HideMyAss! (HMA) VPN review
Our Verdict
HMA's all-encompassing network of servers, verified no-logs policy, useful apps and interesting feature-set make the venerable VPN a solid option today, but its relatively high toll and problems with content unblocking proceed it from the acme spot.
For
- Incredibly wide server network
- Some dedicated P2P servers
- 24/vii live chat back up
- No-logging policy
Against
- Cheaper comparable VPNs exist
- No Netflix unblocking
Tom's Guide Verdict
HMA's extensive network of servers, verified no-logs policy, useful apps and interesting feature-set make the venerable VPN a solid choice today, just its relatively high price and bug with content unblocking keep it from the meridian spot.
Pros
- +
Incredibly wide server network
- +
Some dedicated P2P servers
- +
24/vii live chat support
- +
No-logging policy
Cons
- -
Cheaper comparable VPNs be
- -
No Netflix unblocking
HideMyAss! (HMA) is ane of the longest-standing VPN companies out in that location with a fifteen-twelvemonth history, and it'due south now owned by security powerhouse Avast. That'southward a proficient thing as it means a certified no-logs policy for superb levels of privacy.
The servers of HMA, having grown for a decade and a half, are some of the well-nigh widely sprawling of any service, now available in over 210 countries. The apps are as well decent in coverage with all the major platforms covered.
This HideMyAss! (HMA) review will lay out all y'all need to know about this VPN to decide if it's the i for you.
- Sign up now on the HMA website
HideMyAss! (HMA): Latest updates
There's not a huge amount to written report on since our last review, although it's noticeable that HMA's server count has gone down from one,100 to ane,080. That might expect meagre compared to others, but as always, information technology's quality over quantity. And with those 290 locations beyond 210 countries, it's leading the mode in coverage.
Information technology'due south worth besides noting that the latest round of speed testing has revealed the service is working faster than our last tests.
On the downside, information technology however won't unblock Netflix, so it appears this isn't getting fixed anytime presently.
HideMyAss! (HMA) on paper
Supported platforms: Window, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Apple Idiot box, Android Boob tube, Chrome, Firefox
Supported protocols: OpenVPN UDP & LCP, L2TP, PPTP
No. of servers: i,080+
No. of countries: 210+
State of registration: U.k.
Payment options: Credit card, PayPal
Real proper name necessary? No
Encryption protocol: AES-256
Information usage: Unlimited
Bandwidth usage: Unlimited
Max. no. of simultaneously connected devices: Five/ten
Customer support: 24/7 conversation and email
Privacy policy: No logging
How much does HMA price?
Total details of HMA pricing plans are curiously difficult to notice. Upon visiting the pricing page, you might think the visitor only offers a VPN free trial, a 12-calendar month programme, and a 36-month plan, but hidden deep in the website you'll too notice two-year plans, concern plans, and family plans.
You can commencement with a free seven-twenty-four hours trial, but yous'll have to paw over your payment details in accelerate before you tin can try the service. If you don't cancel the subscription inside 7 days, you'll automatically be charged for a 12-month plan. Thankfully, it's easy to cancel your trial, and you'll still be able to use the VPN for the full seven days.
For five connections yous'll pay, on a 12-month plan, $iv.99 per month, billed as $59.88 at once. Jump that to 10 connections and it'll be $7.99, at $95.88 annually.
Jump to a 36-month plan, for 5 connections, and information technology'll toll you $two.99 per month at $107.64 billed at once. Or extend to the 10 connection option for $5.99 per month charged at $215.64 every three years.
There'southward besides a 24-calendar month option but this is for the ten connections pick only. This is will cost y'all $6.99 per calendar month billed at $167.76 every two years.
The family program lets you lot connect to 10 devices at one time, but it starts at $7.99 per month for the annual programme, is $6.99 per month for the two-year option, and is $five.99 per calendar month for the 3-year plan. And then, aye, this is identical to the normal plans, they're just calling it a family unit program.
Business plans extend this to fifty-fifty more simultaneous connections ($12.99/mo for ten, $23.99/mo for 20, $32.99/mo for 30) and tailored quotes are available on asking.
While the longer basic plans offer decent value for money, HMA cranks upwardly the toll of its family unit plans simply to increase the number of connections – and in the yard scheme where some providers are offer unlimited connections on basic plans that are cheaper than HMA's, it's hard to justify paying near double merely for extra connections.
- More: Grab yourself a bargain with the all-time cheap VPN
How individual is HMA?
HMA has a few relatively unique features hidden away in the preferences menu. You can make the VPN connect whenever y'all access the internet, and you tin can likewise set your IP address to change automatically at a defined interval – from every ten minutes to every day.
HMA has not one but two kill switches. The standard kill switch blocks all cyberspace traffic if your VPN fails for any reason. In our testing it worked perfectly, preventing our true IP accost from existence leaked when the application was forcibly closed.
