HideMyAss VPN review

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“Virtual Private Networks” (VPNs) enable Internet users to protect their privacy and security while browsing the Internet. VPNs are increasingly popular with many of them competing in a growing market. HideMyAss (HMA) is one such VPN and it has acquired a considerable reputation over the years.

If you plan to buy a VPN subscription, how do you choose one? VPNs claim to protect privacy and security, moreover, they claim to offer speed and access to geo-restricted websites. Many VPNs claim to allow P2P/torrenting and some claim to bypass the “Great Firewall” of China. The reality often varies from the claims though!

We have used the above-mentioned criteria to review HMA. Does this VPN meet your requirements and should you buy a subscription? We answer these questions here. Read on. 

The features you get with HideMyAss VPN

We now evaluate the features that HMA offers.    

Your privacy while using HideMyAss VPN

VPNs offer privacy by hiding your IP address, encrypting your Internet traffic, and refraining from logging your online activities. HMA masks your IP address and encrypts your Internet traffic. It also maintains a “no logs” policy. 

This VPN states clearly that it will not log your original IP address and DNS queries. MHA also states that it won’t track the websites you visit, the apps you run, the content you stream, the services you access, etc. That translates to an effective “no logs” policy. 

HMA maintains transparency about the data they collect. It collects some amount of anonymized data, which includes the dates on which you connect. This data doesn’t include the connection timestamp, and it indicates whether you connected in the morning or evening on a given date. 

HMA collects the subnet of your IP address, which indicates your region. This doesn’t include the complete IP address, and HMA collects this data to manage the demand on its infrastructure.

This VPN tracks the approximate volume of data transferred so that it can plan its infrastructure requirements. HMA doesn’t track the content of this data. 

As HMA explains in its privacy policy, it collects some anonymized data from its VPN apps. This data includes attempts to connect, connection errors, uninstall events, etc. The company does this for troubleshooting and product development planning. We found no privacy-related concerns in this data that HMA collects.

When you buy an HMA subscription, the company records your email address, username, activation code, and subscription renewal date. For billing and payment, HMA relies on dependable 3rd party providers like 2Checkout, Google Play, Apple iTunes, etc. 

HMA doesn’t disclose your personal information with any 3rd parties without specific business or legal needs. It processes your information per applicable laws. 

The company makes it clear that if it receives a valid subpoena, warrants, or other legal orders, then it will share the data of users with appropriate law enforcement agencies. This poses no concern for law-abiding VPN users. 

HMA is part of the Avast Group, and its jurisdiction is the UK. This country is a part of the “5 Eyes” coalition of countries that conduct mass surveillance. Privacy enthusiasts wouldn’t consider the UK as the suitable jurisdiction of a privacy-focused VPN. However, we reviewed its “no logs” policy and didn’t find any concern for law-abiding Internet users.

HMA has implemented an effective “no logs” policy. If you prioritize your privacy, then HMA is a good choice. 

Is your data secure with HideMyAss VPN?

Most VPN users prioritize security and you probably do that too. HMA values the security of its VPN users. This VPN supports secure protocols. 

We are particularly happy to see that HMA supports OpenVPN. It’s the most secure VPN protocol and it doesn’t have any known security vulnerabilities. HMA supports L2TP and IKEv2/IPSec, and these are secure VPN protocols too. We noticed that HMA supports PPTP, however, we don’t recommend you use it. PPTP has security vulnerabilities. In any case, you don’t need to use PPTP to use the HMA VPN. 

Encryption plays an important part in securing the Internet traffic of VPN users. HMA uses AES-256 encryption, which is the strongest in the market. For Windows and Android, HMA uses AES-256-GCM with the OpenVPN protocol. It uses 4092-bit RSA keys for the handshake, along with SHA256 for authentication. HMA uses OpenVPN for Linux too. 

HMA implements AES-256 encryption with IKEv2/IPSec for Mac and iOS. This VPN uses military-grade encryption, which secures your sensitive information.

HMA guards against all IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. This VPN operates its own “no logs” DNS servers, therefore, hackers can’t intercept your DNS requests. 

HMA offers a “kill switch”. This feature blocks your Internet connection if the VPN connection drops suddenly. Hackers can’t access your sensitive information even if the VPN connects terminates unexpectedly.

HMA offers a feature called “IP Shuffle”. This randomly changes your IP address at various intervals. This prevents hackers to monitor your IP address, which adds to your security. Moreover, HMA protects its server infrastructure against “Distributed Denial of Service” (DDoS) attacks.

