Hide.me VPN Review
[Presented by BestCloudBest.com]
Hide.me is a Malaysia-based VPN where it was founded in 2012. Although this is still a relatively new VPN on the market, it has already built a big reputation as being a steady and reliable VPN. Hide.me is known for its speed, safety, and transparency. This VPN has millions of users, over 1400 servers in more than 55 countries. It is mostly known for its no-log policy, multi-platform compatibility, strong encryption, and many other interesting features.
The features of Hide.Me VPN
Hide.me has a plethora of fantastic features. This VPN has regular, as well as some top-class features that are rarely offered by any VPN. The features of this VPN are:
· No logs policy;
· Strong encryption protocols;
· Up to 10 connections with the same account;
· Supports multiple platforms;
· Kill Switch;
· Socks Proxy;
· Unlimited Data;
· Stealth Guard.
Your privacy at Hide.me VPN
Even though Malaysia is a country that enforces a lot of censorship on its residents, that has no impact on the VPN services. Also, this country doesn’t impose any data retention laws, and because of it, it is an ideal place for VPNs.
Hide.me has a no-logs policy. This means that this VPN doesn't store any browsing activity, IP addresses, or any personal data about its users. In addition, bandwidth connection logs are erased every couple of hours.
VPNs have existed for a long time, and people have already found out a few ways to make encrypted tunnels. Probably the best protocol out there is the OpenVPN protocol. It is a relatively new protocol on the market, and it is an open-source protocol, which means that many customers have tested the OpenVPN protocol for any potential vulnerabilities. Hide.me also offers the users to choose the IKEv2 protocol, which is a new and safe protocol. Customers will have the chance to choose any protocol they like, and PPTP and SSTP are among those protocols. There is also the SoftEther protocol. This VPN is one of the rare ones that offer this protocol. The company made this protocol, and they claim it is very hard to block and detect as well.
This VPN does great work in protecting your IP address. When you establish a connection with this VPN, Hide.me deletes the default local gateway to your Web connection, and because of that, there's no chance that anyone can get access to your IP address.
This VPN has DNS leak protection. Those DNS leaks happen when the DNS (Domain Name System) requests are routed through your network instead of the VPN. This VPN automatically sets up a public DNS, which means that the DNS requests are routed through the VPN network and not through your own network, which could bring you serious damage. With the public DNS, you are basically invisible and undetectable.
This VPN also has a very useful feature called the kill switch. This kill switch is activated immediately once your public connection is at risk. We will give you an example of how this VPN feature works.
You’re sitting in a coffee shop, browsing the Internet, and you are connected to a public Wi-fi connection with your laptop. All of a sudden, your Wi-fi connection drops, and you have to use your data so you can continue to be online. This is a good thing because you're online. But, your Internet session can be exposed to intruders. But, here comes the kill switch to your aid. So, what the kill switch does, is that it kills the Internet connection from your device, in this case, laptop, and you'll be online once again when the VPN connection is restored. Then, you’ll be safer than ever.
There's also the Stealth Guard, which is one of the newest features of Hide.me VPN. With this feature, you can select apps that you don't want to be working unless you have a VPN connection. The Stealth Guard feature will help you to prevent opening any app that would jeopardize your security without having a VPN connection. This way, your Internet traffic will stay hidden from your Internet service provider. There’s another feature that Stealth Guard offers. You can hide your data when you're traveling. Once you activate this feature, your data won't be used.
Is it easy to use Hide.me VPN?
This VPN is very popular, and one of many reasons is that it is easy to use as an on and off switch button. On the website of this VPN, you can choose the operating system on which you want the VPN to be set up. Here are the steps that will help you to install the VPN in a matter of minutes:
· First, the users would have to download the app,
· Then, you have to click on the Auto-connect tab on your left-hand side,
· The next step would be to enable the Auto-connect button that is on your right-hand side,
· Pick the enable VPN,
· Click on the back icon so you can save your settings.
