Hoxx VPN Review (2024): A VPN That Doesn’t Work!
Hoxx VPN is a free VPN service with over seven million users since 2014. The VPN touts its service as the fastest and claims to pack a suite of security and privacy features to keep users protected online.
Rather than take these claims at face value, our cybersecurity experts decided to test this VPN service and find out if it’s worth the hype — and, more importantly, your time. We tested its speed, safety, usability, and server network for this Hoxx VPN review. Keep reading to learn how Hoxx VPN fares.
Hoxx VPN Review: A Short Review
Pros
- Free VPN provider
- Allows anonymous payment for premium plans
Cons
- The app doesn't install on Windows or Mac
- Logs sensitive user information
- Non-existent customer service
Unfortunately, Hoxx VPN fell short in every respect during our tests. First of all, the VPN doesn’t work. We couldn’t get it to work on Windows or Mac, despite downloading the apps from their website. Even more disconcerting, we reached out to Hoxx’s customer service, but to no avail. There was no response from Hoxx’s customer support agents, even after several weeks.
Since Hoxx’s app didn’t install on our device, we couldn’t test its speeds, safety, usability, and server network to the degree we usually do. We gleaned some information from the website, but even that was scarce and didn’t help much. For instance, Hoxx VPN states that it uses “high encryption,” but doesn’t specify if it’s AES encryption or something else. Similarly, the Hoxx VPN website states that it has 50 free servers, but doesn’t reveal the server count and spread for paid users.
Read our full Hoxx VPN review for more details on why we are left disappointed by this VPN provider. Suffice it to say that we don’t recommend Hoxx VPN, even for casual use. Are you looking for a VPN that actually works? You’ll be much better off with NordVPN, our favorite VPN. Nord is fast, secure, has a large server network, and has no trouble unblocking streaming services like Netflix.
| 💵 Price | From $2.99 a month |
| 📱 Operating systems | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux |
| 💻 Connections | 1 |
| 💳 Payment methods | Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Alipay |
| 🔒 Protocols | Unknown |
| 📥 Torrent options | Not specified |
| 📅 Money-back guarantee | Money-back guarantee, 7 Days |
| 📋 Logs | Keeps logs |
Speed – How Fast is Hoxx VPN?
We test VPN speeds from our office in the Netherlands using speedtest.net. Usually, we do so by connecting to VPN servers in various countries worldwide. Unfortunately, we couldn’t test Hoxx VPN’s speeds, because the VPN wouldn’t install on our devices. When the software failed during multiple tries on both Windows and Mac, we were forced to conclude we wouldn’t be able to test it.
Testing a VPN’s speed is crucial because almost all VPNs will reduce your internet speeds to an extent. This is a disadvantage of using VPNs that’s largely caused by the encryption they provide. However, the best VPNs reduce your speeds marginally. That way, you can enjoy browsing, gaming, or streaming without lags or interruptions.
Since we couldn’t install Hoxx VPN and connect to any of its servers, there’s no way of gauging if the VPN is fast or slow. If you’re looking for a fast VPN, we recommend Surfshark. It offers excellent speeds on both local and distant servers, ensuring that you can enjoy the internet fully regardless of the VPN server you connect to.
Safety – How Secure is Hoxx VPN?
Is Hoxx VPN safe? Unfortunately, it was difficult to determine Hoxx’s safety, since the service is unusable and could not even give us basic IP address protection. Plus, finding details about the VPN’s security and privacy features is like finding a needle in a haystack. Overall, we give Hoxx VPN a 1 out of 10 regarding safety.
- Hoxx VPN doesn’t disclose the protocols it uses.
- It logs sensitive user data.
- It doesn’t have a kill switch.
- It requires only your email address to set up an account.
Protocols
Since Hoxx VPN isn’t usable, our only way of pinpointing the encryption and protocol was through the website. Surprisingly, Hoxx VPN’s website doesn’t state what kind of encryption it uses. Rather, it claims to use “high encryption,” which amounts more to marketing-speak than anything else.
