HMA VPN Review
"Experience robust encryption, efficient split tunneling, and complete privacy with HMA VPN."
Pros & Cons
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- AES-256 encryption
- Strict no-logs policy
- Split tunneling and kill switch
- Supports P2P file sharing
- Blocks ads and malware
- No free plan available
- Doesn't support TOR over VPN or Double VPN
- No security audits have been conducted
- Doesn't offer dedicated IPs
- Doesn't provide a warrant canary
Quick facts
- 📱Devices (up to): 5
- 🖥️Servers: 1080
- 🌍Available countries: 210
- 📍Company location: UK
- 🔒Logging policy: No logs
- 🎥Streaming: no
- 🌊Torrenting: no
Subject to additional terms and conditions of HMA VPN.
Summary
The VPN provider under review is HMA (HideMyAss), a name that has significantly evolved since its inception. Known for enabling access to certain websites in countries where it would otherwise be impossible, HMA has emerged as one of the most recognized VPNs committed to making the internet a freer and safer place. Since its establishment, the company has been acquired by AVG in 2015, who was then acquired by Avast in 2016, both of which are renowned antivirus software providers.
HMA's service offerings carry a mix of advantages and downsides. The platform is lauded for its user-friendly interface, affordability, and easy installation process. It boasts an extensive range of server locations, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and convenient speed test and IP shuffle features. Customer service is also highly rated. However, there are concerns that temper its overall appeal. For instance, HMA does not unlock US Netflix, is based in the United Kingdom, and perhaps most worryingly, throttles connection speeds when torrenting.
The service specifications of HMA further elucidate its features and functionality. With a starting price of $3.99 per month, HMA supports various operating systems including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. The platform allows up to five connections and accepts payment methods such as credit cards and PayPal. In terms of security, HMA employs protocols like IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, and OpenVPN and permits torrenting. The company also claims to maintain a no-logs policy.
The speed of HMA VPN is noteworthy. It performs exceptionally well for streaming and downloading, with no discernible speed difference when gaming. The platform incorporates a practical speed test feature that assists users in selecting a fast server with ease. During our speed test, HMA showcased impressive speeds across different server locations, with minor reductions in download and upload speeds when connected to certain servers.
In summary, HMA presents itself as a viable option for users seeking to hide their IP addresses and maintain online anonymity. While it's not without its shortcomings, such as its inability to unlock US Netflix and throttling during torrent downloads, it offers an array of basic features and excellent speed capabilities that might serve the needs of a broad user base. However, it's important to note that this VPN service may not be suitable for users seeking advanced functionalities and specific geo-restrictions bypassing capabilities. The remainder of this review will delve into these aspects in greater detail, providing a comprehensive evaluation of HMA's service.
Pricing, Trial, Money Back, Cancellation
HMA VPN offers various subscription plans tailored to fit different user needs. The monthly plan costs $10.99, which can be reduced with longer-term subscriptions. The monthly price for a one-year subscription drops to $4.39, and for two or three-year plans, it comes down to $3.99.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a free plan available. However, HMA VPN does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, providing users with ample opportunity to test out the service. Cancelling a monthly subscription is also allowed, ensuring a level of flexibility for the users.
Features
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Concurrent Devices
Other Noteworthy Features
- Dedicated IP
- No
- Parental Controls
- No
- Split Tunneling / Bypassing
- Yes
- P2P Support
- Yes
- Ad and malware blocking
- Yes
- Bandwidth limits and data caps
- Yes
- Live Chat
- Yes
- Customer Service 24/7
- No
Is HMA VPN Secure? Privacy & Logging
- Encryption
- aes-256
- OpenVPN
- Yes
- WireGuard
- No
- IKEv2/IPsec
- No
- Hydra
- No
- Config File Generators
- No
- Kill Switch Feature
- Yes
- No Logs Policy
- Yes
- DNS Leak Protection
- Yes
- IPv6 Leak Protection
- Yes
- Double VPN / Multi-Hop Feature
- No
- Server Obfuscation
- No
- Independent Security Audits
- No
- Warrant Canary
- No
About HMA VPN
- Headquarters
- UK
- Founded in
- 2005
Apps & Platform Support
- iOS
- Yes
- MacOS
- Yes
- Android
- Yes
- Chrome
- Yes
- Firefox
- No
- Windows
- Yes
- Linux
- Yes
Reviews from Elsewhere
- Trustpilot Rating
- 1.5 (out of 2691 reviews)
- Google Play Store Rating
- 4 (out of 62200 reviews)
- iOS App Store rating
- 4.6 (out of 20000 reviews)
Torrenting and P2P Support
Payment Methods
- PayPal
- Yes
- Sofort (Klarna)
- Yes
- Swish
- No
- iDEAL
- No
- Giropay
- No
- Amazon Pay
- No
- Google Pay
- No
- Apple Pay
- No
- Samsung Pay
- No
- Visa
- Yes
- Mastercard
- Yes
- Discover
- Yes
- American Express
- Yes
- Monero
- No
- Bitcoin
- No
- Ethereum
- No
- Wire transfer
- Yes
- Cash
- No