hide.me homepage
Best free tier that does not ask for your email

hide.me Review

8.2/ 10 - our editorial score

hide.me is an underrated all-rounder: audited, Malaysian-based, generous with protocols and features, and its free tier asks for nothing at all, not even an email address.

Visit hide.me → From $2.59/mo · 30-day money-back

Review last updated 2026-08-20 · How we rate providers

Scorecard

Speed & reliability
8.4
Privacy & trust
8.6
Features & coverage
8.6
Value for money
8.6
Ease of use
8.4

Pros

  • Free tier gives 10 GB a month and needs no email address
  • Unusually wide protocol support including SoftEther and SSTP
  • Audited no-logs policy with a Malaysian base outside the Eyes alliances
  • Multi-hop, port forwarding and split tunneling included on paid plans
  • Good streaming coverage for the price

Cons

  • Renewal roughly doubles the promo rate
  • No warrant canary
  • Apps are closed source
  • Free plan is a single device and eight locations

Privacy, jurisdiction & audits

Who the company answers to legally, what it keeps, and whether anyone independent has checked.

Legal jurisdictionMalaysia outside 5/9/14 EyesMalaysian jurisdiction with no mandatory data retention for VPN operators.
Logging policyNo-logs, independently audited
Independent auditsSecuritum, 2024 no-logs policy and infrastructure
RAM-only servers
Warrant canary -
Anonymous paymentCrypto accepted

hide.me plans & pricing

Advertised rates as of August 20, 2026. VPN promo rates normally require the prepaid term shown and renew at the higher rate; proxy pricing falls with volume. Confirm on hide.me's own site before buying.

PlanPrice Renews at Devices Traffic Notes
FreeFree VPN Free Free 1 10 GB 10 GB a month, no email required, 8 locations
MonthlyConsumer VPN $9.95/momonthly $9.95/mo 10
2-year planConsumer VPN $2.59/mo27 mo prepay $4.99/mo 10

Features

Kill switch
Split tunneling
Obfuscated servers
Multi-hop
Port forwarding
Ad / tracker blocking
Dedicated IP option
Tor over VPN
P2P / torrenting allowed
RAM-only servers
Open-source apps
Pay with crypto

Our hide.me review

hide.me has quietly become one of the better mid-market VPNs. The paid plan includes multi-hop, port forwarding, split tunneling, a working kill switch on every platform and an ad blocker, at a price that undercuts most of the names above it.

The free tier is genuinely distinctive because it requires no account at all. Ten gigabytes a month, eight locations, no email address, no advertising. Proton VPN's free plan has no data cap, but hide.me asks for less from you, which for some users is the more meaningful trade.

Protocol support is unusually deep: WireGuard and OpenVPN as expected, plus IKEv2, SoftEther and SSTP, which matters on restrictive corporate or national networks where only certain ports and protocols survive.

Securitum has audited the no-logs claim, servers run from RAM, and Malaysia sits outside the intelligence-sharing alliances with no VPN retention mandate. There is no warrant canary and the apps are closed source, which keeps it a step behind Proton.

Streaming works on the major platforms, speeds are good on WireGuard, and support runs around the clock over chat. Apps are clean and reasonably beginner friendly.

A strong pick if you want audited privacy and full features around $2.59/mo, and an excellent recommendation for anyone who wants a no-signup free VPN.

Notable facts

  • Free tier needs no email address or account
  • Supports SoftEther and SSTP alongside WireGuard and OpenVPN
  • Based in Labuan, Malaysia, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes arrangements

At a glance

Founded2012
HeadquartersLabuan, Malaysia
Service typesConsumer VPN, Free VPN
Servers2.6K
Country coverage96
ProtocolsWireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther, SSTP
AppsWindows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Router, Browser extension
Streaming unblockedNetflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Prime Video
Starting price$2.59/mo
Money-back guarantee30 days
Free tierYes
Supportchat, email, knowledge-base (24/7)

Frequently asked questions

Is hide.me free really unlimited?

No, the free tier is capped at 10 GB a month on one device across eight locations. It is unusual in requiring no email address to use.

Has hide.me been audited?

Yes, Securitum audited its no-logs policy and infrastructure in 2024.

Does hide.me support port forwarding?

Yes, on paid plans, which makes it a reasonable torrenting choice alongside its P2P-friendly network policy.

Bottom line

hide.me is an underrated all-rounder: audited, Malaysian-based, generous with protocols and features, and its free tier asks for nothing at all, not even an email address.

Check current hide.me pricing →

Alternatives to hide.me

All providers →