HideIPVPN has taken the VPNverse by a storm ever since its launch in 2009 with only a handful of servers. It is definitely easy to make a spectacular first impression on the internet, but it is unquestionably challenging to maintain this kind of momentum and top position against fierce competitors for almost a decade. So, let’s see what makes HideIPVPN a worthy competitor to other leading VPN services and so popular among VPN users.
The Website
Like big VPN service providers, HideIPVPN knows exactly how to present and market a product. The website is sleek & user-friendly. Everything is in place and is well organised. You can easily navigate and swipe through the multiple features & services of HideIPVPN.
Free Trial & Price Plans
HideIPVPN comes with two free trials, a 24-hr VPN trial and a 7-day Smart DNS trial. We find this an honest approach to give users enough time to explore the most important aspects of a VPN service, such as: overall performance, speed, configuration & getting access to desired websites. It was disappointing to find that HideIPVPN doesn’t offer free trials to all countries. On the other hand, HideIPVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in case subscribers find their services unsatisfying. However, the trick is that their money-back guarantee policy is quite grey. The company would only make a refund if the issue surpasses anything that could have been discovered or tested during their free trial period. Nothing for free is ever truly for free, right?
As for price plans, HideIPVPN comes with 6 somehow pricy, but equally attractive packages (monthly, quarterly & annually) based on server locations, except for the “Ninja Power” package that is considered as a best seller. Here is a sneak peek at their monthly offers.
- US VPN package (includes: SmartDNS & proxy) for $5.99
- UK VPN package (includes: SmartDNS & proxy) for $5.99
- Poland VPN package (includes: SmartDNS & proxy) for $5.99
- Bit Torrent VPN package (includes: P2P sharing) for $5.99
- Smart DNS package (includes: 7-Day free trial) for $4.95
- Ninja Power package (includes: VPN, SmartDNS & proxy + premium 29 servers) for $9.99
Privacy
To our disappointment, HideIPVPN doesn’t keep traffic logs, but partially keeps records of your personal data , such as: name, billing info,through filling forms or making purchases online as stated on their privacy policy section on their website. They can also track your activity on their website. However, they say that they don’t keep server logs and strictly state that they would never share any of their subscribers’ personal information with any third party. In a nutshell, your browsing history will not be kept in their records, only some bits of your personal information and necessary data needed for maintenance.
Features
In this section, we will explore the different features provided by HideIPVPN and understand why exactly this service very popular among VPN users.
Compatibility
HideIPVPN is impressively compatible with almost all platforms, including: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, Smart TVs, gaming consoles and routers. This means that users can use HideIPVPN on more than one device simultaneously for web surfing, gaining access through restricted websites, gaming, and streaming media securely and anonymously away from prying eyes.
Encryption & Security
One of the best things about HideIPVPN is that it supports various secure and reliable encryption protocols to meet all users’ needs. Users have the option to choose from OpenVPN , L2TP, PPTP, SSTP, PPTP and SoftEther’s SSL-VPN. We always recommend using OpenVPN as it is the most reliable and secure encryption protocol known so far if you are keen on your internet privacy more than speed. For users who prefer speed to impenetrable privacy, we would suggest L2TP to PPTP as it is more secure.
Installation, Connection & Speed
We have signed up for the free trial to test the service and here is how the process went in detail.
First of all, we had to register for an account on HideIPVPN which was extremely easy, then we received an activation email for our free trial that included a username and a password.
We were then automatically re-directed to a different web page with all the instructions needed after the registration process, which we found very helpful. Then, we easily installed their Windows client. The installation process was effortless and the Windows client is light on the system as well as very easy to use. All you need to do is to type in the username/password provided in the activation name, choose an encryption protocol and select a server, then click “connect”. We were connected to the US server via OpenVPN.
As for speed, it was very decent and fast even though we were connected to a distant server. We didn’t expect any slow down, interruptions. This is impressive for a a VPN service like HideIPVPN that has only 7 servers tactfully dispersed throughout USA and Europe.
More Attractive Features
As we have mentioned before, HideIPVPN clearly knows how to play the game. The service is bundled with various irresistible features including:
- SmartDNS: an excellent way to bypass geographically restricted firewalls by creating a decoy DNS server address on the user’s device. This is particularly used in cases of streaming restricted media content.
- Application Killer: gives users the ability to select apps they would like to have automatically shut down if by any means the connection drops.
- DNS Leak Protection: adds an extra layer of protection to cloak a user’s original DNS.
- P2P sharing.
Customer Support
HideIPVPN offers 24/7 live chat support for registered users. It also offers a copious F.A.Q section, tickets and a blog that is constantly updated with the latest news about the service and the VPN universe.
Conclusion
We can definitely agree that HideIPVPN is one of the best VPN services in the market and is a worthy competitor. It combines lots of important features needed for any good VPN service. Our concern is mainly about their grey privacy and return policies. We would also like to suggest adding more servers to cover Asia and MENA region. Further, it would also be great if they would make their free trials available to all countries. It’s only fair, right?
Pros
- Impressive features
- Fast connection
- SmartDNS
- DNS leak protection
- Multiple encryption protocols
- Compatible with multiple platforms
Cons
- Slightly expensive
- Partially keeps logs
- Vague privacy & money-back guarantee policies
- Free trial isn’t available to all countries
- Small list of servers
