HMA is one of the most well-known VPNs on the market, with 930+ servers in 190+ countries. This VPN, formerly known as HideMyAss, is a VPN provider with a number of useful features for anyone seeking online privacy. HMA VPN (HideMyAss) Review: HMA VPN is one of the oldest and most well-known VPN companies, having been founded in 2005. While it is still a popular VPN with a large user base, it did not perform well in our HMA VPN review testing.
HMA is now owned by Avast, a cybersecurity company, and it still maintains a sizable user base. HMA VPN (previously HideMyAss) is a VPN provider with a long and colorful history based in the United Kingdom.
Overview: HMA VPN (HideMyAss!)
| Jurisdiction | UK |
| Servers | 930+ Servers |
| Countries | 190+ Countries |
| Website | hidemyass.com |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 |
| Netflix | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes |
| Supported Protocols | 256-bit AES; OpenVPN |
| Supported Platforms | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and Routers |
| Support | 24/7 Live chat |
Pros
- Free trial for 7 days
- Money-back guarantee for 30 days
- Unblocks the United States, Netflix allows peer-to-peer (P2P) on all of its servers.
Cons
- Located in the United Kingdom
- The desktop app is limited with Open VPN protocol
- Collects some log files
Jurisdiction
HMA was founded by Jack Cator and is headquartered in the United Kingdom, which is a member of the Five Eyes Surveillance Alliance. The UK government, as a member of 5-eyes, will track and exchange user data with other countries (when needed).
At the same time, it is worth noting that the United Kingdom is a member of the European Union (European Union). As a result, the GDPR laws in the EU apply to limit data acquisition. That is why Hide My-Ass! Collects certain basic information such as timestamps, usernames, real IP addresses, and virtual IP addresses.
HMA VPN Supported Devices
| Mobile Platforms | Android, iOS (iPhone/ iPad) |
| Desktop Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Other | Routers |
All the major smartphone and desktop platforms are supported by HideMyAss or HMA VPN. Streaming devices, Android TVs, and game consoles, on the other hand, are not supported. Another downfall is that you don’t have extensions for any web browsers.
You can, on the other hand, set up HMA on your router to control streaming devices and other devices that are linked to it.
How to download HMA VPN?
HMA VPN is free to download and is available for Windows PC, Android and iOS as well. Click here to download HMA VPN for Windows.
What is the location of the HMA VPN app?
The Android and iOS clients of the HMA app, like those of other VPNs, are accessible in the respective app stores. The download link for macOS and Windows may be found directly on HideMyAss’s official website. Install the app from the appropriate store and set up your login information to utilize the password. Before downloading, you must purchase any one of the subscription plans available on the website. You must first purchase one of the subscription options accessible on the website before downloading.
Click here to sign up for HideMyAss!
You must manually configure Linux and Routers with the help of the installation guide provided on the website.
HMA VPN Price and Payment Options
| Duration | Price |
| 1 month | $11.99 |
| 12 months | $71.88 (billed $5.99 per month) |
| 24 months | $119.76 (billed $4.99 per month) |
| 36 months | $143.64 (billed $3.99 per month) |
HMA has four distinct plans to choose from. You will, as always, have the option of saving money while purchasing the plans. The biggest benefit of HMA is that if you’re not happy with the features, you can get your money back with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You may also take advantage of the 7-day free trial to see what the HideMyAss! VPN has to offer.
When it comes to payment, you only have two choices: credit cards or PayPal. You can’t buy HMA without disclosing your basic information due to the lack of an anonymous approach.
Server Locations and Censorship
One of HideMyAss VPN’s key drawbacks is that it only offers a small number of server locations (930+). Regardless, those servers are scattered equitably over 190+ nations. As a result, you can communicate with people from all over the world.
Because you don’t have a lot of servers, you’ll have a lot of server congestion during peak hours. In nations such as the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Australia, city-level options are available.
HMA has previously worked in portions of China. In China, however, the majority of users have discovered that HideMyAss! is blocked. “We are working 24/7 to deliver improved performance for the people in China,” customer service replied when contacted. As a result, if you wish to get through China’s Great Firewall, HMA is not the best option. It also applies to countries with strict censorship, such as Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
Here is the HideMyAss! VPN Full Server List.
