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vpnMentor was established in 2014 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

HMA VPN Review 2024: Is This a Safe VPN You Can Trust?

Our Score: 7.0/10
Ranked 115th out of 306 VPNs
Matthew Amos Updated on 19th January 2024 Fact-checked by Anneke van Aswegen Senior Editor

HMA (formerly HideMyAss) is a relatively cheap VPN that claims to offer more server locations than anyone else. However, it has faced some serious controversies in the past. Is it a VPN that can keep you safe and anonymous online?

To find out, I performed extensive tests on all its features and explored its updated privacy policy. I also checked out several connection issues customers have reported. Plus, I found out if its refund policy holds up and how long it takes to get your money back.

Overall, it’s a decent VPN. While it has many strengths, there are several areas where it underperformed. In many ways, these tests seriously surprised me. For a consistently reliable experience, I recommend trying one of our top-tier VPNs instead.

Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

Pros

Cons

HMA VPN Features — 2024 Update

7.0
💸 Price 2.99 USD/month
📆 Money Back Guarantee 30 Days
📝 Does VPN keep logs? No
🖥 Number of servers 1080+
💻 Number of devices per license 10
🛡 Kill switch Yes
🗺 Based in country United Kingdom
🛠 Support Via email
📥 Supports torrenting Yes

Streaming – Unreliable for Secure Viewing

6.0

My global team and I couldn’t watch many top platforms safely with HMA. I utilized an international group of testers to see if we could still stream with our connections encrypted by HMA. It only worked about half the time, and there were some other annoying issues.

While you could technically use a VPN like HMA to access content outside of your region, you should know that this will probably be interpreted as copyright infringement. My teammates and I only connected to servers within our respective countries to perform our tests.

The VPN offers 6 optimized server locations for streaming. Since I live in the US, I was able to test the 4 US ones. My teammate in Germany tested the Frankfurt location, and my UK colleague executed similar tests with the Donkey Town server (yes that is a real place in the UK). Unfortunately, our results weren’t great even with these optimized servers.

Important. My colleagues and I do not condone copyright violations in any form. HMA follows a strict no logging policy, so it won’t track your online activities. That means you’re solely responsible for how you use it. We strongly recommend you adhere to the terms of service agreements of any streaming platform you engage with.

Works With: Netflix, Max, Disney+, and YouTube

My team and I were only able to watch Netflix Originals with HMA. This is a version of Netflix that only has the content the platform owns, so you miss out on region-specific shows. This happened to me on the US optimized servers (where I live), and it also occurred for my teammates from Germany and the UK using the optimized servers in their respective locations.

Screenshot of Netflix player streaming The Witcher while connected to HMA's Miami serverThe videos loaded nearly instantly any time I used the US optimized locations

I watched HD videos without buffering on Netflix and Disney+. So far, I was pretty impressed with how well the US optimized servers were working for me.

Screenshot of Disney+ player streaming The Princess Bride while connected to HMA's Miami serverThe US streaming optimized servers in Miami and New York let me watch Disney+ safely

I was also able to stream Max (formerly HBO Max) without issues. There was a strange new CAPTCHA-like puzzle I had to solve, but besides that, I could load videos quickly and watch in HD after about 4 seconds.

In addition, I could watch YouTube with HMA.

Doesn’t Work With: Hulu, BBC iPlayer, ITV, Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video

Using the US streaming-optimized servers, I couldn’t watch Hulu, Peacock, or Amazon Prime Video from the US. I’m a pretty heavy binge-watcher, and I have shows I like to keep up with on all these platforms, so that was disappointing. I never go online without an encrypted connection, so I need a VPN that won’t interrupt my viewing habits.

I also asked my colleague in the UK to test HMA with some more platforms in their region. Normal servers and the optimized location wouldn’t work with BBC iPlayer. On the UK streaming optimized server, they could log in to their ITV Hub account, but they couldn’t play any videos.

