Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026
FastestVPN vs PureVPN
Is FastestVPN or PureVPN better?
PureVPN scores higher, 70.0 against 55.0 out of 100, a gap of 15 points. It wins 5 of the seven criteria to FastestVPN's 1. Cheap, broadly capable, and carrying a 2017 logging incident that no later audit erases.
Both are scored on the same seven criteria from the same sourced dataset, so this page and the main ranking can never disagree. The margin is worth reading past: FastestVPN still wins 1 of the seven outright.
FastestVPN
55.0Priced below everything else here and documented below everything else here. Those two facts are related.
- From
- $0.83/mo
- Based in
- Cayman Islands
- Devices
- 10
- Audits
- 1
We earn a commission if you subscribe through this link. It does not change FastestVPN’s score.
PureVPN
70.0Cheap, broadly capable, and carrying a 2017 logging incident that no later audit erases.
- From
- $2.15/mo
- Based in
- British Virgin Islands
- Devices
- 10
- Audits
- 3
We earn a commission if you subscribe through this link. It does not change PureVPN’s score.
Criterion by criterion
FastestVPN wins 1, PureVPN wins 5, 1 tied. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.
| Criterion | Weight | FastestVPN | PureVPN | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent audit | 20 | 3/10 (6.0) | 7/10 (14.0) | PureVPN |
| Jurisdiction and ownership | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 6/10 (9.0) | FastestVPN |
| Protocol and crypto stack | 15 | 8/10 (12.0) | 9/10 (13.5) | PureVPN |
| Leak protection | 15 | 5/10 (7.5) | 7/10 (10.5) | PureVPN |
| Transparency | 15 | 2/10 (3.0) | 4/10 (6.0) | PureVPN |
| Price and refund terms | 10 | 9/10 (9.0) | 9/10 (9.0) | Tied |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 7/10 (7.0) | 8/10 (8.0) | PureVPN |
| Total | 100 | 55.0 | 70.0 | PureVPN |
Where each one actually wins
FastestVPN is ahead on
- Jurisdiction and ownership. Cayman Islands sits outside the Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement.
PureVPN is ahead on
- Independent audit. Four KPMG audits since 2019 under an always-on arrangement permitting unannounced inspection; the 2023 engagement raised two logging observations, which is evidence the audit has teeth.
- Protocol and crypto stack. WireGuard and OpenVPN both available across platforms.
- Leak protection. Kill switch present on desktop and Android; there is no RAM-only server fleet.
- Transparency. Closed-source clients, and in 2017 the company supplied connection logs to the FBI in a criminal case while advertising a no-logs policy.
- Platform coverage. Desktop, mobile, Android TV, a native tvOS app since 2023 and router support, with 10 simultaneous connections; split tunnelling is Windows and Android only.
Choose FastestVPN if
Readers whose main constraint is price and who accept thinner evidence in exchange.
Choose PureVPN if
Readers who want port forwarding at a low price and are satisfied by the current audit arrangement.
Reasons to pick neither
Skip FastestVPN if: You want evidence that stays current. A single audit from January 2023 said something true about January 2023; Proton VPN has been re-audited every year since, NordVPN twice more and PureVPN once, and that difference is most of the gap in their scores.
Skip PureVPN if: Past conduct matters to you. The 2017 incident is a matter of public record, and a provider’s history is a legitimate input even after new management and new audits.
Questions
- Is FastestVPN or PureVPN better?
- PureVPN scores higher, 70.0 against 55.0 out of 100, a gap of 15 points. It wins 5 of the seven criteria to FastestVPN's 1. Cheap, broadly capable, and carrying a 2017 logging incident that no later audit erases.
- Which is cheaper, FastestVPN or PureVPN?
- FastestVPN, at $0.83/mo against $2.15/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
- Which one has been audited more recently?
- Both published audits in 2023.
- Does jurisdiction differ between them?
- Yes. FastestVPN operates from Cayman Islands and PureVPN from British Virgin Islands. Both sit in the same position relative to the Fourteen Eyes agreement.
Related comparisons
Comparison generated from the same dataset as the ranking. Emphasis criterion definitions are on the rubric page. Criterion labels: Independent audit, Jurisdiction and ownership, Protocol and crypto stack, Leak protection, Transparency, Price and refund terms, Platform coverage.