Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026
FastestVPN vs PureVPN
PureVPN takes it by 21 points, 69.0 against 48.0. That margin is worth reading past — FastestVPN wins 1 of the seven criteria outright.
FastestVPN
48.0Priced below everything else here, and documented below everything else here. Those two facts are related.
- From
- $1.11/mo
- Based in
- Cayman Islands
- Devices
- 15
- Audits
- None published
We earn a commission if you subscribe through this link. It does not change FastestVPN’s score.
PureVPN
69.0Cheap and broadly capable, carrying a documented 2017 logging incident that the current audit arrangement is designed to answer.
- From
- $2.11/mo
- Based in
- British Virgin Islands
- Devices
- 10
- Audits
- 1
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 | 0/10 (0.0) | 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 | 8/10 (8.0) | 9/10 (9.0) | PureVPN |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 7/10 (7.0) | 7/10 (7.0) | Tied |
| Total | 100 | 48.0 | 69.0 | PureVPN |
Where each one actually wins
FastestVPN is ahead on
- Jurisdiction and ownership. Cayman Islands sits outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement.
PureVPN is ahead on
- Independent audit. KPMG operates an always-on audit arrangement rather than a single snapshot report.
- Protocol and crypto stack. WireGuard and OpenVPN both available across platforms.
- Leak protection. Kill switch present on desktop and Android; no RAM-only server fleet.
- Transparency. Closed-source clients, and in 2017 the company supplied logs to the FBI in a criminal case despite advertising a no-logs policy at the time.
- Price and refund terms. Effective $2.11/month on a two-year term with a 31-day refund window.
Choose FastestVPN if
Readers whose only constraint is the lowest possible headline price.
Choose PureVPN if
Readers who want a low price and are satisfied by the current audit arrangement.
Reasons to pick neither
Skip FastestVPN if: You need evidence rather than assurances. With no audit and no transparency reporting, every privacy claim here rests on the company’s own word.
Skip PureVPN if: Past conduct matters to you. The 2017 incident is a matter of public court record, and no later audit erases it.
Questions
- Is FastestVPN or PureVPN better?
- PureVPN scores higher overall, 69.0 against 48.0, a gap of 21 points out of 100. Cheap and broadly capable, carrying a documented 2017 logging incident that the current audit arrangement is designed to answer.
- Which is cheaper, FastestVPN or PureVPN?
- FastestVPN, at $1.11/mo against $2.11/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
- Which one has been audited more recently?
- PureVPN. FastestVPN has published no independent audit at all.
- 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.