If you check the websites of our top VPNs, such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN, you’ll notice that they highlight their encryption and protocols. AES-256 encryption is the standard these days, because it’s virtually unbreakable. Some VPNs also offer AES-128 encryption, which is theoretically less secure than the 256-bit version. VPNs that use the WireGuard protocol use the highly-secure ChaCha20 encryption.
Similarly, Hoxx VPN’s protocols are not mentioned on its website. As we discussed in our breakdown of VPN protocols, OpenVPN is perfect if you’re running your VPN on multiple devices. IKEv2 is much better for mobile devices, while WireGuard is the best bet for fast speeds. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm which VPN protocols you’ll be working with if you manage to use Hoxx VPN.
Logging and privacy
Hoxx VPN doesn’t have a strict no-logs policy. In other words, it logs information about you that can be traced back to you. This means that your information might be at the mercy of third parties that manage to compromise Hoxx VPN’s systems.
According to its privacy policy, Hoxx VPN collects the following logs:
- Information collected when you’re using their website: This includes your IP address, access times, browser type and language, and the previous website you visited.
- Device information: This includes your unique device identifier, phone number, device model, operating system and version, and network information.
- Location information: Information about your device location, the speed at which your device is traveling, and location-based filters.
Aside from the information Hoxx VPN collects, its willingness to share user data with third parties is concerning. Hoxx VPN states the following in its privacy policy:
“We can (and you authorize us to) disclose any information about you to law enforcement, other government officials, any lawsuit or any other third party that we, in our sole discretion, believe necessary or appropriate in connection with an investigation of fraud, intellectual property infringement, or other activity that is illegal or may expose us, or you, to liability.“
The only redeeming feature here is that at least Hoxx VPN is specific about sharing data in its privacy policy, unlike Browsec VPN which has a very short and vague privacy policy.
For an example of a good no-logs VPN, look at NordVPN. It doesn’t keep any sensitive user data, and its no-logs policy has been audited twice by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland. In addition, NordVPN is based in Panama, a privacy safe haven.
Kill switch
Hoxx VPN doesn’t have a kill switch. This is disappointing, since a kill switch protects your identity while using a VPN. It works by shutting down your internet connection once your VPN disconnects.
Does Hoxx VPN leak your data?
Unfortunately, we couldn’t check Hoxx for IP or DNS leaks, since the software is currently unusable. Therefore, we cannot make any claims about whether this provider is a secure VPN or not.
What information does Hoxx VPN need?
Essentially, Hoxx VPN needs only your email address to create an account. However, you must first download the software and click the “create an account” button. Afterward, Hoxx VPN will send you a one-time password. You can log in using that and your email address.
While we usually applaud VPNs that ask very little information of you to sign in, in this case, Hoxx’s privacy policy negates that positive edge.
Usability – How User-Friendly is Hoxx VPN?
Hoxx is currently unusable for us. While writing our Hoxx VPN review, we weren’t able to install it despite our numerous tries. As a result, it earns a 1 out of 10 regarding usability. Here’s a summary of our conclusions about Hoxx VPN:
- Hoxx’s website is easy to navigate.
- You can download Hoxx VPN’s app, but it doesn’t install.
- It has a free plan and a paid plan.
- It has an FAQ section, but customer support doesn’t reply to emails.
Hoxx’s website and installation process
The one positive thing about Hoxx VPN’s service at the moment is its website. Hoxx’s website is straightforward and well-organized. You can find all the information and tabs you need easily, and their pages have a nice, inviting look.
To download and install Hoxx’s software, click the download button at the far right of the homepage.
This will take you to the Hoxx VPN download page, where you can find apps for various platforms that Hoxx VPN supports, namely:
- Desktop: Windows, macOS, Linux
- Mobile: Android, iOS
- Browser extensions: Edge, Firefox
Hoxx VPN says it will add browser extensions for Chrome and Opera soon.
