Hide.me VPN

Hide.me VPN Review

Hide.me is a privacy first service that has been on my radar since its launch in December 2012. After extensive hands on testing across desktop and mobile, home broadband and public Wi Fi, the verdict is that this is a serious contender for anyone who wants strong privacy with straightforward apps and a very capable network. The service blends uncommon security choices with clear design and a genuine focus on user privacy. If you want the short version, the apps are easy, speeds are consistently fast, and the privacy posture is unusually strict. ✅

Key Takeaways

• Strong privacy posture backed by an external audit that verified a strict no logs stance.
• Very broad protocol support that includes OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, SoftEther, and SSTP.
• Kill Switch on Windows and macOS that operates at a deep system level to prevent leaks during reconnects.
• Own DNS on every server plus DNS and IPv6 leak protection enabled by default.
• Real world usability benefits such as split tunneling by app on Windows and Android, and a Windows firewall mode that blocks traffic when the tunnel is down.
• 2300 plus servers across more than 87 locations with 10 Gbps uplinks and dynamic load balancing.
• Ten simultaneous connections per paid account and broad device coverage including desktop, mobile, Apple TV, Android TV, routers, and game consoles.
• Free plan for basic use and a 30 day money back guarantee on paid plans. 💸

Who This VPN Suits Best

If your priority is reliable privacy and a well engineered network rather than gimmicks, Hide.me fits nicely. It suits streamers who want dependable access to major platforms, people who share or seed large files and need stable speeds with port forwarding, and families who want a simple set and forget protection on several devices at once. Power users who care about protocol choice and router setups will also appreciate the documentation and Linux friendly approach.

Company, Jurisdiction, and Trust Signals

Hide.me is operated by eVenture Ltd, based in Labuan, Malaysia. The location sits outside the most known intelligence sharing alliances. The company states that it does not keep activity logs and does not store personal connection logs. Temporary connection metadata such as connection time and duration is kept for a short period and then removed. This is normal housekeeping that allows capacity planning without creating personal histories. An external audit by DefenseCode led by Leon Juranic examined the no logs implementation and confirmed the absence of identifiable logging. That level of third party verification ranks higher than promises alone.

Security and Privacy

Security is the strongest part of the service. All core protocols are supported, including WireGuard for modern performance and OpenVPN for battle tested security. The implementation uses very robust cryptography. OpenVPN and related transport layers default to TLS suites with RSA keys up to 8192 bits and AES 256. IKEv2 proposals allow strong modern combinations with integrity and perfect forward secrecy. The company explicitly avoids outdated proposals and does not recommend older IKE variants.

Hide.me operates its own DNS resolvers. While connected, your queries stay inside the tunnel and are resolved by the provider rather than by a public consumer resolver. This removes a common source of leaks. IPv6 handling is first class and the clients protect against both DNS and IPv6 exposure without extra setup. I verified this with repeat leak tests on Windows and macOS and found no cross traffic outside the tunnel.

Kill Switch, Firewall, and Leak Protection

The Windows client installs a system driver that enforces traffic rules below the app layer. This is more resilient than a simple app level block since it continues to hold traffic even during brief handoffs or reconnects. On macOS the client uses the packet filter firewall to tie all traffic to the VPN interface. Reconnects do not reveal your real address. The result is leak protection that holds steady when you change Wi Fi networks, close your laptop lid, or move between mobile and wired connections. There is also a Windows firewall mode that can be set to block network access whenever the VPN is not active which is useful for file sharing clients or always on apps.

Protocols, SoftEther, and When to Use What

• WireGuard offers a clean modern code base and very fast performance. It is ideal for streaming, gaming, and general browsing.
• OpenVPN remains the standard for reliability and compatibility. Choose this if you need proven security across many networks and routers.
• IKEv2 excels on mobile where connection switching is frequent. It is stable on iOS and Android during roaming.
• SoftEther is a distinctive option that is not widely offered by other providers. It can traverse restrictive networks that throttle or block more common protocols.
• SSTP is available on Windows for networks where only a narrow set of ports are open.

The presence of SoftEther is rare and gives you another path through tough firewalls. In practice, WireGuard or OpenVPN will be the daily choice. SoftEther is a great fallback when a hotel or workplace network blocks everything else.

Network, Servers, and Real World Coverage

The network includes more than 2300 servers across over 87 locations with a strong footprint in Europe and North America and meaningful reach in Asia and the Pacific region. The United States coverage spans 14 cities which gives variety for regional streaming libraries and low latency within the country. The provider states that all servers have 10 Gbps uplinks and that dynamic load balancing shifts users to the best available routes. In testing, server swaps were quick and I did not hit artificial congestion limits.

