The web is scattered with hundreds of VPN providers, which can make the selection process rather intimidating. But if a secure VPN with lightning-quick speeds and a competitive free version that lasts forever is what you're after, then keep reading.
Our trusted team of VPN experts conducts thorough reviews on noteworthy VPNs, and this Hide.me review is no different. We will walk you through everything Hide.me has to offer, from server coverage and performance to device compatibility. Arguably among the fastest VPNs on the market, Hide.me sure gives big industry competitors a run for their money.
Every VPN has unique specifications that differentiate it from the rest, and Hide.me is no exception. Before we dive further into the review, here's a quick rundown of this VPN's key features:
So how good is Hide.me as a VPN? With most major security companies designing their own VPNs, it’s worth dissecting how Hide.me sets itself apart from its competitors. We'll touch on the different features that make up this VPN, so you can make the call on whether it's of any value.
With approximately 2,100 plus servers in over 79 locations, it’s safe to say Hide.me has a fair network size. Of course, you’ll find other VPNs like CyberGhost providing triple that amount, but the ratio of servers to countries is more important than just the numbers. More servers typically mean faster speeds, but the idea is to have an equal distribution of servers in different countries for better connections.
Thankfully, Hide.me has this area covered, seeing as it has relatively fair server coverage across the globe. Europe has servers in 30 locations, Asia-Pacific and nearby areas have servers in 20 locations, and 10 are in North and South America. But what makes Hide.me stand out is that it allows users to request additional new servers proving its commitment to continuously improving its service. Our Hide.me review can confirm that the VPN connects almost instantly with nearby servers, and there's zero downtime.
Hide.me is hands down one of the fastest VPNs on the market, even outshining leading VPNs like Nord. Generally, VPNs tend to connect seamlessly with nearby servers and face issues with long-distance servers. Hide.me maintains fast speeds on both local and international servers for streaming, torrenting, and browsing. Of course, other variables like the configuration of VPN servers and any physical damage to network infrastructure can impact the outcome.
That said, during our Hide.me test for performance, the speeds didn't drop when connected to local servers. After connecting to distant servers in Europe from the US, we detected a slowdown of between just 2% and 5%, which is actually quite good. As far as ping performance goes, Hide.me has low ping times, which makes the VPN ideal for reduced lag in gaming. Still, the latency does increase the further away the server is, so it’s a good idea to stick to local connections to keep the ping down.
Our Hide.me reviews found that for the low price of nothing, you can enjoy most of the VPN's services on its free plan. The good news is the free plan isn’t a trial version, and you can use it indefinitely. It does have a few limitations though, like its monthly 10 Gb data limit, but it’s still more than what other competitors offer. Also, the free version has a limited selection of servers and a single simultaneous connection limit.
It’s not a complete train crash, though, because you can upgrade to any one of the three paid Hide.me subscription plans, depending on your pocket. You can go for the one-month plan, which costs $9.95, or opt for the 12-month plan for a discounted monthly rate of $4.99. But it's the 24-month plan that gets you the most bang for your buck, only costing you $2.59 monthly. All three plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not entirely sold on the service. Even so, this trial period falls short compared to a VPN like Norton, which offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
One of the reasons Hide.me is the fastest VPN around is because it uses the new Bolt technology, an in-house software developed by the team. This revolutionary software solves the throttling issues that have been found by Windows users. It basically routes traffic through the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) instead of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for faster speeds. The former is the most commonly used connection protocol on the web because it’s more reliable and secure.
Our Hide.me reviews also picked up the Multihop feature as one of the VPN’s unique selling points, where the VPN allows you to route traffic through different servers. This is an excellent feature that provides double VPN protection by helping bypass strict web censorship and surveillance setbacks.
Hide.me also manages DNS servers to encrypt your DNS requests effectively. As a result, it prevents traffic from your Internet Service Provider's less private servers. Additionally, you can activate a custom DNS and opt to use a random port for each connection for increased security.
You might be wondering if Hide.me is safe to use and understanding a VPN’s security features is important before deciding to go with any VPN. Rest assured that Hide.me has a strong security pedigree and boasts the following safety features designed to safeguard your identity, data, and web activities, which are outlined in this section.
Like any VPN worth writing home about, our Hide.me review picked up on kill switch technology. This feature conceals your real IP address if your connection drops unexpectedly. What’s more? This functionality works pretty well across all devices. The only drawback is the Hide.me kill switch feature isn’t activated by default like with other VPNs, and you have to toggle it manually via settings.
Our Hide.me review found that the VPN uses industry-grade AES 256-bit encryption technology to hide data you share on the net. Unauthorized parties, not even the VPN itself, can snoop on your surfing activities. To confirm this, we conducted a test by running the VPN through Wireshark, a packet sniffing tool. True to form, the VPN effectively encrypts both outgoing and incoming network packets.
Hide.me supports a split tunneling function, an incredibly useful feature that gives you control over your data. It allows you to choose apps that run through the VPN tunnel and which ones to directly access the internet. This feature is particularly handy if you’d like to benefit from services that perform better when your location is known while also enjoying private access to sensitive communications on the web. Sadly, at the time of this Hide.me review, split tunneling was only open to iOS users.
Hide.me has a transparent no-log policy that was independently audited in 2015. It would be great to see a more recent audit on this policy, but for now, users should trust that both the free and paid version don’t log their IP address or traffic. The VPN can't release any of your data, even when forced to.
