Hide.me is one of our top rated VPNs for some reason, but is the free version good for both privacy and performance?
In the detailed review of Hide.me free VPN, we answer all these questions and more. Please note that this review only belongs to the free version of Hide.me.
Hide.me VPN Free Version Summary
| Daily Policy | Anonymous Server Usage Data |
| IP, DNS, or WebRTC Leaks | No |
| Countries | 4 |
| Servers | ? |
| IP Addresses | ? |
| Support | 24/7 Live Chat |
| Simultaneous Connection | 1 |
| Official Website | Hide.me |
Hide.me VPN (Free) Pros
- Fast local downloads
- Minimal logs policy
- Ad-free service
- User-friendly custom applications
Hide.me VPN (Free) Cons
- 2GB monthly data limit
- Only five server locations
- Poor international performance
Ease of Use
Hide.me’s free applications are easy enough for new ones in the VPN world, and advanced security settings appeal to more experienced users. Unlike most free VPN services, Hide.me does not display any ads. This is also a very nice property.
The main screen of Hide.me is simple. You can find the VPN server locations behind the ‘Change’ button at the bottom right. You can find the settings menu by clicking the gear symbol at the top right.
Server Locations
Hide.me’s free VPN service comes with only five servers from four countries:
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Singapore
- USA
If you do not live close to existing VPN servers, it will not be a sufficient choice for you.
Offering so few server locations is pretty standard for a free VPN service. Hide.me’s premium plan offers 57 server locations.
Speed and Reliability
Hide.me does not limit the speed of traffic to free VPN users, which means they are experiencing similar speeds to premium users.
This was clearly seen in our tests, we found Hide.me to be the fastest free VPN we’ve ever seen.
Before using Hide.me (free):
When connected to Hide.me (free):
Even Hide.me’s upload speeds were impressive for a free service, over 70 Mbps when connected to a nearby country. Ping times of just over 10ms make it an ideal free VPN for gamers if they are prepared to deal with the data limit.
Platforms and Devices
Hide.me offers free custom VPN applications for Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. It also provides manual VPN setup guides for other platforms, such as Linux.
The biggest disadvantage of Hide.me’s free plan is that they cannot use VPN on more than one device at a time. It is possible to install Hide.me at the router level, but the 2GB data limit will be a major obstacle.
Hide.me (free) does not have any local VPN application for game consoles or streaming devices.
Hide.me also offers free browser plug-ins for both (Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox)
Encryption and Security
Hide.me Free keeps you incredibly safe online. All applications are encrypted with the top encryption AES-256, so no one can see what you are doing when you are connected to the VPN.
When you connect to one of Hide.me’s free VPN servers, you can choose between different VPN connection protocols, including:
- OpenVPN (preferred protocol)
- IKEv2
- SoftEtherVPN (Good for China)
- SSTP
There is also an ‘automatic’ protocol setting, but we recommend that you select OpenVPN manually if possible.
Free applications also offer a VPN kill key and protection against DNS and IP infiltration, where our tests confirm that it is running. Hide.me also runs its own DNS servers to ensure that your personal information is protected while connected to a VPN.
Customer Support
Hide.me’s live chat is available 24/7 and is great for answering any basic questions you may have, but it is not very effective for more technical VPN queries. You should send an email to Hide.me’s technical support team.
The support section of Hide.me’s website includes a well-organized and useful FAQ page and simple VPN setup guides with screenshots.
Do you recommend?
Hide.me offers a really fast and secure free version. This is the first free VPN service we recommend for users who care about these criteria. (If you don’t mind the 2 gb limit per month)