Note: We noticed that HMA doesn’t offer the “Perfect Forward Secrecy” (PFS) feature. This feature changes the encryption keys regularly. Even if hackers get access to your encryption key, they can’t use it for long. They can’t access your sensitive information for long, which adds to your security. Since HMA supports the OpenVPN protocol and uses 4096-bit RSA keys, we thought that it might offer PFS too. However, its customer support team mentioned that HMA doesn’t offer PFS. 

We are very satisfied with the security solutions that HMA has implemented. If you consider security as important when you browse the Internet, then HMA is a robust choice.

Where are the servers of HideMyAss VPN located?

You want a VPN with good speed and VPNs with sufficient servers in all key geographies can offer that. HMA has 1,000+ servers in 290+ locations across 190+ countries. That’s significant! 

This VPN has servers in most countries on all continents. When it comes to countries like the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, etc., HMA offers a considerable number of servers. HMA displays its server locations on an interactive map.

Its server infrastructure is certainly of the largest among VPN providers. HMA also invests significantly in its infrastructure. The company claims to offer 20 Gbps server speed. It also claims that the servers in its core data center can stream 4K videos 800 times in parallel.     

HMA offers very good speed. If you prioritize speed, then HMA is the right choice!

What devices can you use HideMyAss VPN on?

You would want to buy a VPN that supports all kinds of devices that you have. HMA supports all key platforms, which include Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. 

This VPN offers easy-to-use custom apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. For Linux, you need to manually configure a VPN using the easy-to-use guides that HMA offers.

HMA supports routers. It takes considerable skills to configure a VPN connection on a router. If you want an easy way out, then you can buy the following routers pre-configured with an HMA VPN connection:

·  If you want to connect 8+ devices, then you can buy a HideMyAss Asus RT-AC5300 router. 

·  For connecting 4-8 devices, you can buy a HideMyAss Linksys WRT3200ACM router. 

·  If you want to connect 1-4 devices, then you can buy a Netgear R6400 AC1750 DD-WRT FlashRouter.

If you want to manually configure an HMA VPN connection on another router, then you can follow its detailed guide.

By using a router with an HMV VPN connection, you can use this VPN on your Apple TV. For Android TV, you need to download HMA VPN from the Android TV Google Play store. 

HMA VPN allows 5 simultaneous connections. This is quite reasonable when you compare with it other VPNs.

We are happy to see the wide range of platforms that HMA supports. If you prioritize compatibility, then HMA is a robust choice. 

Can HideMyAss VPN unblock streaming services?

Several popular streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu impose restrict their content by geography. Many Internet users circumvent such restrictions using VPN, however, these streaming services know that. Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and several streaming services aggressively identify and block VPNs. Many VPNs can’t unblock these services.

HMA can unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer, however, it can’t unblock Hulu. Considering that many VPNs find it hard to unblock Netflix, HMA performs credibly here. Its speed allows have a good streaming experience. However, if watching Hulu is important to you, then you need to explore other market-leading VPNs.

Does HideMyAss VPN allow for torrenting?

P2P/torrenting can often be hard! Some countries ban such services, moreover, you could end up violating copyright laws even in a country that allows P2P/torrenting. Even if you access such services legally, you have to contend with the hackers that target users of P2P/torrenting. Finally, your ISP might throttle your connection as soon it identifies that you are accessing a P2P/torrenting service!

Many Internet users buy a VPN subscription to securely access such services. HMA allows P2P/torrenting, and it provides servers optimized for this. This VPN doesn’t impose any bandwidth restriction, moreover, it offers good speed. If you prioritize P2P/torrenting, then HMA is a great choice!

Using "Split Tunneling" with HideMyAss VPN

HMA offers a feature called the “split-tunneling”. This feature allows you to choose which applications will go through a VPN connection. You can choose to use some apps without a VPN if you want to. 

Note: HMA can’t bypass the “Great Firewall” of China. It doesn’t employ the necessary stealth technology for bypassing the kind of Internet censorship that countries like China impose. We would like HMA to offer this feature.

We are happy to see the wide range of features that HMA offers. Given its price, HMA offers competitive features. 

What's the cost of HideMyAss VPN?

Pricing is important for most VPN buyers. HMA offers two kinds of pricing plans, namely, personal and business. 

