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FastestVPN vs AirVPN is a rare match of two VPNs that both offer port forwarding, built on opposite philosophies. AirVPN, founded in 2010 by privacy activists in Italy, includes up to 20 forwarded ports, open-source apps and sign-up without an email. FastestVPN, a Cayman Islands service, bundles port forwarding into a lifetime PRO licence for 15 devices that deal sites sell around $39.99.
This guide compares ports, openness, anonymity, China use, cost, ease and fit.
FastestVPN vs AirVPN on Ports
Secure any service you expose through an open port, and allow only trusted IPs.
AirVPN lets you forward up to 20 ports at no extra cost, ProPrivacy notes, useful for torrent clients, game servers and self-hosted sites. FastestVPN includes port forwarding on PRO and sells it as a cheap add-on otherwise, TechRadar notes.
Both serve torrent users; AirVPN gives more ports and more control.
Openness, Evidence and Anonymity
Open code is not an audit, but it lets experts read the client.
AirVPN’s Eddie client is open source and shows live load for every server, and in 2024 it stopped serving users in Italy rather than apply the Piracy Shield blocklists, our review notes. FastestVPN’s apps are closed, and its single 2023 Altius IT audit has vague findings, RTINGS says.
Neither has a full recent audit, but AirVPN offers more to inspect. Our VPN audit tracker lists audited providers.
Write down your AirVPN account details somewhere safe.
AirVPN needs no email and accepts several cryptocurrencies, ProPrivacy notes. FastestVPN’s privacy policy allows collecting some usage and analytics data, RTINGS notes.
For anonymous use, AirVPN is clearly ahead.
China and Blocked Networks
Install before you travel; app stores may be blocked on arrival.
AirVPN can run OpenVPN over TCP port 443, and Gizmodo found it reliable in China in 2026. We found no obfuscation feature or China rating for FastestVPN in our sources.
For filtered networks, AirVPN is the stronger choice.
Cost
Test first.
Compare totals over the term you plan to keep.
FastestVPN’s PRO lifetime licence costs around $39.99 once. AirVPN works out to about $4.31 a month on a one-year plan, Cloudwards notes, and sells a three-day plan for testing.
Over a year or more, FastestVPN is cheaper, if it keeps operating. Our renewal price guide compares.
Ease of Use
FastestVPN’s apps connect in one tap.
AirVPN’s Eddie also runs on Android, vpnpro notes.
Eddie has 12 tabs of settings, Cloudwards found, and no iOS version, so iPhone users rely on standard OpenVPN or WireGuard apps. FastestVPN’s apps are simpler and cover smart TVs and routers, its listing says.
Beginners will find FastestVPN easier.
Devices and Speed
Pick the closest location for speed.
A router running AirVPN can cover a whole home.
FastestVPN PRO covers 15 devices; AirVPN allows five, ProPrivacy notes. RTINGS found FastestVPN slow in 2026; we found no recent independent speed figures for AirVPN in our sources.
Large households fit FastestVPN without a router.
Who Each Is For, Who Runs Each and Who Should Look Elsewhere
Pick by skill level.
AirVPN suits technical users, self-hosters and privacy purists who want open source, anonymity and many free ports. FastestVPN suits budget users who want port forwarding and many devices in simple apps for a single payment.
Test AirVPN on its three-day plan before committing.
Protocols, Kill Switch and Streaming
AirVPN runs WireGuard and OpenVPN, including OpenVPN over TCP ports 22 and 443, Gizmodo notes, and Eddie’s Network Lock stops traffic outside the tunnel. FastestVPN offers WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2 with a kill switch on every platform.
Both handle blocked ports in different ways.
Reviewers report AirVPN struggling with major streaming platforms, our review notes. FastestVPN keeps dedicated streaming servers, and TechRadar found the services it tried worked.
For streaming, FastestVPN is the safer bet.
AirVPN still describes itself as run by activists and hacktivists from Perugia, Italy. FastestVPN names the Cayman Islands as its base and offers 24/7 live chat, TechRadar notes.
Those roots show in each service’s priorities.
Live Stats, Tor, Fixed IPs and Testing
Live stats help you pick a quiet server.
AirVPN publishes live load, bandwidth and user counts for every server, and Eddie can route traffic through Tor before the VPN, ProPrivacy notes. FastestVPN offers Double VPN on PRO instead.
Tor routing adds anonymity at a large cost in speed.
Keep your receipt.
FastestVPN sells a dedicated IP as a low-cost add-on, TechRadar notes. AirVPN’s refund position is unclear, our review found, so its three-day plan is the safest way to try it.
Check refund terms on any deal site before buying FastestVPN.
Anyone who wants independently audited no-logs claims should look further; neither has a full recent audit. Heavy streamers may also find AirVPN frustrating and FastestVPN slow. For a head-to-head, see our AirVPN vs PrivateVPN comparison.
Our audit tracker lists providers with repeated checks.
How We Research
This page draws on RTINGS’ and TechRadar’s FastestVPN reviews, a 2026 FastestVPN PRO deal listing, Cloudwards’, ProPrivacy’s and Gizmodo’s AirVPN reviews and our AirVPN review. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is RTINGS’ FastestVPN review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
FastestVPN vs AirVPN FAQ
AirVPN for openness, anonymity and ports; FastestVPN for ease and a single payment.
Yes: AirVPN up to 20 ports included, FastestVPN on PRO or as an add-on.
AirVPN, in Gizmodo’s 2026 tests.
FastestVPN PRO, with 15.
Yes.
The Verdict
FastestVPN vs AirVPN: AirVPN for open-source control, anonymity and China; FastestVPN for simple apps, 15 devices and one payment.