When we tried to download Hoxx VPN and install it on Windows and macOS ourselves, things took a turn for the worse. Let’s use the Windows client as an example. We clicked the Hoxx Windows download button, which took us to a dedicated page for Windows mirrors.
We downloaded and attempted to install the Hoxx VPN app. However, after installation, the app indicated to us we had to download the latest version. This was rather curious, since we downloaded the latest version from Hoxx’s site already.
Just to be sure, we downloaded and tried to install Hoxx VPN through all the mirrors on its website. However, the response was the same, and we could not get the software working no matter what we did.
Hoxx VPN’s appearance and ease-of-use
Since the VPN app wouldn’t work for us on all the devices we used to test it, we weren’t able to test the usability of Hoxx VPN.
Pricing and payment methods
It should be clear at this point that we do not recommend using Hoxx VPN in its current state. Even so, for full disclosure, we do want to discuss the two pricing plans that Hoxx VPN offers: the free and the premium plan.
The free plan appears generous. It offers over 50 free servers, no bandwidth restrictions, and a 99% uptime guarantee. If the service would have worked as advertised, it could have been a very good one. However, as of now, we’d recommend going with the free version of PrivadoVPN instead.
At $1.99 per month, Hoxx’s premium VPN looks cheap. It is said to come with all the features of the free plan, plus a host of other features for premium users, including “more advanced end-to-end encryption,” more locations, and up to 100% faster server speeds. Keep in mind that we weren’t able to verify these claims due to the malfunctioning software.
- Hoxx VPN Unlimited $0.00mth Deal View offer
- Hoxx VPN One month $1.99mth View offer
Hoxx’s paid plan comes with a seven-day money-back guarantee. This is much lower than the industry average of 30 days. CyberGhost even gives users a 45-day money-back guarantee and offers a much better VPN service, as you can read in our full CyberGhost review.
Regarding payment options, Hoxx VPN allows you to pay using the following methods:
- Credit cards
- AliPay
- Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum)
It’s good to see that Hoxx VPN allows payments through cryptocurrency. This is important if you want to remain anonymous.
Customer service
Hoxx VPN’s official website has a FAQ section that covers a variety of questions regarding user accounts. However, there’s no knowledge base with in-depth articles or video tutorials. Since setting up Hoxx VPN turned out to be tricky, it would be helpful to have a video guide on installing the apps on various devices.
Additionally, Hoxx VPN doesn’t offer phone support or a live chat. This means you won’t get real-time support if you run into any issues. The VPN claims to offer a ticket system with replies via email, but our experience showed that this isn’t working very well.
When we had difficulties installing Hoxx VPN, we emailed their customer support. We received an acknowledgment of our query, but no response, not even after waiting several days.
We sent a follow-up email after a few weeks, but to no avail.
As a last-ditch attempt, we sent another email after about a month. This time we didn’t get an acknowledgment. Again, Hoxx VPN has yet to respond.
Overall, Hoxx’s customer service offers slim pickings, and you’re likely not to get a response if you email them.
Server Network – Can Hoxx VPN Unblock the Internet?
Information on Hoxx’s server network is scarce. The VPN says that it has over 50 servers for free users and more than that for paid users, but that’s about it. Add that to the fact that we couldn’t connect to and test the VPN’s server performance, and it’s hard to tell if Hoxx VPN is worth using. We give Hoxx VPN a 2 out of 10 for (what we managed to find out about) its server network.
Here’s a summary of our observations:
- Hoxx VPN has over 50 free servers.
- There’s no way of telling whether it’s suitable for streaming or torrenting.
- It doesn’t have dedicated IPs.