According to our Hide.me review, the VPN only collects your email address required upon sign-up and bandwidth usage for free plan users. If it helps, the VPN does publish an annual transparency report. Moreover, it's not part of the 5, 9, nor 14 Eyes Alliances, which are groups of nations that share surveillance data among themselves.
Earlier in the review, we mentioned the presence of a free version, but this no-cost version might make you wonder if Hide.me is a legit VPN. The free Hide.me version boasts more or less the same security features found on the paid plan making it equally safe to use, although there’ll be some compromises here and there.
Like the paid plan, Hide.me free has a no logging policy, built-in leak protection, a kill switch, and 256-bit encryption. Plus, it’s ad free, which is great because you can surf in peace. However, the paid plan adds more security features you won't find on the free version, like split tunneling and a multihop network. The table below summarizes these differences.
| Premium Plan | Free Plan |
|---|---|
| 30-day money-back guarantee | n/a |
| Unlimited data traffic | 10Gb max monthly |
| 10 simultaneous connections | 1 connection |
| 2,100 servers in 79 locations | 8 locations |
| Fixed IP address | n/a |
| Dynamic port forwarding | n/a |
| Streaming support | n/a |
Is Hide.me a good VPN on any device? You’ll be pleased to learn that Hide.me has native apps running across major desktop and mobile devices, browser extensions, and routers, including Linux. At any given time, users can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, which is above the 5 to 7 industry average. Below is a quick rundown of the platforms from which you can access Hide.me:
You can download the Hide.me Android app from Google Play Store. It’s very much similar to the desktop version and presents an identical menu and interface. It's just as simple to use and boasts the same features, save for the Stealth Guard.
iOS users can download the Hide.me VPN from the Apple Store and enjoy the same intuitive functionality as the desktop. Apple users will like how they can also set up Siri shortcuts on the app for more personalized service. That, by the way, is something most VPN services have yet to offer.
Hide.me supports both Mac and Windows. Regarding design and aesthetics, the Mac version appears to be a clone of the Windows, making it difficult to tell the two apart. Anyhow, the latter is a tad more advanced, and several features on Windows are yet to make it to Mac. Good examples are the kill switch technology, Bolt speedups, and custom DNS options for increased speed and security. But if you're not hung up on technicalities, none of these will matter much because the Mac Hide.me app is still great quality.
Hide.me is perfect if you want to run the VPN on your browser and start using it in seconds. The VPN provides proxy browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome, and it’s available under the name Hide.me Proxy. All the same, our Hide.me review found that the extension is more of an encrypted proxy than a full-on VPN service. So, while it can certainly spoof your location, it can’t encrypt data outside the browser. For this reason, it’s recommended to use this proxy in conjunction with the VPN app.
If you have a device that doesn’t allow VPN installations, feel free to install Hide.me on your router. This means the VPN is compatible with a wide range of other devices, such as gaming consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Besides gaming consoles, you can also use the VPN with devices like Apple TV and Roku once you install it on a router. Installation is pretty easy and can be completed within 10 minutes following the instructions.
Regardless of your platform, our Hide.me review can confirm that usability won’t be an issue. While crashes and bugs were reported in the past, these have since been rectified. Signing up and subscribing is a hassle-free process that won't take you more than a few minutes. Besides fiat payment methods, the VPN supports cryptocurrencies for extra anonymity.
Once you install the VPN, you’ll find the interface a breeze to navigate. Switching between server locations is simple, and connections happen within seconds. Browsing is free from intrusive pop-ups ever since the VPN launched the Smart Guard feature that fights off ads and trackers.
If you encounter any challenges, you can contact the responsive support team that’s available round-the-clock via email, live chat, or a ticketing system. But responses aren’t as swift to complex questions.
Cancellation is also straightforward if you decide to call it quits. You can simply follow the cancellation process outlined on the Hide.me official website. Note, however, that cancellation only stops recurring billing and won't result in a refund.
Hide.me is a gem for streaming lovers and successfully unblocks 6 international Netflix libraries, including US Netflix. The same VPN also allows streaming access to major platforms like Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer. Sadly, none of these streaming sites are open for users on the free plan.
As for torrenting, the VPN has everything you need for safe torrenting, from the private login policy to kill switch technology. Optimized for P2P sharing, the VPN allows you to torrent on all of its free servers while experiencing the same privacy you get from the paid version.
As previously highlighted in our Hide.me review, the VPN can bypass censorship and access blocked services in countries like Russia, Iran, and China, that have strict censorship laws and prohibit VPN services. For instance, in a country like China, with numerous restricted websites, you can now access these sites at least 84% of the time with no issues using Hide.me VPN. That’s a big jump from only 9% before the VPN advanced its censorship technology in this regard.
Wrapping up this review, ultimately only you can decide if Hide.me is a good VPN for you. Fast speeds, advanced safety protocols, and streaming capabilities are some of this VPN’s top strengths. It’s an affordable VPN within impulse-buying reach, especially if you go for the 24-month plan. If you still want to take it easy before making any long term commitments, you can always opt for the free version, which offers decent features for a sustainable, private, and effective VPN experience.
Hide.me isn’t perfect, though, and it would do well to add some features like a default kill switch to make it even more appealing. An updated audit report would be nice too. But overall, Hide.me does the job if you're looking for a high-performance VPN with great security.
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