I contacted HMA’s support team, but their troubleshooting advice didn’t help. They told me to make sure that the VPN was properly connected to my device. Each IP checker I tested showed that HMA was successfully masking my real IP address. Unfortunately, they couldn’t provide any further advice.

Overall, I can’t recommend HMA for its streaming capabilities. It doesn’t work with many top platforms, and you’ll miss out on the content that’s specific to your region on Netflix when you’re connected. I recommend you try one of the top VPNs for streaming that are all more reliable.

Speed — Significant Slowdowns, Even With the Fastest Protocol

6.0

HMA has okay speeds at best, and some servers slow you down a lot. But, you’ll have to use the WireGuard protocol to get decent speeds. OpenVPN was almost 10 times slower in several tests. I wasn’t even able to connect to Mimic, which I’ll elaborate on later.

These are the main factors we look at when running our tests:

  • Download speed – measures (in Mbps) the amount of data you can receive from the internet in a determined amount of time.
  • Upload speed – also measured in Mbps, determines the amount of data you can send from your computer in a specific time period.
  • Ping – measures the time it takes for your information to reach the server and return a signal. This is important in gaming, as higher ping usually translates into lag.

We have a dedicated speed tester in the UK. This way, all of our tests are done with the same connection speed in the same location. In addition, these results are the averages of at least 10 tests on each server. Our tester records speeds on a wide variety of servers to demonstrate a VPN’s overall performance. As stated above, we do not condone any form of copyright infringement and ask that you adhere to all the terms of service agreements applicable to any service you use.

Screenshot of a speed chart showing HMA's speeds on several servers worldwideOur tester’s speeds dropped by 28% on nearby servers and 51% on distant ones

The nearby results weren’t bad, but the fastest VPNs might only slow you down by 15% at close range. HMA has made improvements in this area by adding 20 GBPS servers and including WireGuard, so I was hoping it would be faster. I was also surprised that the server in the UK lowered her rates by 37%.

Screenshot of Ookla speed tests done with no VPN connected and while connected to HMAThis was the server “Lightning Connect” gave her (its quick connect feature)

HMA has in-app speed tests, but they’re not super accurate. This chooses several nearby servers and gives you download rates and ping results for them. However, these results were often much different from what I got doing tests on my own, so I didn’t find this feature super helpful.

Over 9,000 km from our tester, speeds were always poor. For example, the server in Brazil dropped her speeds by over 70%. That’s disappointing since many VPNs will only reduce your rates by 40% or even less on locations that far away. You can find a VPN that will maintain your speeds much better in this list.

Gaming — Poor Speeds Made Online Play Impossible

2.0

HMA’s ping rates were so high I couldn’t even join an online game. Ping is the most important speed factor to look out for when you’re gaming. You want your rate to be below 85 ms for smooth gaming. Unfortunately, we were never able to get one below 100. This meant I couldn’t even connect to the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive network to find a match.

Screenshot of Steam being unable to load Counter-Strike: Global Offensive while connected to HMA's Dallas serverThe closest server still gave me a ping rate of 145 ms

To be fair, all VPNs raise your ping rates some. I’ve also never found a VPN that lets me play games lag-free on long distance servers. However, there are many VPNs that won’t affect your gameplay on nearby servers. I recommend you check out this list of the best VPNs for gaming to stay safe while you play.

Server Network — A Few Flaws, but Tons of Worldwide Locations

8.0

HMA has the most locations of any VPN I tested, but its server count isn’t very high. This means it lets you connect to nearly every country on the planet but with a limited number of servers, which can affect speeds. You saw how this played out in our speed tests. PIA offers the most servers at 2,400, but services like CyberGhost and NordVPN also provide many more servers than HMA.

HMA offers 1,080 servers in 210 countries. It has 189 optimized servers for streaming in 6 different locations, including 4 in the US, 1 in the UK, and 1 in Germany. It also has servers specialized for P2P in 8 locations — 3 in the US, 1 in the UK, and 4 in Europe.

