HMA VPN Review (2024): Easy to Use, But Poor Unblocking Ability
HMA VPN is an average VPN service. It has a user-friendly interface, decent download speeds, the world’s largest server spread, and can effectively hide your IP.
However, its plans are pricey and its server network falls short in many areas. For instance, HMA can’t unblock streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
In our detailed HMA VPN review, we explore all of HMA’s features and evaluate its performance to help you decide if it’s worth your money. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a top VPN provider with robust unblocking abilities and affordable subscriptions, look no further than NordVPN.
Limited offer: Get a special NordVPN discount deal with three months free!
HMA VPN Short Review
What We Like:
- Perfect for beginners because of its user-friendly apps
- Wide range of IP addresses thanks to its vast server network in over 210 countries
- IP shuffle feature
- No IP/DNS leaks
What We Don't Like:
- Subscriptions are expensive
- Doesn't unblock Netflix and other streaming providers
- Unresponsive customer service
- Has a history of sharing user information
Based on our HMA VPN review, we don’t recommend HideMyAss VPN if you want to unblock streaming providers like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video. Its customer service also hardly responds, leaving you in limbo if you need help. On top of all that, HMA VPN is too expensive for the features it offers.
However, HMA is suitable for anyone looking for a reasonably fast and user-friendly VPN to spoof their location and hide their original IP. It’s also a good choice if you want multiple IP address choices in underserved locations like Africa and the Middle East.
Visit HMA to learn more about its massive server distribution.
| 💵 Price | From $2.99 per month |
| 📱 Operating systems | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux |
| 💻 Connections | 5 |
| 💳 Payment methods | PayPal, Other, Credit card |
| 🔒 Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec |
| 📥 Torrent options | Torrenting allowed |
| 📅 Money-back guarantee | Money-back guarantee, 30 Days |
| 📋 Logs | Zero logs |
| 🎬 Works with |
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How Much Does HMA VPN Cost?
HMA’s cheapest deal is the three-year plan, which costs $2.99 per month. Not many VPN services offer three-year plans, so this subscription option is worth a look if you want to purchase a VPN for the long haul and not worry about recurring increases in subscription costs.
However, there’s a catch. The $2.99 deal only allows five simultaneous connections. If you want 10 simultaneous connections on the three-year plan, you’ll have to fork out $5.99 per month.
Apart from the three-year subscription, HideMyAss offers a monthly, six-month, one-year plan, and two-year plan. This is the widest variety of subscription plans we’ve seen of any of the VPNs we’ve reviewed.
- HMA VPN 7 days $0mth View offer
- HMA VPN 36 months $2.99mth Deal View offer
- HMA VPN 12 months $4.99mth View offer
In general, HMA’s prices are quite expensive and there are cheaper VPNs out there. For example, the one-year plan is more expensive than NordVPN’s yearly rate ($4.49 per month), although NordVPN is the best VPN on the market.
HMA VPN accepts various payment options, including:
- Credit card
- PayPal
- iDeal
- Sofort
- Google Pay
- Apple Pay
Do you get your money’s worth with HMA VPN?
Considering HMA’s features and performance, its prices are exorbitant. If HideMyAss VPN was priced much lower, it would be worth buying, especially if you need a VPN for casual browsing and staying safe on the internet.
However, if you have that much to pay for HMA VPN, you’ll be better off with NordVPN. It’s the best all-around VPN with a fast and extensive server network that can unblock websites, help you bypass censorship, and protect your online information from snoopers.
Does HMA VPN Work With Streaming?
HMA doesn’t unblock many popular streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video, as we discovered during our HMA VPN review.
We connected to various HMA servers and tried to unblock streaming platforms but to no avail. For example, connecting to HMA’s New York server didn’t give us access to Netflix US. Not even HMA’s streaming-optimized servers could get us into any of the streaming sites.
Here’s a summary of our findings about HMA’s streaming ability.
| Platform | Can HMA VPN unblock it? |
|---|---|
| Netflix (US) | ✖ |
| Netflix (UK) | ✖ |
| Disney Plus (EU) | ✖ |
| Hulu (US) | ✖ |
| BBC iPlayer (UK) | ✖ |
| Prime Video (EU) | ✖ |
| HBO Max (EU)* | ✖ |
If you need a VPN for streaming, we recommend NordVPN. All its servers are optimized for unblocking streaming providers. In our tests, we were able to binge-watch our favorite movies on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video in HD without any lag.