Setting up an app kill switch will as well terminate specific apps if the connection drops and motorcar-commencement the VPN when you launch those programs. That'south a really nifty characteristic if you're using it every bit a torrenting VPN just tin can't trust yourself to call up to fire upwards your VPN for every session.
The service as well boasts a certified no-logs policy. This means that the policy isn't only words on the company's website but rather this has been audited by an independent company. In this case the audit was carried out past VerSprite in 2020 which gave the VPN a pass with a "depression-risk" user privacy and touch rating.
- More: If you love streaming, bank check out our Netflix VPN listing
How good is HMA for streaming and torrenting?
HMA does have a few defended P2P servers, merely it's simply that – a few. With five in Europe and three in the US, you won't have a huge choice. However, we're glad to see any torrenting support at all, so this is still a plus.
You'll also exist able to ready dissever tunnelling, which allows you to choose which apps road through the VPN and which employ your regular net connection – cracking if certain apps don't play ball with HMA.
Talking of not playing ball... In the U.s.a., we had issues accessing Amazon Prime Video, United states Netflix and Disney+, pregnant we couldn't stream content from any of these services when connected to HMA. However, HMA was able to unblock BBC iPlayer using a UK server.
This could exist due to HMA having spread itself quite thin on the ground server-wise. While its 1,000+ servers are plenty, having them dotted over a huge 210+ countries ways that each location has a much smaller number of individual IP addresses to choose from – even the usually well-populated Netherlands only currently has 38 addresses. Therefore, in that location's a much higher chance of it being detected and blocked by streaming providers.
Do we have any hope of this improving? Well, the HMA website does take dedicated Netflix pages, so at some point the brand was certainly trying capitalize on this well-nigh popular of VPN uses. Still, seeing how much of a struggle even the meridian-tier VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN have had recently, we're non hugely hopeful – but y'all can never rule anyone out in this game.
How skillful are HMA's apps?
The HMA apps have all recently been updated with brand-new, simplified interfaces. The Windows app now functions like about of the other VPN clients on the market, with an on/off switch, a listing of server locations, and a settings dialog.
Dissimilar many other services, HMA offers not one just two kills switches. So, if your connection drops, you have a system-wide kill switch offer protection, but besides an optional extra impale switch to shut downwardly your chosen processes, like a browser or torrent client for example. In our testing all blocks worked and leaks were prevented.
IP Shuffle is another stand up-out feature for HMA which allows you to change your IP accost without reconnecting. This keeps you more than securely hidden and tin can be done with a simple Refresh button choice. Yous can also ready the app to automatically change your IP however often you crave.
The iOS app is virtually identical to the Windows customer but the Android app packs in more. Dissever tunnelling is a welcome feature which lets you employ a VPN IP address on some apps only not on others as you require – ideal if yous want to keep your banking local, for example. The TCP options helps you potentially amend connection reliability. There'southward also a Contact Support expanse that lets you send messages inside the app.
How fast is HMA?
When testing the connections themselves, even the most distant locations connected within five seconds, and while ping times were naturally longer for locations on the other side of the world, nosotros detected no problems or connection failures. We tested speeds using a diversity of speed testing tools and services.
HMA only supports OpenVPN, so at that place's plain no data using other protocols like IKEv2 or WireGuard. On our 1Gbps US line, we got excellent speeds of 270-410Mbps. Over to the United kingdom, also using a 1Gbps line, and results were 340-350Mbps. That's up there with the very all-time on the market using OpenVPN, although other services deliver connections more than twice that fact when using WireGuard.
WireGuard can means speeds of over 800Mbps, equally is the example for NordVPN and CyberGhost – but unless you have a 1Gbps connectedness, this may non be a business concern for you.
How good is HMA's support?
HMA's website offers setup guides, FAQs, a community forum, and a searchable knowledge-base of operations. It's not the almost comprehensive support site (ExpressVPN has much amend guides and documentation, for example), but it's serviceable for most users' needs.
For more complex queries, live 24/7 back up is bachelor. We were able to become answers to our questions from a support agent within a few minutes, which is in line with the best providers. We're glad HMA offers this, because at present nosotros're used to having live conversation, nosotros're not quite sure what we'd do without it.
HideMyAss! Terminal verdict
HMA is a well-established, reliable VPN with an extensive network. Its connection speeds are good, the technical support is fast, and the various apps are well laid out – but it doesn't quite offering plenty to warrant its premium price.
For those looking for a cheaper and, if we're honest, more reliable service, we'd propose Surfshark. If you're willing to spend a little more for the very best, we'd instead suggest ExpressVPN.
However, we can definitely recommend HMA to those who want a VPN that has servers in plenty of different nations, equally HMA'south servers in over 210 countries far outstrips the contest. And, with its thirty-day money-back guarantee, you lot can test it out risk-costless.
- If you don't fancy splashing the cash, check out the all-time gratuitous VPN
- If you're on Android take a await at the all-time Android VPN...
- ...or if y'all're an Apple fan, scan the best iPhone VPN
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/hidemyass-review
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