Servers optimized for streaming Servers optimized for P2P
Miami, Florida, US Miami, Florida, US
New York, New York, US New York, New York, US
Seattle, Washington, US Seattle, Washington, US
Liberty Island, New York, US London, UK
Donkey Town, UK Netherlands (city not specified)
Frankfurt, Germany Czech Republic (city not specified)
/ Paris, France
/ Frankfurt, Germany

I really like how neatly the servers are organized in tab menus on the left side of the app’s interface. You can choose from your favorite servers, the most recent ones you’ve connected to, or the ones optimized for streaming and torrenting without having to scroll through the whole list to find them. Additionally, the optimized servers are marked with icons, which is really helpful when you actually want to search through the whole list.

Screenshot of HMA's Windows app highlighting the server networkTorrenting-optimized servers are marked with “P2P”, and streaming ones have a play button

HMA offers great server coverage across the world, including lots of countries in the Middle East and Africa that VPNs usually neglect.

The table below shows you how many countries are offered in each region:

Europe 49
North America 27
South America 20
Asia & Oceania 54
Middle East 15
Africa 53

Part of the reason HMA has so many locations is because many of these servers are virtual. These give you an IP address of the country you choose — but they're actually based in another country. This can be safer if it keeps the VPN’s servers out of restrictive countries. But it also negatively affects your speeds when the server is farther away than you expect.

You can see a list of virtual servers on its website, and it also informs you after you’ve connected to a virtual server. However, I wish it told you where the virtual servers are actually located. You’ll have to do your own IP tests to find out.

HMA manages both its physical and virtual servers. Therefore, it still has full control over its servers even if it rents them from a third party. So, there’s no risk to the privacy and security of your data. On the website, it is also briefly explained why HMA uses virtual servers.

The VPN also offers a large number of city-level servers in different countries. For example, in the US, there are servers in more than 50 cities. I like this because when a VPN location is only specified by country, it’s hard to know how close it is. There are 3 city-level servers in Canada, Australia, and the UK, and 2 in France, Germany, Russia, Spain, and Ukraine.

Many people have had issues connecting to HMA, but I was always able to get it working with WireGuard. This was true of its 7-day trial and with the premium VPN. There is also no special trick to connecting, you simply press the connect button on the VPN’s main page. However, I could never connect to the Mimic protocol, and there were some instances where I had to reconnect on OpenVPN. It’s also a bit disappointing it doesn’t offer dedicated IPs like many of its competitors. These are useful for things like running a website.

Security — Military-Grade Encryption and Advanced Features

9.0

HMA offers multiple security features. Besides the military-grade encryption, it also has reliable kill-switches, split tunneling, IP Shuffle, and an ad-blocker in its Chrome extensions. Moreover, it didn’t leak my personal information to the websites I was using.

Encryption & Protocols

HMA uses military-grade AES 256-GCM encryption and Perfect Forward Secrecy, which means your data is as safe as it gets. It can get a little technical, but all you really need to know is these features make your connection impossible to hack. If someone were to try, it would take them a few hundred years to get the encryption key.

It also offers 3 secure protocols — OpenVPN (TCP/UDP), WireGuard, and IKEv2/IPSec. WireGuard is only an option for Windows devices. You'll be limited to OpenVPN on Android. Mac and iOS can only use the IKEv2 protocol at the moment, which is nearly as fast as WireGuard. So, you’ll get slower speeds on your Android phone.

It also offers Mimic, but I could never successfully connect during my tests. This is supposed to be its own obfuscation technology that lets you use the VPN on restricted networks, like schools and work. The problems with this protocol could be one reason HMA does so poorly with streaming.

There are guides on HMA’s Knowledge Base page on how to install OpenVPN on macOS if you don’t want to use the IKEv2 protocol. There’s even an option where you can view your OpenVPN connection logs which is helpful if you ever run into some problems with the VPN.