Its personal pricing plan has 2 service packages, which vary based on the billing frequency. These packages are as follows:

·  Yearly billing: You pay $83.88 per annum, which translates to $6.99 per month;

·  36-months: HMA charges $143.64 every 3 years, which means that your monthly average cost is $3.99.

HMA offers a 7-days free trial period for the personal plan. All packages include all of its features. The company offers a 30-days money-back guarantee, which reduces your risks. We have reviewed the refund policy of HMA, and we find it quite reasonable. The refund policy also explains the processes you need to follow for a refund.

The HMA business plan has 3 service packages, which are as follows:

·  10 simultaneous connections: You pay $23 per month if you opt for monthly billing. If you opt for yearly billing, then HMA charges you $156 per annum, which translates to $13 per month.

·  20 simultaneous connections: Your monthly cost is $46 if you opt for yearly billing. HMA will charge you $314 per annum if you opt for yearly billing, which translates to $26.17 per month.

·  30 simultaneous connections: You pay $69 per month if you choose monthly billing. HMA charges you $469 per annum if you opt for yearly billing, which means that your monthly cost is $39.08. 

HMA can provide you with a custom quote if you have unique business requirements. You can’t get a free trial or money-back guarantee for the business plan.

You can pay for an HMA subscription by popular credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. HMA also accepts PayPal and UnionPay. 

HMA uses reputed 3rd party providers like 2Checkout, Google Play, and Apple iTunes for processing your payment transactions. The company secures your payment transactions. 

Considering the products and services offered by HMA, we find that it offers very competitive pricing plans. You get value for money if you buy an HMA subscription.

The pros and cons of HideMyAss VPN

We now summarize the pros and cons of HMA. This VPN offers several advantages, which are as follows:

·  It protects your privacy, thanks to its effective “no logs” policy.

·  HMA offers excellent security, thanks to secure protocols, strong encryption, kill switch, and protection from IP/DNS/WebRTC leaks. 

·  HMA supports all key platforms and offers custom apps for most of them.

·  This VPN allows 5 simultaneous connections.

·  With 1,000+ servers in 290+ locations across 190+ countries, HMA offers good speed.

·  You can unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer using HMA.

·  HMA allows P2P/torrenting without any bandwidth restrictions.

·  Thanks to its split-tunneling feature, you can choose which app will go through the VPN connection.

·  HMA offers competitive pricing along with a 7-days free trial and 30-days money-back guarantee.

·  You get documentation and excellent customer support from HMA, which includes 24x7 live chat support.

HMA has a few disadvantages, which are as follows:

·  It doesn’t offer a custom app for Linux, although it offers detailed guides for manual configuration.

·  HMA can’t unblock Hulu.

HMA offers many advantages compared to its few disadvantages.

A few quick facts about HideMyAss VPN

Let’s summarize a few quick facts about HMA, which are as follows:

·  HMA is a well-known VPN with a “no logs” policy, and its jurisdiction is the UK.

·  This VPN has excellent security features including secure protocols and robust encryption.

·  With 1,000+ servers in 190+ countries, HMA offers good speed.

·  This VPN can unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer, moreover, it allows P2P/torrenting.

·  HMA supports all key platforms and offers custom apps for most of them.

·  This VPN is reasonably-priced, moreover, it offers a 7-days free trial and a 30-days money-back guarantee. 

·  HMA offers robust customer support including 24x7 live chat support.

Is HideMyAss VPN easy to use?

User-friendliness is important when you shop around for a VPN. HMA takes this seriously, and you can see that as soon as you visit its website. The HMA website has a simple and elegant design, moreover, it provides you with all the information you need about this VPN.

You can easily navigate to key options like pricing, download, and help. The HMA website prominently displays all key “Call To Action” (CTA) buttons. Buying an HMA subscription involves an intuitive process with only a few steps.

HMA offers easy-to-use custom apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. While it doesn’t offer a custom app for Linux, you can easily configure this VPN on your Linux desktop using its helpful guides. If you want to manually configure a VPN connection on your other devices, then you can use the easy-to-use guides that HMA provides.

HMA is a very user-friendly VPN.

Regarding HideMyAss VPN's customer support

Most VPN users prioritize customer support. HMA offers detailed guides for its apps, moreover, it provides useful guides for platforms like Linux where it doesn’t offer a custom app. 

The support page of the HMA website features a searchable knowledge base. This VPN offers a comprehensive knowledge base and FAQs. The FAQs cover technical subjects, moreover, it covers subjects like billing, renewal, etc. You can get answers to your questions from the HMA users’ community.