Torrenting With HMA VPN
HMA VPN has servers that are optimized for torrenting. These VPN servers are labeled “P2P” in the HMA VPN apps section.
During our HMA VPN review, we tested if HMA’s torrenting servers work as promised. We connected to HMA’s P2P-optimized New York server and tried to download torrents from BitTorrent, one of the most popular torrenting platforms. We were able to download movie torrents without any hiccups.
To check if HideMyAss VPN protected our torrenting traffic, we opened ipleak.net and activated “Torrent Address Detection.” We added the magnet link from the torrenting site and checked our IP address. Only HMA’s VPN server showed up, indicating that it indeed protects user torrenting traffic.
If your IP leaks while torrenting, you might end up in trouble if you accidentally download a copyrighted torrent.
HMA VPN Servers and Locations
HMA VPN has over 1,100 servers in over 210 countries. These servers are spread across over 290 locations.
No other VPN has servers in over 210 countries. The closest so far is ExpressVPN, which boasts servers in 105 countries.
That said, it’s worth mentioning that HMA VPN uses the ISO 3166 list of countries, which contains 249 countries instead of 195. This means that there are lots of locations that HMA considers as individual counties, whereas other VPNs merge them with larger countries.
At over 1,100, HMA’s server count is rather small. Take NordVPN, for instance; it offers over 5,000 reliable server locations spread across 60 countries. This reduces the chances of server congestion.
Below, we’ve listed all the countries that HMA VPN has servers in. They are the following:
- Asia Pacific: Afghanistan, Armenia, American Samoa, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Bhutan, Cocos Island, Cook Islands, Christmas Island, Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Laos, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Macau, Maldives, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Nepal, Nauru, Niue, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Pitcairn Islands, Palau, Solomon Island, Singapore, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, and Samoa
- Europe: Andorra, Albania, Austria, Aland Island, Bosnia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Faroe Island, France, UK, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Netherland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Slovakia, San Marino, Ukraine, and The Vatican
- North America: Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, Mexico, Nicaragua, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, [uerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, and the USA
- South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
- Middle East: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen
- Africa: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Republic of Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho. Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Saint Helena, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Sao Tome and Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Specialized servers
HideMyAss VPN has specialized streaming servers and optimized servers for P2P downloads. Most of the optimized servers are in the US. As we mentioned earlier, these servers do not actually work as intended.
Dedicated IP address
HMA VPN doesn’t offer dedicated IPs, as we found out during our HMA VPN review. You’ll need dedicated IPs if you want a unique IP address to avoid repeated verification requests like CAPTCHAs and to avoid blacklists. It can also work well if you need specific IPs to work remotely or access sensitive websites like online banks.
If you need dedicated IPs, look the way of NordVPN. It offers reliable dedicated IPs in several countries, including the US, Germany, the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, France, Austria, Canada, Spain, Belgium, and Singapore.
IP Shuffle
HMA VPN offers IP Shuffle, which randomly changes your IP address. This makes it extra hard for hackers and any other third party to track your internet use.
Impressively, HMA VPN allows you to define how often the IPs change during your VPN session. For example, you can set HMA to shuffle your IP every 10 minutes. We tested the feature and we can confirm that it works as expected.
This feature reminds us of Surfshark’s IP rotator, which also changes your IP address randomly — every five to 10 minutes.
How Fast is HMA VPN?
Our HMA VPN connection was speedy when we used nearby servers. However, you might experience significant drops when you connect to distant servers.
During our HMA VPN review, we didn’t notice any delays while surfing the internet or streaming YouTube and Netflix. We did see some buffering wheels when we tried to stream HD or 4K movies, stream live sports, and play online games.
As a result, we recommended NordVPN. It’s the fastest VPN that can help you stream HD movies and play data-intensive games without hassle.
Speed test results for HMA VPN
We ran speed checks for HideMyAss VPN from our headquarters in The Netherlands. These tests were done with a Windows 10 computer. First, we checked our speeds without a VPN. Next, we connected to HMA’s servers on different continents and recorded the results. That way, we could check HMA’s speed drop-offs.