Kill Switch

There are 2 kill switches, which is unique for a VPN. One is a system-wide kill switch, and the other is an app kill switch.

The regular system-wide kill switch cuts your internet connection if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects so that your IP doesn’t get exposed. The app kill switch secures the apps of your choice by blocking internet access to them if the VPN connection drops. The two kill switches are available for Windows and Android, but not for iOS. The system-wide kill switch is also available for macOS.

Keep in mind that none of the kill switches are active by default. This means that, unless you activate them from the Privacy tab, you won’t be fully protected.

IP, DNS, and WebRTC Leaks

HMA manages its own DNS servers and has built-in protection against IPv4, IPv6, and DNS leaks. DNS leaks happen when your DNS requests are accidentally routed through your ISP instead of the VPN. This way, your data will become visible and your ISP will see and log your internet activity. Since HMA has total control over its DNS servers, no third party can see your information.

Screenshot of a leak test performed on ipleak.net while connected to HMA's Japan serverHMA didn’t leak my IP, DNS, or WebRTC information

IP leaks are similar, but it’s your IP address that gets leaked — meaning that the websites you access will be able to see you and your location when you access them. I ran tests on US, UK, and Tokyo servers and was pleased to find no WebRTC, DNS, or IP leaks.

Split Tunneling

HMA offers split tunneling in its Android and Windows apps. This is a clever feature that allows you to choose which apps you want to secure with HMA. This way, you can route traffic on certain apps through the VPN and leave other apps’ traffic unencrypted, so that they pass through your normal ISP network.

For example, I like to run my browser app through the VPN. Meanwhile, I make sure my banking app routes through my ISP so that I don’t trigger any alerts on my account.

IP Shuffle

The IP Shuffle makes it harder for anyone to track your location because you can randomly change your IP address at a time interval of your choice. Though it’s worth noting that this feature is available for Windows, Android, and macOS but not for iOS.

There’s also an IP Refresh if you would like to manually and quickly change your IP. This feature is useful if you want to be completely protected. Since your IP address can change every 10 minutes, no one will be able to backtrace the connection to you.

Auto-Connect

The auto-connect feature lets you configure when the VPN connects automatically. This is very useful because you can set it to automatically connect and keep you safe when you’re on public WiFi, in case you forget to turn on the VPN yourself. It is available for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS.

Ad Blocker

HMA’s Chrome extension offers a built-in ad-blocker. This is an awesome addition, especially for all of you that are tired of constantly dealing with unwanted ads like I am. Unfortunately, it’s only available with its extensions. I don’t recommend using these, which I’ll elaborate on later.

Virus Test

HMA’s apps are completely safe and malware-free. Before I downloaded the Windows app, I used the VirusTotal website to check that the installer is clean. I didn’t expect any issues, but I wanted to check just to make sure. Fortunately, the results met my expectations, and there weren’t any viruses or other types of malware in the file.

I tested HMA’s Windows app installer for viruses on VirusTotal

One thing that HMA is missing is multi-hop. This feature further strengthens your online security and privacy by routing your traffic through 2 or more servers, which makes your data practically untraceable.

Privacy — Audited No-Logs Policy but There Are Some Concerns

8.8

While HMA has had its controversies in the past, it worked hard to overcome them with a new privacy policy. In 2011, a hacking group used HMA to attack the Sony company. HMA complied with authorities by identifying a hacker, leading to their arrest. There was another incident in 2017 where HMA once again helped identify a user with timestamps.

However, it created a new privacy policy in 2020 that has been verified by an independent audit. It was owned by a different company during its controversies, and there have been no incidents since it was acquired by Avast.

There have also been reports that HMA has sent letters to users about downloading copyrighted materials. This may make you wonder how it knows what people are downloading since it claims not to monitor anyone’s online activities. It’s also located in the UK, which isn’t a privacy-friendly country. So, I can’t call it one of the best VPNs for privacy.

