely decent. It offers 1000+ pieces of hardware in 45+ countries. Moreover, the provider owns all equipment, which guarantees more security. Plus, all servers are physical, meaning better performance.

Nevertheless, NordVPN outmatches Namecheap VPN. The former covers 118+ countries with 7000+ pieces of hardware. Additionally, all servers are RAM-only, which means no data is stored long-term on hard drives. Not to mention, there are servers dedicated to specific activities, such as torrenting, obfuscation, Double VPN, etc.

Features

Features vary between VPNs, and it’s no different when comparing FastVPN vs NordVPN. These are extras that a provider throws into their offering, and these perks can be the differentiating factor sometimes, as in our case.

FastVPN falls short in this regard. NordVPN, however, offers plenty of features for customizing your VPN experience.

Smart DNS

Some devices are not compatible with VPN software so you cannot use them to bypass geo-restrictions. However, a VPN equipped with Smart DNS can help you overcome this hurdle. NordVPN comes with an integrated Smart DNS feature it calls SmartPlay, while FastVPN doesn’t offer such functionality.

Ad & malware blocker

A VPN is safe on its own provided it incorporates robust security features. However, an ad and malware feature is always a welcome addition as it provides an extra layer of security, which some users will appreciate.

Only NordVPN comes with such a feature called Threat Protection. Available on PC, mobile, and browser extensions, it blocks ads, user trackers, and malicious websites. Furthermore, it scans downloads (up to 5 GB) for potential malware.

Split tunneling

Split tunneling is an advanced feature in VPN software that allows you to choose which devices, apps or websites work only when the VPN is enabled. Only NordVPN offers split tunneling.

Specialized servers

Specialized servers are designed to give you an edge in some facets – for instance, torrenting , anonymity, breaching firewalls in VPN-restricted areas, gaming and so on. Again, only NordVPN offers specialty hardware:

• Obfuscated servers. Restrictive networks use DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) to discover VPN traffic and block it. With Obfuscated Servers, your activities appear as regular HTTPS traffic and remain undetected. Thus, you are able to use the VPN in internet-restrictive countries, like China.
• Onion over VPN. The Tor Network uses a worldwide fleet of volunteer-operated computers to maintain privacy. You can use Onion over VPN to combine this network with a VPN connection for maximum anonymity.
• Double VPN servers. It lets you connect to two VPN servers instead of one, encrypting your traffic twice for double the protection. It comes at the cost of performance, so keep that in mind before enabling it.
• P2P-optimized servers. Optimized for torrenting, boosting your download and upload rates.

Other features

Besides what we covered above, NordVPN also includes several additional perks. We’re talking about a SOCKS5 proxy, Invisibility on LAN, Dark Web Monitoring, and Meshnet.

Netflix and streaming comparison

One of the most common use cases for a VPN is to bypass annoying geo-curbs on streaming platforms. Most content is blocked due to copyright laws and licensing restrictions. Thankfully, a top-notch VPN can change your location and give you access to the most extensive media libraries.

FastVPN can handle geo-blocks on streaming services, such as Netflix US or BBC iPlayer. Moreover, when testing it out, we got 4K video quality, which is super important. However, circumventing blocks on Hulu, YouTube TV, or Disney+ is pretty much impossible.

Luckily, bypassing geo-restrictions with NordVPN is a walk in a park. I managed to unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and many other platforms. Plus, NordVPN offers the SmartPlay feature, which lets you stream content on devices that don’t support VPNs. Not to mention, we could watch everything in 4K without any loading screens.

Therefore, NordVPN snatches another win in the battles.

Device compatibility

There’s not much we can say about Namecheap VPN regarding device compatibility. It has apps for all major OS, such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. Plus, you can set up the VPN on your router to protect devices that don’t support VPNs natively. And what makes FastVPN a great provider is infinite connections.

However, this provider doesn’t have apps for streaming devices, such as Fire TV, Android TV, or Kodi. Additionally, some features are missing on Apple devices, which makes it inferior to NordVPN.

