Preparation of catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is of growing interest during last years. The magnetron sputtering technique is a promising method of catalyst preparation because it permits to synthesize catalysts in a fast and relatively less expensive way, however control of specific surface and durability of such catalysts still remains the main concern. We tested a single cell PEMFC catalyzed by using exclusively thin film approach by combining state-of-the art Pt-doped cerium oxide anode and a new Pt–Co alloy cathode. We have shown that beside very high mass activity of the catalysts relative to the membrane electrode assembly the catalyst nanoporous structure exhibits excellent stability and no sintering which generally represents the main drawback of ultrathin film.