Does HMA Keep Logs? No

Aside from the basic personal information that most VPNs collect to create your accounts (such as your email address, username, activation code, and subscription renewal date), HMA also records the date of connection and a rounded amount of data transferred. But, its policy claims it doesn’t record any information about your location or your online activities.

Additionally, in the Privacy Policy, there’s information on what data is kept on its VPN clients and for what purpose. This includes data about your connection events, i.e., attempts of connection and disconnection, or events when an error occurred during the process. This data is not linked to specific users. You’re reminded to update your apps to the latest versions to avoid potential privacy risks.

There’s an option on the Android app to turn off analytics data sharing with third parties. You can find this option in the Settings menu under the Personal Privacy tab. It is turned on by default, but if you don’t want it, you can turn it off anytime.

Screenshot of HMA's privacy policy highlighting what it collects from the VPN clientHMA keeps the service data for 2 years, and it’s all anonymized

Note that HMA’s web proxy extensions are a separate service to the VPN and the audit below doesn’t cover them. This means that these extensions keep logs and data such as your IP address, domain names of the websites you visit, and timestamps of requests. Because of this I don’t recommend using the extensions.

Was HMA Audited? Yes

An independent cybersecurity firm conducted an audit of HMA's no-logs policy. VerSprite evaluated it and deemed it to have a "low-risk user privacy impact." The firm also highlighted areas for enhancement in the VPN, demonstrating its commitment to delivering high-level security.

On top of that, HMA’s parent company — Avast — publishes a warrant canary 4 times a year. This means you can easily check and see all the requests Avast receives to disclose the VPN’s user data to government agencies. The company is taking transparent steps to distance itself from past instances of data sharing.

Based in the UK

The VPN is based in the UK, which is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance (a group of countries that collects and shares citizen’s online data). This means that if the government requested your data, HMA would be obligated to hand it over. However, considering that the service has a proven no-logs policy, there shouldn’t be any valuable data that can be traced back to you.

Does HMA Work in China? No

HMA doesn’t consistently work in China.

In theory, its Mimic protocol should help it work in the country, but I could never connect to it.

While the Chinese government has blocked many VPNs, it rarely goes after people for using them. However, my team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. I recommend you read up on the laws before using a VPN in restrictive countries. If you choose to use a VPN in China, you can try one of these VPNs that reliably work in the country.

Torrenting — Offers P2P-Optimized Server Locations

9.4

Torrenting is allowed with HMA. However, note that torrenting copyrighted material is against the DMCA. Torrenting is also completely banned in some countries, so you should check the laws and regulations of your country before deciding to do so. My team and I don’t condone illegal torrenting.

There are 8 server locations optimized for P2P traffic. P2P-optimized servers give you better connection speeds while protecting your privacy at the same time.

HMA’s P2P-optimized server locations have their own tab menu in the Windows app

I was actually able to increase my torrenting speed slightly with one of HMA’s P2P servers. During my test, I tried downloading a 700 MB copyright-free movie. With no VPN, I could finish it in about 7 minutes. So, I was pleasantly surprised when it could be finished in only 5 minutes with HMA’s optimized Miami server.

It doesn’t offer port forwarding, which is a feature that can improve torrenting speeds. But it doesn’t matter, since its optimized servers are so fast. So, I have no issues with HMA’s torrenting performance.

Installation & Apps

7.0

Weak Compatibility for Its Easy-to-Use Apps

Besides some connection issues, I have no problem with HMA’s interface. It’s easy to navigate menus and access the servers and settings.

Screenshot of HMA Windows app highlighting the settings menusYou can switch between the protocols by accessing the “Advanced” tab

There was one technical hitch during my initial test — I couldn’t access any websites. For some reason, I had no internet connection whenever I turned HMA on. Fortunately, there’s a troubleshooting button on the app to help in cases like this. After I ran the troubleshooter, I received a notification to contact HMA’s customer support with the error code.