Number of servers and locations
Since we couldn’t confirm Hoxx’s server through the app, we had to rely on the website. There, it is mentioned that Hoxx VPN offers over 50 free servers you can use to change your IP address. Regarding the premium plan, Hoxx VPN indicates that it offers more server locations compared to the free plan. However, it doesn’t state the exact number of servers on the paid plan. It’s also not clear which countries these servers are located in.
While a network of 50 servers is quite generous for a freemium VPN, many of the best premium VPNs offer thousands of servers in dozens of countries. Considering the reliability of Hoxx VPN so far, we would advise you to choose one of those services. Would you rather get a free option? TunnelBear gives you access to its full server network, even with its free version.
Hoxx VPN and streaming (Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, BBC iPlayer)
We had no way of testing whether Hoxx VPN could unblock Netflix and other major streaming services, including Hulu, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.
It’s worth noting that Hoxx VPN doesn’t claim to unblock streaming services like Netflix on its website. Rather, it focuses on unblocking social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
We recommend either NordVPN or ExpressVPN for streaming. Those are two of the best VPNs for streaming Netflix, and they can unblock all the major streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and ESPN.
Hoxx VPN and torrents
Since Hoxx VPN is unusable, we couldn’t check whether it allows torrenting. Your best bet is to use one of the best VPNs for torrenting. If security is your main concern, we recommend ExpressVPN since it has many secure servers for P2P downloads.
Dedicated IP address
There’s no indication that Hoxx VPN offers dedicated IPs, which is also what we observed during our OysterVPN review. Dedicated IPs are static IP addresses that allow you to use the same IP each time you connect to the internet. This is useful if you want to stay off blacklists and dislike those repeated verification requests. Such IPs are also great for online banking and are often used by remote workers to gain access to specific networks.
If you want a VPN with dedicated IP addresses, opt for CyberGhost. It has dedicated IPs for Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United States. In addition, it has a token-based system for assigning IPs, which means not even CyberGhost knows your IP.
Our Experience With Hoxx VPN
Overall, we cannot currently support Hoxx VPN. Its apps, both on Windows and Mac, don’t work, and its customer support may not give you any attention. We were not able to speed test the software or try out any of the Hoxx VPN features, because the software simply didn’t work.
We hope that Hoxx VPN will fix these unfortunate issues in the near future. Once Hoxx VPN works, we can give it an actual full-fledged VPN review. For now, however, the Hoxx VPN cons far outweigh the advantages, so we will point you to some free VPNs that actually work instead:
- PrivadoVPN: Best free VPN for Windows and Mac users
- Hide.me: Best free option in terms of customer support
- TunnelBear: Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locations
Also, take a look at some of the best VPNs for various use cases:
- The Best Cheap VPNs: Save Money!
- The Best VPN for Windows
- The Best VPN for Mac
- The Best VPN Providers for Linux
Do you have more questions about Hoxx VPN? We compiled the most popular ones below. Click on a question to reveal the answer.
Hoxx VPN logs user data and is willing to share it with third parties and authorities upon request. This is concerning, since it means Hoxx can sell your data, a practice that is common among free VPNs. Read our Hoxx VPN review to learn more about Hoxx’s logging policy.
Hoxx VPN is a free VPN service that offers 50 free locations worldwide and doesn’t have any bandwidth limits. However, the Windows and Mac apps were not functional when we tested them, making the VPN unusable. At the moment, you’re better off with one of these best free VPNs.
Hoxx VPN is not upfront with the kind of encryption and protocol it offers. It also lacks a kill switch and logs sensitive user data, making it unable to protect your online traffic and your privacy. Learn more about Hoxx VPN in our Hoxx VPN review.
When we tested it ourselves, Hoxx didn’t work with Netflix, since the VPN was completely unusable. We couldn’t get the software to work and could, therefore, not try it out with Netflix. Hoxx doesn’t claim to unblock Netflix or other streaming sites on its website, so if you’re looking for a way to watch Netflix worldwide, we recommend using one of the best Netflix VPNs.
Personal Opinions of VPNOverview’s Experts