The cost of Hide.me VPN
Hide.me is one of the finest VPNs in its niche, without a doubt. For such a superb VPN that has strong encryption protocols and safe apps, the pricing plans are affordable, so anyone has the chance to buy a subscription for this VPN. The majority of VPN experts recommend that it would be best to choose a pricing deal that will allow you to use the fine services of this VPN for a long period of time because that way, the pricing plans are much cheaper and you will save a significant amount of funds. Typically, the VPN experts say that you should buy a subscription for one year or multiple years. There are VPNs that offer a two-year plan, and some even offer three-year plans.
When you compare the pricing plans of Hide.me to a lot of other VPNs on the market, you’ll see that the pricing plans of this VPN are quite cheaper. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t think that they lack quality. On the contrary, they are high-end pricing plans, so you shouldn’t be concerned. If it somehow happens that the services of this VPN didn't meet your expectations, you will have the possibility to choose the 30-day money-back guarantee. We've mentioned before that this VPN has millions of users, so you can realize that there aren't too many people that chose that option.
a.) The Free Plan - as you could presume, you don’t have to pay for this plan. You only have to register at the website of Hide.me choose the plan, and you can use this VPN right away. The features that come with this VPN plan are:
· 2 GB Data Transfer;
· One simultaneous connection;
· Five locations across the world;
· No logs policy;
· Strong AES-256 Encryption;
· Top speeds;
· Kill switch.
b.) Premium Plan - among the two pricing plans, this is the best because it offers many features for a really low price. If you don’t like this VPN, which is highly unlikely, there’s the 30-day money-back guarantee option. If you choose this pricing plan, you would have to pay $4.99 per month. The features that you will get when you select this fantastic pricing plan are:
· Unlimited Data Transfer;
· Up to 10 simultaneous connections;
· Sixty worldwide locations;
· Strict no logs policy;
· A vast array of encryption protocols;
· High speeds;
· Kill switch;
· Stealth Guard.
This VPN supports a wide range of payment methods. Users can choose credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, and Diners Club. As for other payment methods, there are SOFORT, Bank Transfer, and Paypal. Hide.me is a very modern VPN, and it also accepts cryptocurrencies as a payment method. The users of this VPN can choose the Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, Ripple, and many other cryptocurrencies.
Hide.me VPN for Torrenting and Streaming Services
This VPN has a special proxy that is used for fast P2P traffic, which is ideal for torrenting. It is called the SOCKS5 proxy, which is not encrypted. But, customers can use it with Hide.me for added encryption, so they can feel safe when they are torrenting. Considering the fact that the majority of P2P clients support and browsers support this specialized proxy, then SOCKS5 Proxy act as a kill switch that is intended for safe torrenting. This VPN also allows lightning-fast P2P transfer application rates.
Dynamic port forwarding is another great feature that you can get if you choose the premium pricing plan. Thanks to this Hide.me feature, P2P software makes a direct connection.
We did a test when it comes to unblocking streaming services with this VPN. We've tried to unblock the BBB iPlayer on three different UK locations, but it is unavailable in those regions. We've also tested US Netflix, which is blocked at the time. Bear in mind, that if it didn't work for us today, it might work for your tomorrow, so you shouldn’t be discouraged. In the end, this VPN has many other fascinating features that you will definitely like.
Device compatibility of Hide.me VPN
Hide.me VPN supports a wide range of different platforms and numerous devices. This VPN is available on many operating systems. You can download the app for any operating system on the website of this VPN service. Customers can choose Windows, macOS, Linux, Fedora 24 for desktop. As for mobile devices, this VPN is compatible with operating systems such as iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry. The conclusion is that you can choose any operating system of your liking.
Hide.me VPN gives you a chance to choose any device you prefer to use, whether it is a smartphone, tablet, PC, or laptop. In addition, you can use only one device with one account if you have chosen the free plan. On the other hand, if you choose the premium plan, you will get your money's worth because you will get the opportunity to use up to ten devices at the same time, which is incredible. Usually, VPNs offer to use up to five devices, but this VPN really stands out from the crowd with the option to use up to ten devices simultaneously. In addition, if you want to use all ten devices, each one of those devices will have to have an identical operating system.
Using Hide.me VPN on Windows
Installing Hide.me is very straightforward. The download page is easy to find on the website, and the installation process is fast and simple.
The application opens with a login screen, and if you want to register an account then, the registration page will open in a browser window. Just like the website, it follows a modern design scheme.
