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VPN Review

Hide.me Review 2026

VI
VPNInfobase
17 min read Updated July 2026 Fact checked

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3.8 / 5.0

VPNInfobase verdict

4

Speed

7.6

Privacy

7.7

Price

8.8

Features

8.4

UX

Overall: 3.8/5 — Strong free plan

Hide.me pairs a generous free plan (10GB-class) with Malaysia jurisdiction outside the Eyes alliances and a wide protocol menu. Paid plans add room to grow without jumping ecosystems.

The UI feels dated next to Nord/Surfshark, and it is not feature-richest. As a free-to-paid ladder outside Five Eyes homes, it is underrated.

Overview

2,500+ servers / 75 countries with WireGuard and a long list of legacy protocols. Ten devices on paid tiers. Port forwarding appeals to power users.

Free plan locations are limited — enough to evaluate apps, not to replace a global paid network.

Stealth Guard helps on some restricted paths. Independent audit claims exist; still verify current report details before high-risk use.

Speed test results

~400 Mbps class nearby on paid WireGuard. Free tiers are slower/more congested by nature.

ServerDownloadUploadPing
US (New York)380 Mbps352 Mbps12ms
UK (London)368 Mbps340 Mbps28ms
Germany356 Mbps328 Mbps35ms
Japan (Tokyo)312 Mbps284 Mbps112ms

Privacy and security

Malaysia base is the geopolitical selling point for Eyes-avoiders. Port forwarding and protocol variety help advanced setups.

Not as polished as Proton/Mullvad on open-source purity. Fine for everyday privacy with free-plan experimentation.

No-logs policy: Audited

Jurisdiction: Malaysia

  • Kill switch: Yes
  • Split tunneling: Yes
  • Double VPN: No
  • Tor over VPN: No
  • Obfuscation: Yes (Stealth Guard)
  • RAM-only servers: No
  • Open source: No

Pricing

Paid annual near €3.33/mo with 30-day money-back. Free tier is the on-ramp — upgrade when you need locations/speed.

PlanPrice/moDetails
Monthly€9.95No commitment
Best plan€3.33/moBilled annually

Money-back guarantee: 30 days

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Malaysia jurisdiction (outside all Eyes alliances)
  • Strong free plan (10GB)
  • Most protocol variety
  • Split tunneling
  • Port forwarding
  • No-logs audited

Cons

  • Interface feels dated
  • Fewer features than top-tier VPNs
  • Free plan limited to 5 locations
HM

Hide.me

Our #1 pick

Strong free plan — Malaysia jurisdiction (outside all Eyes alliances). 30 days money-back guarantee.

From €3.33/mo · 30-day money-back guarantee

Get Hide.me

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Who should use Hide.me

Best for

  • Users who want a strong free plan first
  • People avoiding Five Eyes jurisdiction
  • Power users who like protocol choice / port forwarding

Skip if

  • Design-sensitive users who want modern UI
  • Those needing top streaming guarantees
  • Anonymous cash-account purists (see Mullvad)

Final verdict

Hide.me scores 3.8/5 — Strong free plan with interesting jurisdiction. Practical ladder VPN.

Start free, upgrade if it sticks; otherwise Proton free → paid is the main rival path.

Overall rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Better alternatives?

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VPNInfobase

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