While NordVPN offers 6 simultaneous connections only, you can easily set it up on your router. Or, you can use the SmartPlay feature for consoles and smart TVs. You’ll find dedicated apps for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux, Fire TV & Fire Stick, Android TV, and Kodi. Plus, you can download browser extensions for Brave, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge.

Desktop applications

NordVPN and FastVPN are available on Windows and macOS. Both take a minimalistic design approach, resulting in intuitiveness and ease of use. However, NordVPN takes a big step in the right direction by offering an interactive server map and tons of features.

NordVPN’s desktop apps are packed with various perks and offer top-notch protection irregardless of OS. The only feature we missed on macOS was split tunneling.

FastVPN is very easy to use because it doesn’t have much functionality to speak of. You pick a server, connect to it, and that’s it. Even worse, the macOS app doesn’t have a kill switch.

Mobile applications

Both NordVPN and FastVPN have iOS and Android mobile applications. Although the range of features offered on each app by both providers varies.

Again, NordVPN comes in with strong security and an expanded toolkit on the Android and iOS applications. However, we missed split tunneling on iOS, but considering everything else you’re getting, it’s not much of a loss.

FastVPN’s mobile apps are very simple and lack any worthwhile features. And the kill switch is missing on iOS – another huge drawback.

Torrenting

Virtual private networks are frequently used for torrenting. That’s because P2P file sharing is prohibited in many countries. Additionally, it may result in fines and even prison time in some areas. Not to mention the fact that many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) tend to restrict traffic while torrenting.

FastVPN is a decent VPN for P2P file sharing. It allows torrenting on all servers. Additionally, the speeds won’t be disappointing, so you should get your content fairly quickly.

Nevertheless, it can’t compare to NordVPN. The latter has specialized servers for the task that provide better performance. Additionally, you’ll get features like split tunneling. Moreover, a free SOCKS5 proxy will secure your torrent client without a VPN connection. Therefore, it’s the best VPN for P2P file sharing.

China

VPNs are great for bypassing curbs, ensuring security, boosting privacy, and so on. However, VPNs are illegal in some countries, mainly due to political reasons. One of them is China, where most content is under heavy censorship, and people are always under surveillance.

Nevertheless, both NordVPN and FastVPN can bypass the Great Firewall of China. Both providers offer Stealth VPN technology that masks VPN traffic and helps you avoid DPI.

However, the FastVPN Scramble Option is nowhere to be found on iOS and macOS devices. Meaning that only Android, and Windows users in China can reap the benefits of privacy. Therefore, if you want the best VPN for China, pick NordVPN.

Customer support

If you’re ever having problems with either NordVPN or FastVPN, both providers offer excellent customer support. In most cases, you can find most answers in the FAQ section. Additionally, both services provide email addresses for more serious matters.

However, suppose you’re having an issue that needs fixing instantly. In that case, you can get in touch with tech wizards anytime, thanks to the 24/7 live chat option.

NordVPN vs FastVPN – which is better?

If you were on the fence before, by now, you probably figured out that NordVPN is better in almost all fields. It offers more versatility, better speeds, and heaps of useful features. Additionally, you’ll have no problems circumventing geo-restrictions with NordVPN.

While FastVPN costs less and works equally as well in China, it still lacks in a lot of departments. Plus, some features are unavailable for macOS and iOS users, which is a huge bummer. Therefore, you are better off with industry-leading service.

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FAQ

Is NordVPN better than FastVPN?

Yes, NordVPN is better than FastVPN. It offers faster speeds, better security & privacy, and broader device support. Furthermore, you won’t run into issues trying to unblock geo-restricted content or torrenting.

Which is faster – NordVPN or FastVPN?

NordVPN is faster than FastVPN. It offers a much larger server network for better connectivity and includes the proprietary NordLynx tunneling protocols for sublime speeds.