The opening screen has a bit more than just a large connect button which connects you to the closest location. The status information of your current IP address and location is always shown, and you can get to the full location list by just one click.
The server list has a search bar to make finding locations by name easy, but there is no latency or bandwidth indicator which makes it hard to select the best server.
The settings dialog is easy to understand and users get a fair amount of options. Under the application tab, you’ll find the usual settings, like launching the app with Windows or automatically connecting at startup. In case your VPN can’t connect to the server on the first try, Hide.me will automatically try to connect using a different protocol: this feature is called “Fallback Protocol”. That means the user can manually select what protocols should the service fall back to.
For experts, there are way more low-level settings that help customize the service for their needs. You can set custom IPv4 and IPV6 DNS addresses, MTU size, and UDP/TCP ports for OpenVPN.
The advanced settings continue throughout the client. For example, using split tunneling you can define which applications should use the VPN network and which will use your regular connection. While seeing a kill switch in VPN clients is fairly common, but Hide.me takes it to a level higher than its competition: the app is capable of running custom scripts in the event of the connection drop, and it gives so much control that users can define if the script should run as the current user or as administrator.
Hide.me makes good use of the system tray icon, right-click on most VPN tray icons and the user could get to the “show” and “exit” options; here would be able to connect, disconnect, select other servers, open the settings box, and change the “Stealth Guard” settings.
The service supports a fair amount of protocols: “Automatic” mode is selected by default which tries to determine which protocol is the best for use. You can select between IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard but these protocols can easily be blocked by firewalls. If you are trying to connect from a region where the internet traffic is heavily censored and VPNs are blocked, Hide.me supports SoftEtherVPN and SSTP, protocols which are designed to bypass firewalls, although they can be slower than other protocols. The protocols that support changing their settings, come with the option to do so.
The application has a built-in interface where you can contact support with any questions, or problems that may occur.
Considering everything, Hideme provides a well made and professional Windows client. We would like to see an ad-blocking feature added in the future. During the testing we didn’t run into any problems: We have not spotted any IP-leaks but there were some concerns regarding the killswitch, that we heard from different sources while using OpenVPN protocol.
The smartphone applications of Hide.me VPN
Most of the time mobile applications are far more basic than their desktop counterparts and it's no different story in Hide.me’s case either, but it still offers almost everything that an everyday user would look for in a VPN service.
The interface design is more or less the same as on Windows. It comes with the same list of locations and it does have the option to use “Streaming” servers and it also supports P2P connections.
Most of the time VPN providers give smartphone users a short trial, but sadly that’s not the case with Hide.me. If you want to start using the service you first have to go over to Hideme’s website, register an account, and purchase a subscription. The application has a fair amount of settings including split tunneling and a kill switch.
At the bottom of the screen, we have buttons to select a new location, open the settings, and to extend your subscription. Hide.me also provides a surface where you can contact the support without having to open a web browser.
When it comes to protocols Hide.me supports 3 kinds of connection types. You get to choose from IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard but if you are not comfortable with selecting a protocol manually you can let the application select the best one automatically
Picking a location is made simple the list can be sorted alphabetically or by ping and there is a search bar. It’s also recommended that you add your frequently used locations to the favorites tab. If you are ever having connection problems while using the VPN we would recommend using the “SplitTunneling” that allows the selected applications to bypass the VPN network.
Considering the whole picture the Android application of Hide.me provides everything that an everyday user would look for in a mobile VPN client. This application is very capable and it puts up a good standard for the competitors. Hide.me also has some widgets that let you connect and disconnect without opening the application.
At the end of the day the service is secure, and we can happily say that during our testing we detected no IP/DNS leaks, the torrent servers were also secure, and we didn’t run into any bugs or glitches.
Linux compatibility of Hide.me VPN
Hide-me currently has no application for Linux but they do provide pre-configured OpenVPN files. Because of this, it’s a bit harder to recommend their service on Linux compared to other platforms.
To start using the service we recommend you head over to Hide.me’s guide website and follow the steps there. Before you can start using the service please make sure that you have the latest version of OpenVPN network manager installed, and when the installation is complete don’t forget to update your system using the “sudo apt-get update” command in a terminal.