HMA VPN Logging Policy
As we said earlier, HMA will collect and store the details like
- Username
- amount of data transmitted
- original and virtual IP
- connection times
These particulars are sufficient to reveal you’re true identity. According to HMA’s official website, these facts are gathered to prevent probable fraud. They further promised that after 30-days, these details would be erased (except your username).
HideMyAss! is also notorious for passing over a user list to the FBI in the United States in 2011. Despite the fact that they changed their privacy policy, you should be aware that HMA is not completely anonymous. In a nutshell, HideMyAss! is not a good VPN for people who value their privacy.
Streaming and Torrenting
To begin, we’d like to point out that HMA is an excellent VPN for unblocking geo-restricted streaming services. Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video were all unblocked. They provide specialized Netflix and Prime Video servers in the United States.
You will have optimized servers for torrenting as well. Furthermore, P2P is permitted on all servers. When you’re far away from the linked server, though, you may have poor download speeds. Because of previous data breaches, HMA should only be used to download legal torrent files.
Ease of Use
Hide My-Ass! Has a user interface that is easy enough for anyone to utilize. You’ll find the typical on/off button on the home screen, as well as the option to select servers. The servers that are geared for streaming and torrenting are listed separately.
You’ll see an option labeled “Lightning Connect” above the servers list. It automatically connects you to the fastest server. A new window opened when you tapped the settings button in the upper right area, with options such as General, Privacy, Connection, Advanced, Help & Support, Account, and About HMA.
Under the Privacy menu, you can activate the kill switch, IP Shuffle, and App kill switch. You can’t change protocols in the HMA since the desktop clients are limited to the OpenVPN protocol.
The Help & Support menu directs you to customer service, while the About section displays account information such as your email address, activation code, and next billing date, among other things.
The current version of your app, as well as Hide My-Ass’s privacy policy, terms of service, and refund policy can be seen by selecting About HMA.
HMA VPN Speed and Performance
We tested HMA’s speed and performance on a mobile internet connection, just like we did with Vypr VPN. And we used the Speedtest test, which is owned by Ookla, to determine the speed.
We first tested our connection’s true speed without connecting to the VPN. During our tests, we received download speeds of 31.7 Mbps and upload speeds of 10.4 Mbps.
Our download speed was lowered to 23.6 Mbps and upload speed was reduced to 7.09 Mbps while connecting to the automatic Lightning Connect server.
Then we linked a server in the United Kingdom, and we got 24.1 Mbps for download and 10.3 Mbps for upload.
We repeated our test connecting to different servers and the results are listed in this table:
| Server Download | Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) |
| Canada | 22.5 | 8.4 |
| Brazil | 27.1 | 5.09 |
| France | 18.8 | 3.7 |
| Germany | 23.4 | 9.8 |
With the data in the table above, it’s evident that HideMyAss is one of the fastest VPNs available, and it doesn’t slow us down too much. The following findings are based on our present location, but they may differ depending on your internet connection speed and location.
Encryption Protocols
To secure user data, Hide My-Ass or HMA VPN uses industry-standard 256-bit AES encryption. HMA must raise the bar to compete with others because they only support the OpenVPN protocol. Despite the fact that most users favor OpenVPN, HMA must include a few more protocols. Protocols like Chameleon, for example, are especially effective in nations with a lot of restrictions.
If you want a VPN with numerous protocol support, we recommend you to go for NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
Customer Support
HMA’s customer service isn’t the greatest on the market. The live chat help is only accessible for a limited time. Responses are swift and effective when they are accessible.
On the website, you’ll find standard knowledge-based instructions, FAQs, and manual guides to answer the user’s immediate questions. You can quickly find an answer to your question by using the search bar. The instruction manual for
HideMyAss! also offers a support ticket system where you can submit your question. Within 24-48 hours, you will receive a response by mail. You can also contact HMA’s customer service via social media networks.
Closing Remarks: HMA VPN (HideMyAss)
Yes. HideMyAss! Or HMA VPN is a great option for anyone who wishes to unblock their favorite streaming sites without sacrificing their privacy. If you value your privacy, you’ll need to explore other options. Use the comments area to discuss anything related to this post, or HideMyAss! VPN. At the same time, keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for regular updates.