Unfortunately, support is pretty hard to access as I’ll detail below. I was also unsuccessful using some advice I found in its forums. As a last resort, I deleted the app, rebooted my computer, and reinstalled it again. Fortunately, it started working.

Apart from this temporary glitch, I was happy with HMA’s apps. It’s straightforward to use, with a fun and clear interface.

Setup & Installation

The set-up and installation process was simple. I installed HMA in a couple of minutes.

Screenshot of HMA's download page from the HMA websiteSet up is the same whether you’re using a trial or a premium subscription

I tested the Windows app, and it was easy to navigate. It is really well organized, and you can quickly find all the features and settings you need. Even if you’re not too tech-savvy, it’s easy to find your way around the app.

Device Compatibility

HMA is compatible with the following devices and operating systems:

  • Windows: 7,8, and 10;
  • Android: Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo, and Pie;
  • macOS: 10.5 and up (Yosemite, El Capitan, High Sierra, Catalina, and others);
  • iOS: 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Unfortunately, some of the apps are missing several features, and there’s minimal support for other devices. For example, the support for Linux, browser extensions, gaming devices, and smart TVs is disappointing compared to the top VPNs.

Desktop — Apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux

The Windows app gives you everything HMA has to offer. It comes with every protocol, IP Shuffle, split tunneling, and both kill switches.

The Mac app is missing several features. You don’t get split tunneling. Plus, it only lets you use IKEv2, and it has no dedicated app kill switch. Combine this with its privacy issues, and it’s a tough VPN to recommend if your main device runs on macOS.

In the past, you could connect a Linux device to HMA through an OpenVPN CLI. However, the download page on HMA’s website now produces an error page. There are still some old instructions for manual installation in its knowledge base. However, you should just try one of the best VPNs for Linux if you want a full featured app.

Android and iPhone (iOS)

The Android app is much better than the iOS one. On Android, you can use split tunneling, IP shuffle, and the OpenVPN protocol. The only thing you miss out on is the dedicated app kill switch.

Sadly, the iOS app is seriously lacking. It only comes with the IKEv2 protocol, and you can’t use split tunneling, IP shuffle, or either kill switch. To stay safe on your iPhone, I recommend you test out one of the best VPNs for iOS on this list.

Browser Extensions for Chrome and Firefox

HMA lets you connect to proxies for free with its extensions, but they’re not safe or privacy-friendly. As I noted above, these extensions store your IP address. They can also only connect you to proxies in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. These change your location but don’t fully encrypt your connection the way a VPN does.

Apps for Android TV

You can download a full app on Android TVs, but I wish there was more smart TV support. The only way you can use the VPN on Apple TVs, Fire TVs, Chromecast or any other television or streaming device is by connecting to a router. Unfortunately there’s no smart DNS feature, which would also make it easy to connect to game consoles.

We only recommend installing a VPN on your smart TV or streaming devices to protect the sensitive information stored on them. While you could theoretically use a VPN to access restricted content, that would likely result in a copyright violation. My team and I don’t condone any form of copyright infringement and ask you to follow all the terms of service agreements applicable to you.

Router Compatibility

You can manually install HMA on a router or buy a FlashRouter with it pre-installed. The process is pretty complicated, and I’d prefer to use a VPN that comes with a dedicated router app. Connecting to a router is an easy way to connect any non-compatible device. I recommend you use one of the VPNs in this list if you want to connect your router.

Simultaneous Device Connections

With HMA, you can secure 10 to 10 devices at once, or even more if you choose to install it on a router. The basic plans allow you to connect up to 10 devices, or you can select a Family Plan if you want to connect up to 10 devices at once. There are also Business plans that let you connect up to 30 devices at the same time. Just be aware that each plan that offers additional connections is more expensive than the last.

