Hide.me Review 2026
Hide.me operates from Malaysia — a jurisdiction completely outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliances. The Dynamic Path multi-hop feature automatically selects the optimal routing path for your traffic. Hide.me supports the widest range of VPN protocols of any top-10 provider: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther, and SSTP. The Stealth Guard feature acts as an app-level kill switch, letting you specify which apps should only work through the VPN. A 10GB/month free tier with no ads provides a solid entry point. Hide.me has been audited by DefenseCode and publishes the results publicly.
Hide.me at a Glance
Hide.me earns our #10 ranking at 8.0/10. It's a well-rounded VPN that doesn't have a single standout feature but delivers competent performance across all categories. The Malaysian jurisdiction is a genuine privacy advantage, and the range of supported protocols (including SoftEther and SSTP, which most competitors don't offer) appeals to advanced users.
The free tier offers 10GB/month with access to 8 locations -- competitive with Windscribe's free offering. 10 simultaneous connections on paid plans is solid, and the Stealth Guard feature acts as an app-level kill switch ensuring specific applications can only connect through the VPN.
The no-logs policy has been audited by DefenseCode, and the multi-hop Dynamic Path feature automatically selects the optimal routing path rather than using fixed routes.
- Privacy-conscious users who prefer a non-Five Eyes jurisdiction
- Advanced users who want protocol variety (SoftEther, SSTP)
- Free VPN users who want a decent tier without data selling
- Users who want multi-hop routing
- Users who want a solid all-rounder without premium pricing
Speed Performance
| Protocol | Download | Upload | Ping |
|---|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | 438 Mbps | 34 Mbps | 12 ms |
| OpenVPN (UDP) | 255 Mbps | 21 Mbps | 19 ms |
| IKEv2 | 295 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 14 ms |
| SoftEther | 310 Mbps | 26 Mbps | 13 ms |
Privacy & Security
Malaysia is not part of Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or Fourteen Eyes. Malaysia has no mandatory data retention laws for VPN providers. Hide.me has been operating from Malaysia since its founding and has never received a legal request it was compelled to comply with.
Streaming & Unblocking
Features & Apps
Pricing & Plans
Pros & Cons
- Malaysian jurisdiction (outside all surveillance alliances)
- Multi-hop with Dynamic Path feature
- Wide protocol support including SoftEther and SSTP
- Decent free tier (10GB/month)
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Stealth Guard app-level kill switch
- Streaming performance inconsistent on some platforms
- Speeds behind top 5 competitors
- Smaller brand with less community recognition
- Fewer features than NordVPN or Surfshark
- Audit by DefenseCode (lesser known than Deloitte/KPMG)
- No dedicated streaming servers
Final Verdict
Hide.me operates from Malaysia — a jurisdiction completely outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliances. The Dynamic Path multi-hop feature automatically selects the optimal routing path for your traffic. Hide.me supports the widest range of VPN protocols of any top-10 provider: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther, and SSTP. The Stealth Guard feature acts as an app-level kill switch, letting you specify which apps should only work through the VPN. A 10GB/month free tier with no ads provides a solid entry point. Hide.me has been audited by DefenseCode and publishes the results publicly.
If you want a well-rounded VPN from a privacy-friendly jurisdiction without paying premium prices, Hide.me delivers. It won't wow you in any single category, but it won't let you down either.
Frequently Asked Questions
Builder, tinkerer, privacy advocate. I believe privacy is a right, not a product feature.