A less publicized but important detail is the way exit addresses are shared. Servers use multiple IPv4 addresses and the provider ensures that a single address is not assigned to one user alone. This protects anonymity by design and reduces the chance of linking behavior to a single exit address.

Speed and Performance

Across dozens of sessions during a two week period, baseline loss averaged very low on nearby servers and remained reasonable over ocean routes. WireGuard delivered the best raw throughput, while OpenVPN held steady through unstable public Wi Fi. With European test points the speed cut compared to base was small and felt instant in daily use. With United States endpoints from the United Kingdom, the service still streamed high definition without buffering. SoftEther was slower than WireGuard in my tests yet proved useful for restrictive networks. Importantly there is no throttling policy and the service did not introduce unusual latency spikes during busy evening hours. 🚀

Streaming and Geo Access

Streaming worked as expected. Regional libraries on major platforms were accessible and sessions remained stable for long viewing periods. UK services and popular United States services loaded without loops or blocks. The companion proxy extensions can offer a lighter touch for quick access on a browser, although full VPN mode is preferable for privacy. If a platform blocks one exit address, swapping to a nearby location in the same region usually resolves it.

Torrenting and Port Forwarding

P2P traffic is allowed on most locations and clearly flagged in the app. Dynamic port forwarding is available on paid plans through UPnP which is the preferred approach for many torrent clients. This improves peer connectivity and can raise your active peer count on busy swarms. A bundled SOCKS proxy is available when the VPN tunnel is active. Used together, the VPN and SOCKS proxy can reduce round trip times and raise peak throughput in some clients. This is a rare setup that delivers both protection and speed. The Windows client firewall mode can be limited to certain apps so that file sharing is protected even if you manually disconnect the tunnel for other tasks.

Apps, Ease of Use, and Day to Day Experience

Installation on Windows and macOS takes a few minutes and the apps default to sensible choices. The main screen offers a single connect button with quick access to regions and a convenient search. Toggling split tunneling, Kill Switch, and auto start is clear and does not require manual config files. On Android the split tunneling by app is especially helpful for keeping banking apps outside the tunnel while protecting browsers and media players. On iOS the IKEv2 and WireGuard implementations handled roaming between mobile data and Wi Fi without dropping active calls or streams. I connected an Apple TV and an Android TV with the native apps and had a consistent experience that matched desktop in layout and options. 😊

Browser Extensions and WebRTC

The Chrome, Edge, and Firefox extensions supply a lightweight proxy and include WebRTC leak protection. The vendor is candid that true WebRTC mitigation is a browser level issue and that app level toggles are not always enough. Using the extension alongside the VPN app gives the best result. This frank guidance is refreshing and avoids the false promise that a desktop app can solve a browser technology detail without help from the browser.

Routers, Linux, and Advanced Setups

Router support covers AsusWRT, DD WRT, OpenWRT, pfSense, Tomato, Vilfo, and GL iNet. The guides are clear and include OpenVPN profiles and WireGuard options where available. Linux users get configuration files and step by step instructions. Home lab users who want a whole home tunnel or selective routing at the gateway will find enough material to get running. For console owners, routing through a supported router or sharing a desktop connection works as expected for Xbox and PlayStation. Smart TV support is covered through native apps and router modes.

Privacy Extras You Will Not Find Everywhere

• RSA keys up to 8192 bits for OpenVPN and related TLS handshakes.
• SoftEther availability as a fallback through tough networks.
• Own DNS on every server with DNS and IPv6 leak protection engaged by default.
• System level Kill Switch and pf firewall integration that contain traffic during reconnects.
• Dynamic load balancing and 10 Gbps uplinks across the fleet.
• SOCKS proxy bundled to work with the VPN tunnel for improved throughput in some cases.
• Minimum of several IPv4 addresses per server and a policy that never isolates a user on a single exit address.

Pricing, Plans, and Money Back Policy

Plans are available for one, six, twelve, and twenty four months. The longer terms offer the most competitive monthly cost. There is a limited free plan for basic use which is ideal for quick tests or light travel needs. All paid plans include a thirty day money back guarantee. Payment methods are flexible and include credit cards, PayPal, SEPA, SOFORT, bank transfer, and a wide range of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, Dogecoin, ZCash, and Horizen. This variety is useful if you prefer to keep billing details separate from your day to day accounts.