The table below contains the results of our speed tests.
| Server | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 203.73 | 248.07 | 3 |
| Fastest Location (Amsterdam) | 195.29 | 237.07 | 7 |
| Netherlands | 195.22 | 237.53 | 6 |
| US East (New York) | 161.59 | 104.84 | 170 |
| US West (Los Angeles) | 89.3 | 69.85 | 311 |
| UK (London) | 194.32 | 235.75 | 20 |
| Japan | 62.71 | 32.53 | 475 |
| Australia (Perth) | 63.08 | 40.3 | 425 |
| Germany (Frankfurt) | 193.54 | 233.31 | 24 |
| Brazil | 94.67 | 27.84 | 388 |
| Canada (Toronto) | 156.02 | 79.78 | 202 |
| South Africa | 106.78 | 51.7 | 342 |
From our speed tests, we consider HMA to be a VPN with good speeds, even though there are faster VPN providers on the market. Locations close to our testing location maintained at least 90% of our unprotected download and upload speeds. This includes The Netherlands, the UK, and Germany.
However, faraway locations, including the US, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa, suffered significant speed drops. For instance, our ping in Japan went up to 475 ms, which is relatively high compared to lightning-fast VPNs like NordVPN.
Is HMA VPN Safe?
Overall, HMA can keep you safe while browsing online, as we discovered during our HMA VPN review. It sticks to a no-logs policy, many protocol choices, a kill switch, and doesn’t leak your data. It doesn’t have advanced features such as obfuscation and double VPN, but it does the basics quite well.
Does HMA VPN leak your data?
HMA VPN doesn’t suffer from IP or DNS leaks. In layman’s terms, it means your location and browsing data won’t be exposed to third parties while you access the internet connected to an HMA server.
We ran our IP leak tests using our IP address tool. The results showed that HMA VPN changed our IP and didn’t reveal our original IP.
Afterward, we did further IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests using browserleaks.com. All of our results confirmed that HMA VPN can successfully hide our IP address.
Can you sign up to HMA VPN anonymously?
You cannot sign up to HMA VPN anonymously. The VPN service accepts credit cards, PayPal, and wire transfers. These methods require the sharing of some details about yourself, like your email, for example.
HMA doesn’t accept cash payments like Mullvad VPN, one of the best VPNs to purchase anonymously. HMA VPN also doesn’t accept cryptocurrencies, which offer a degree of anonymity.
Logging policy
HideMyAss VPN is based in the UK, which is part of the 5 Eyes Alliance. The UK has a less favorable privacy climate than, for example, the British Virgin Islands, where ExpressVPN has its headquarters. This means that no matter what privacy measures HMA takes, there’s always a risk of government intervention.
HMA VPN states in its privacy policy that it adheres to a strict no-logs policy. This means that it doesn’t collect information that can be traced to users, including your IP address, browsing history, and DNS queries.
However, HMA collects minimal information, including:
- Day of connection
- The rounded amount of data transmitted
HMA’s no-logs policy was audited by VerSprite in 2020. The audit firm gave HMA a “low-risk user privacy impact” score, which is its best possible score reserved for VPNs that comply with a strict no-logs policy.
It’s important to mention that in 2011, HMA shared sensitive user information with the FBI. This incident is known as the Lulzsec Fiasco. This made many users doubt HMA’s privacy credentials for years.
However, HMA implemented a strict no-logs policy in 2022. Our VPN experts have an eye on HMA’s logging practices and we’ll update you if we notice any fishy activities.
Protocols and encryption
Like most premium VPNs, HMA VPN uses 256-bit AES encryption. Currently, this is the highest encryption standard for commercial VPNs. In addition, this provider mainly uses OpenVPN, which is the safest protocol to date. They also offer some other protocols depending on the device you are using.
Below are the protocols HMA VPN offers:
- OpenVPN (both TCP and UDP): The OpenVPN protocol is currently the security standard for VPN protocols.
- L2TP/IPsec (manual): HMA VPN offers L2TP/IPsec, but only for specific devices. You also need to install it manually. Some other VPNs make this option a lot easier to access.
- PPTP: This is a somewhat older protocol that achieves reasonable speeds. The disadvantage is that PPTP is no longer stable and secure. We would therefore advise against using this protocol.
- IKEv2/IPsec: IKEv2/IPsec is the protocol used for iOS. iOS does not support OpenVPN. In terms of encryption protocols, currently, IKEv2/IPsec is the best protocol for iOS.
Switching protocols on the Windows client and Android app was easy. However, there was no option for us to change protocols on the MacOS and iOS apps.
Kill switch
HMA VPN has a kill switch which works well. This feature cuts off your internet connection as soon as a malfunction occurs with the VPN, ensuring that you’ll never be online unprotected unless it is your choice to go online without a VPN.
In addition to the regular kill switch, HideMyAss VPN also has an app kill switch. This seems to work on a combination of split tunneling and the kill switch.