You can contact the HMA customer support team using the contact form on its support page. Above all, HMA provides 24x7 live chat support. Our experience with the live chat support team was very positive. The HMA customer support team is knowledgeable, prompt, and professional. HMA provides excellent customer support.

Where is HMA. based?

The jurisdiction of HMA is the UK. The UK is part of the “5 Eyes” coalition of countries. Since these countries conduct mass surveillance, privacy enthusiasts don’t consider the UK as a privacy-friendly jurisdiction. This could be a disadvantage if you use HMA, however, this VPN has implemented an effective “no logs” policy. The jurisdiction of HMA doesn’t pose any concern to law-abiding VPN users. 

Does HideMyAss VPN keep any logs?

HMA clearly states that it follows a “no logs” policy. It doesn’t track any Internet activities of its VPN users. The company goes on to give examples of what it doesn’t track, and that includes websites you visit, content you stream, your original IP address, etc. Finally, HMA reiterates that it doesn’t track any online activities of its users. 

HMA provides a very transparent privacy policy on its website. The policy clearly shows the data this VPN provider tracks. HMA tracks approximate connection times, however, this information doesn’t include the connection timestamp. This data only indicates whether you connect in the morning or evening. 

If you use its VPN, then HMA tracks the subnet of your IP address but not the complete IP address. This indicates the region you reside in. HMA tracks the approximate volume of data you transfer. The company collects this information to manage the demands on its infrastructure. This doesn’t pose any privacy-related challenges to its VPN users. 

When the VPN users use the HMA VPN apps, the company collects some anonymized information. This information includes connection attempts, connection errors, etc., and HMA collects this for troubleshooting and product development. Once again, this doesn’t amount to logging the information of its users.

HMA makes it clear that it will cooperate with law enforcement agencies if they received valid warrants, subpoenas, or other legal orders. If there are instances of abuse or criminal activities using its infrastructure, then HMA will keep a log of the concerned users’ activities. It will hand over such logs to law enforcement agencies in response to valid legal orders. This doesn’t pose any concern to law-abiding Internet users. 

We are happy to see that HMA has implemented a comprehensive “no logs” policy. The company maintains transparency about its policies. 

What encryption and protocol are used by HMA. VPN?

HMA supports secure protocols like OpenVPN, L2TP, and IKEv2/IPSec. While it also supports PPTP, we don’t recommend you use it due to security vulnerabilities. At any rate, HMA doesn’t require you to use PPTP. OpenVPN is the most secure VPN protocol, and we are happy to see that HMA supports that. 

For Android and Windows, HMA uses AES-256-GCM encryption along with OpenVPN. It uses 4096-bit RSA keys for handshake and SHA256 for authentication. HMA uses OpenVPN for Linux along with strong encryption. For Mac and iOS, HMA uses AES-256 encryption with IKEv2/IPSec. All in all, HMA has implemented military-grade encryption.

HMA prevents all IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. Since it operates its own “no logs” DNS servers, hackers can’t intercept the DNS requests of the HMA VPN users. HMA protects its servers against DDoS attacks.  

This VPN offers a “kill switch” feature. Even if the HMA VPN connection drops unexpectedly, the “kill switch” will block your Internet connection. As a result, hackers can’t view your sensitive information.

HMA offers a feature named the “IP Shuffle”, which randomly changes your IP address at various intervals. Even if hackers manage to monitor your Internet traffic, they won’t be able to keep up with it for long! 

As we have explained, HMA doesn’t offer PFS. Given that it supports OpenVPN and 4096-bit RSA keys already, we believe that HMA should offer PFS. Having said that, we are satisfied with the strong set of security solutions that HMA offers.

Our short conclusion of HideMyAss VPN

While many VPNs make tall claims about their products and services, the reality can differ. HMA delivers everything it promises. It guards your privacy by implementing a “no logs” policy. HMA provides excellent security, thanks to secure protocols, strong encryption, “kill switch”, etc. This VPN has 1,000+ servers in 190+ countries and it offers excellent speed.

HMA supports all key platforms and provides custom apps for most of them. It provides excellent guides where it doesn’t have a custom app. You can unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer using it, however, it can’t unblock Hulu. HMA allows P2P/torrenting without any bandwidth restrictions. 

HMA offers competitive pricing, a 7-days free trial, and 30-days money-back guarantee. This VPN provides excellent customer support including 24x7 live chat support. We consider that HMA VPN is a very good buy!