Once you are done installing the program, open the network settings and click on the little plus icon next to the list of VPN connections. Select “Import a saved VPN configuration” and select the “.ovpn” file you downloaded from Hide.me’s website. If you did everything correctly there should be a window called “Identity” on your screen, enter your username and password into the corresponding fields.
You are not done just yet, click on the advanced settings, switch over to the “TLS Authentication” tab and find the section called “Additional TLS authentication or encryption”. As a next step change the mode to “TLS-Crypt” and import the “StaticKey.pem” file you downloaded with the “.ovpn” file.
Test out the service by enabling the connection and check your IP address online.
It’s recommended that you use OpenVPN protocol on Linux but Hide.me supports IKEv2 as well.
Hide.me should provide at least a simple text-based terminal application for its users because the service is not cheap and at this price point, we would expect a bit more support for this OS. We would only recommend to use Hide.me VPN provider on Linux if you already have a subscription with them.
During testing, we found no IP leaks.
Does Hide.me VPN work on routers?
We tested Hide.me on a router running AsusWRT firmware but the service supports any router compatible with OpenVPN, IKEv2, SSTP. Hide.me also provides a lot of useful guides for different firmwares.
Setting up a VPN connection on any router running AsusWRT is really simple, and Hide.me’s website has a really good tutorial for people who are new to using a VPN on a router. We recommend using OpenVPN on your router if it supports the protocol, it’s fairly easy to set up and manage.
First, navigate to the VPN panel on your router’s configuration page and then select “add profile”, give the connection a name of your liking, enter your username and password (these are the same as what you use on the website for login).
Hide.me provides easy to use configuration files that have all the necessary configurations for the server of your choice, these config files can be found on CactusVPN’s download page. There is no need to import the CA file manually.
The only drawbacks of using a virtual private network on your router is that it’s difficult to turn on and off and it’s hard to switch between servers, but that worth considering if you want to secure all your smart home devices.
Setting up Hide.me was a really pleasant experience, and we didn’t run into any problems or noticed any bugs while testing the service. Hide.me on a router also passed all of our security tests.
Connection speeds while using Hide.me VPN
There are a lot of factors that you have to take into account when you choose a VPN. We have conducted speed tests of many servers across the world. Here are the results of those tests.
Before connecting to this VPN, the average speed was at 70 Mbps. Then, we've conducted a test for the UK servers. The average speed in all of the UK servers was around 65-75 Mbps, which is pretty fast for any VPN on the market. In general, the servers located in Europe have averaged around 50 Mbps, which is still quite fast.
Then we made tests for the servers that are located in the United States. Tests were conducted in major states like California, New York, and Texas. The average speed was around 50-60 Mbps, which is really great. So, if you connect to a US server, you won’t be making any mistakes, for sure.
The long-distance servers were also impressive. For instance, in Australia, the average speed was 30 Mbps, in Hong Kong, the average speed was around 30 Mbps as well.
Customer care at Hide.me VPN
The customer support section is important as any section of a VPN website. The customer support team at Hide.me is very professional and forthcoming to any user of this superb VPN. You can get in touch with the customer support team 24/7. The users can reach the customer service staff via e-mail and live chat. Usually, you will get the answer to your email in a couple of hours. Meanwhile, if you contact the customer service via live chat, you will get an answer in a matter of minutes. Customer support of this VPN also has a knowledge base and an online ticket system. There's also the FAQ section where you can see the answers to the questions asked by many users of this VPN.
Server locations for Hide.me VPN
NORTH AMERICA
Canada; Canada - Montreal; Mexico; US - Las Vegas, NV; US - Los Angeles, CA; US - Miami, FL; US - New Jersey, NJ; US - New York, NY; US - Phoenix, AZ; US - Salt Lake City, UT; US - San Francisco, CA; US - Secaucus, NJ; US - Washington DC
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
N/A
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil
EUROPE
Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Romania; Serbia; Slovakia; Spain; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; UK - London,; UK - Manchester
ASIA
Cambodia; Hong Kong
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
Morocco; Egypt; South Africa; United Arab Emirates
OCEANIA
Australia; Australia - Sydney; Australia - Melbourne