With the app kill switch, you can set for which specific app you want a kill switch. This way, you don’t have to turn on the kill switch for the entire VPN. Also, the app kill switch will automatically connect to the VPN when you open that specific app. This is a handy extra.
We tested HMA’s kill switch feature using PageRefresher and whatismyipaddress.com during our HMA VPN review. We disconnected from the VPN while taking note of our IP address. Only our spoofed IP address showed, indicating that HMA’s kill switch is effective.
Is HMA VPN Easy to Use?
During our HMA VPN review, we found that HideMyAss is generally easy and fun to use. Our only challenge was that it took a while to install. Once you get through the installation process, you’ll find the app simple, clutter-free, and well-designed.
The various settings were easy for us to find, and connecting to a server was a breeze. However, servers sometimes took a few more seconds than usual to connect.
HMA VPN on Windows
Installing HMA VPN on the Windows client was easy, but it took a couple of minutes longer than many of the VPNs we have tested over the years; case-in-point NordVPN.
Once you install the HMA app, it opens automatically. You’ll be greeted with a pleasant home screen that has a large power button and an option to scroll through the VPN’s servers.
Under the “Settings” button, you can select your preferred options, including auto-connection, the kill switch, IP Shuffle, and the different types of VPN protocols.
HMA VPN on Mac
HMA’s Mac app looks similar to the Windows app. You can also connect to a server on the home screen and click the Settings (gear) button to set up the app how you want it.
Unfortunately, there’s no option on the Mac app to change protocols. HMA’s help center indicates that you can switch to the IKEv2 protocol on Mac, but it’s a manual and likely tedious process.
Customer Service
HMA VPN’s customer service is not the most comprehensive out there. It has a knowledge base full of articles, which are grouped according to operating systems. We also like that there’s an Advanced FAQ section that addresses more technical issues.
If you need to get in touch with HMA, you can send a ticket by filling out a form at the help center. We sent a ticket but did not receive a response even after seven business days.
This is a far cry from the likes of NordVPN, whose support agents respond within a few hours.
Unfortunately, there’s no live chat option. This means that there’s virtually no viable way to get a response from HMA’s agents in good time. You’ll have to rely on the help center.
HMA VPN’s money-back guarantee: How to get a refund
HMA VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can request a refund by sending a ticket. This seems like a simple enough process but since HMA’s customer support doesn’t respond, it’s a long shot.
What Reddit Users Think About HMA VPN
Scrolling through Reddit comments about HMA VPN, you’ll find lots of negative reviews. Of course, even top VPNs have those kinds of comments, but HMA’s seem to be more negative than usual. Most of the comments slam HMA’s unresponsive customer support.
Many Redditors commenting about HideMyAss VPN, like the one below, complained about HMA not adhering to its refund policy. It seems lots of people couldn’t get their money back from HMA after 30 days.
Do We Recommend HMA VPN?
HMA VPN might be a good choice for casual use, such as changing your IP address. However, it can’t help you if you need to unblock streaming providers and enjoy lag-free games, as we discovered during our HMA VPN review. As a result, we recommend NordVPN over HMA, especially since NordVPN is generally more affordable than HMA.
Of all the over 150 VPNs we’ve tested, HideMyAss VPN sits as a middling VPN and isn’t part of our top 10 VPNs. If you can pay for HMA, then you’ll be better off paying much less for NordVPN and enjoying the fastest, most secure, and most reliable VPN on the market.
Do you have a question about HMA VPN? Below, you’ll find answers to the most commonly asked questions about HMA.
No, HMA VPN does not work with the US version of Netflix. We recommend NordVPN if you want to watch the US version of Netflix with a VPN.
Yes, you can download torrents with HMA VPN’s special torrent servers. Just make sure that you only download torrents that are not copyright protected.
No, HMA VPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses. If you need a dedicated IP, choose NordVPN. It has dedicated IPs in several countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, and Germany.
Here’s a breakdown of HMA’s prices:
- 1 week: Free trial – 5 connections
- 12 months: $4.99/month ($59.88 billed every year) – 5 connections
- 36 months: $2.99/month ($107.64 billed every three years) – 5 connections
- 12 months: $7.99/month ($95.88 billed every year) – 10 connections
- 24 months: $6.99/month ($167.76 billed every two years) – 10 connections
- 36 months: $5.99/month ($215.64 billed every three years) – 10 connections
What Our Experts Think About HMA