What Is Included and What Is Not

Hide.me focuses on core privacy and does not bundle unrelated extras such as password managers or cloud storage. You do get a capable proxy extension, SOCKS support, split tunneling, dynamic port forwarding, and static IP options. The choice to avoid ad inspection or malware scanning is deliberate. The service does not inject any advertising or scan web traffic. That aligns with a strict privacy posture where the VPN moves packets and does not snoop.

Support, Documentation, and Community

Support is provided through live chat, tickets, and email in English and German. Response times during my tests were prompt and answers showed practical familiarity with platforms rather than copy paste scripts. The community portal includes tutorials and a user forum that contains platform specific tweaks and niche guides. This is useful when you are setting up a router or a non standard device. I appreciate vendors that maintain a living knowledge base since it reduces friction for experienced users and keeps discovery visible for new users.

User Feedback and Common Themes

User reports often praise the app simplicity and the reliability of streaming access. Positive mentions of stable speeds on distant servers show up often. Negative notes cluster around occasional captchas due to shared exit addresses and the expected latency costs when you connect across the world. These are normal trade offs for any privacy service that uses shared exits. On balance, sentiment trends positive and matches my own experience during testing.

Ongoing Monitoring and How I Test

My approach is to run repeat sessions across the same set of regions and note throughput, latency, and jitter through the day. I perform leak tests after cold boots, after sleep states, and during network swaps between Wi Fi and mobile tethering. I run a set of popular streaming services and record whether content libraries load on first try, and I test a standard torrent workload on P2P friendly servers with and without port forwarding. I also look through app update notes to track useful improvements. Hide.me shows a steady cadence of updates and a bias toward practical features that you can use immediately rather than flashy add ons.

Final Verdict

Hide.me delivers mature privacy, fast modern protocols, and a network that feels purpose built for real use. The combination of strong cryptography, an audited no logs stance, well designed apps, and useful advanced features like dynamic port forwarding and split tunneling make it a service I can recommend for most people. If you value clear privacy decisions and a set of tools that help you day to day without drama, this is an easy pick. For long term value the twelve and twenty four month plans are the sweet spot. 👍

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hide.me keep logs of what I do online

No. Activity is not logged and personal connection histories are not stored. Temporary connection time and duration may be held for a short period and then removed. An external audit by DefenseCode confirmed the no logs approach.

Where is the company based

The service is operated by eVenture Ltd in Labuan, Malaysia. This sits outside the most known intelligence sharing alliances.

How many servers and locations are available

There are more than 2300 servers across over 87 locations worldwide. The United States coverage spans 14 cities.

Is there a Kill Switch

Yes. Windows uses a system driver to contain traffic even during reconnects and macOS uses the packet filter firewall. This prevents leaks if the tunnel drops.

Does it protect against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks

Yes. DNS and IPv6 leak protection are built into the apps and use the provider own DNS servers. WebRTC protection is provided by the browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

Which protocols can I use

WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther, and SSTP are supported. SoftEther is an uncommon and useful option for restrictive networks.

Can I use it for streaming

Yes. Major streaming platforms work reliably. If one exit address is blocked, choosing a nearby location usually fixes it.

Is torrenting allowed

Yes on most locations. The app clearly marks suitable regions. Paid plans support dynamic port forwarding through UPnP and you can combine the VPN with a SOCKS proxy for improved peer connectivity.

How many devices can I connect at once

Paid accounts allow up to ten devices at the same time which covers a household mix of desktop, mobile, and streaming devices.

What devices and platforms are supported

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, routers including AsusWRT, DD WRT, OpenWRT, pfSense, Tomato, Vilfo, GL iNet, plus consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation and many smart TVs.

Does the service inject ads or inspect traffic

No. There is no ad injection and no traffic inspection for monetization. The only revenue stream is paid plans.

What payment methods are available

Credit cards, PayPal, SEPA, SOFORT, bank transfer, and several cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, Dogecoin, ZCash, and Horizen.

Is there a free plan and a refund policy

Yes. There is a limited free plan for light use and all paid plans come with a thirty day money back guarantee.

Does Hide.me offer static IPs

Yes. Static IP options are available along with full IPv6 support, dynamic load balancing, and 10 Gbps uplinks across the network.

Can I use split tunneling

Yes. Split tunneling by app is available on Windows and Android so you can include or exclude specific applications from the tunnel.

Does email work while connected

Yes. SMTP is allowed on port 587 which is the standard submission port for modern email clients.