I tested HMA on all my devices simultaneously and found it performed just as well with multiple connections. But you should be aware that some VPNs come with unlimited devices for cheaper. For example, PIA and Surfshark don't limit connections, and their prices are cheaper than HMA.

Pricing

7.0
36 months plan
$ 2.99 / month per month
24 months plan
$ 3.99 / month per month
1 month plan
$ 11.99 / month per month

Affordable Long-Term Plan

HMA's short-term plans are expensive, but the longest term offers good value for money. It categorizes its plans as Standard, Family, and Business. This just adjusts the number of device connections. The standard subscriptions offer 10 connections, family gives you 10, and business allows 30.

The longest plan with the minimum connections is only $2.99/month. This is pretty cheap, but it is a 3-year commitment.

I like that you can get a 7-day free trial on all compatible devices, but there is a catch. You’ll be charged for a full year of the Family plan if you don’t cancel in time. Thankfully, you can do this without having to contact support through a setting in your account. I also appreciate that this lets you use all the apps’ features along with unlimited data.

However, it’s a long, tedious process to get a refund with its money-back guarantee. If you purchase a subscription you have 30-days to ask for a refund via email if you’re not satisfied. But, I recommend you do it quickly because it can take a long time. It took several days for me to get my first reply.

Screenshot of a conversation with HMA support staff where my refund request was approvedI had to email HMA a reason for my cancelation before it would accept it

Thankfully, the refund was processed the same day I received an email telling me I was approved. I did get all my money back as well. I’ve also heard many people claim it took them much longer, or they never received an email response. So, please keep that in mind.

You can pay using all major credit and debit cards — Visa, Mastercard, Amex (American Express). HMA also accepts PayPal, UnionPay, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Alipay, Giropay, Sofort, and many others. Unfortunately, it doesn’t accept cryptocurrency. This means you can’t pay anonymously, and you may not be able to subscribe from certain countries. However, I like that it uses 2Checkout to process the payments. That way, it doesn’t have to access your information.

Reliability & Support

6.6

Slow Response Times

HMA has okay support, but response times take way too long. It offers email assistance through a ticketing system, but there is no 24/7 live chat or phone support.

I live in the US, and I wanted to connect to HMA’s US servers to watch Hulu securely. However, when it wouldn’t work, I had to try contacting support. The process was long and annoying. I couldn’t even use its community forum since that’s been discontinued just like its live chat. I used the website’s Help pop-up window, which I thought was live chat support. I was disappointed to find out that it wasn’t a live chat at all but just a way to send an email. I got a very late reply, 5 days after contacting the team.

The customer support representative apologized and also gave me some instructions on how to fix the login problem I had with Hulu. Unfortunately, even after following the instructions they gave me, my issue still wasn’t resolved. I was never able to watch Hulu safely while connected to the VPN. That’s not to mention the problems I had receiving a refund. With the top VPNs, you can have a refund approved in a matter of minutes, or get any other question answered.

Screenshot of an email response from HMA support asking why I want a refundHMA has abandoned its live chat and there’s no indication it will come back

In addition to this, the VPN offers comprehensive support through its website. The Community page features a section of frequently asked questions, and a plethora of articles are available in the Knowledge Base to assist you with various needs. These articles address everything from installing and setting up both native and non-native apps to resolving various issues that might arise with the service.

The website is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and many other languages, making it pretty accessible. While it has some good points, the HMA customer support could do with improvement in terms of speed so I can’t recommend it. Try one of these VPNs with outstanding customer support instead.

Compare HMA VPN With The Top Alternative VPNs
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The Bottom Line

Final Verdict — A Decent VPN With Several Flaws

HMA is impressive in a few areas. It offers the most locations of any VPN, and its updated privacy policy has been audited to prove it’s followed. HMA also comes with solid security features and works well for torrenting.

However, it still can’t compete with the best VPNs. Its servers all lowered my speeds quite a bit. Plus, it’s bad for streaming and gaming. HMA doesn’t support as many devices as its top competitors, there are connection issues, and it offers weak customer support. You’ll get better value for your money if you try one of the best VPNs available today.

DD-b0DH1t20
  • Tons of server locations
  • Solid security features
  • Audited no logs-policy
  • Fast torrenting speeds
  • 7-day free trial

FAQs on HMA

Is HMA safe?

Yes, HMA is safe. It comes with military-grade encryption, and it passed all of my leak tests. Plus, it has a kill switch and many other solid security features. While there were privacy controversies in the past, it has worked hard to improve its reputation. It’s under new ownership and its updated privacy policy was audited by a reputable firm to prove it’s really followed.

Does HMA work with Netflix?

Yes, HMA works with Netflix Originals, but it prevents you from watching region-specific content. I checked it out alongside my team of international testers. We each connected to servers in our respective countries to see if it would let us watch Netflix safely. Unfortunately, we were only able to watch Netflix Originals during tests from the US, the UK, and Germany.

While you could technically use a VPN like HMA to access content from other regions, be aware this will probably result in a copyright violation. My team and I don’t condone any manner of copyright infringements and request that you always follow the T&Cs of any streaming platform you utilize.

Will HMA slow my speeds down?

Yes, HMA will slow you down on every server. Every VPN reduces your speeds because your traffic is being encrypted and rerouted. However, the best VPNs do it so little, you hardly notice it. Even with nearby servers, HMA still lowered out speeds by an average of 28%.

Which VPN is better than HMA?

ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PIA, and several other premium VPNs are better than HMA. Each of these providers are much faster, offer better streaming performance, and come with 24/7 live chat support (HMA only offers support through email).

Can you use HMA VPN for free?

Yes, you can use HMA for free with its 7-day trial. This is available for every compatible device, and it comes with unlimited data. You can use this to test all of its features, but you’ll be charged for a full year if you don’t cancel in time.

Money Back Guarantee (Days): 30
Mobile app:
Number of devices per license: 10
VPN Plans: hidemyass.com
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
HMA VPN User Reviews (User reviews are not verified)
7.9
Based on 300 reviews in 29 languages

Write a Review on HMA VPN

Please rate VPN.

All Speed Streaming Security Сustomer service
Kaan
Kaan
2/10
Terrible Support

I had a return request. because my ISP blocked their servers and I contacted their support team. My tickets have not been answered for 14 days. I do not recommend them with this terrible support and no wireguard support. 1/10

    Bill
    Bill
    2/10
    Used it for 5+ years - very poor connection now and no support

    On a new Windows 11 machine, HMA connects and disconnects every minute or so. When it is connected pages take a long time to load. I'm a loyal customer and reached out for assistance 19 days ago. An auto-response comes right back promising someone will get in contact with me but no one ever does. I made 4 attempts in the past 2 plus weeks but no one appears to be working in customer service. Reading other comments my experience was not unique - there were others too that attempted to get help and then ultimately canceled. I got another VPN (Express) and although it costs a little more it works and is reliable. Unlike HMA Express seems to allow viewing of Prime movies while connected - which will work on vacation in Mexico or other countries. A recent rating of VPNs HMA doesn't make the top 5 anymore - it seems to be going kaput.

    Joe
    Joe
    2/10
    SUPPORT NEVER REPLIES TO QUESTIONS

    They claim to respond via online tech support here is what you get for support: "Thanks for contacting HMA customer care. Sorry for the delayed response. I have created a ticket for you and our Team will contact you via email with further details. Should you have more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. I hope you have a lovely day and stay safe" You should really check them out before you give them a good review

    About the Author

    Matthew is a writer and editor for VPNMentor with a proven track record of providing in-depth analysis of the most highly regarded VPNs, including ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. His unparalleled expertise has enabled him to consistently deliver cutting-edge insights on the most sought-after (and newest) VPN services.

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