Hoxx VPN is a US-based VPN that fails to deliver on so many levels, the worst of which is privacy. While some VPNs have a few negative traits for the free version, this VPN carries them over into the Premium version.
On the upside, it does deliver on speeds for HD and even Ultra HD but fails to unblock major streaming services. Hoxx VPN is easy to use as it offers one-click connections and an ad blocker, even if it is limited when it comes to security.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good ends and reality kicks in. It has a decided lack of important security features. Hoxx VPN is missing a kill-switch, military-grade encryption, and even industry-standard OpenVPN protocol.
Not only that, despite being very honest about its privacy policy, the amount of data it keeps is staggering.
Short On Time? Here Are My Key Findings:
- Unblocks YouTube and several social media sites, including Facebook. It doesn’t unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or Hulu. See the full result here.
- Fast enough for HD streaming. I also didn’t experience latency during gaming on most of the servers I tested. For full speed test results click here.
- The server network is small. Extremely limited servers on the free version of Hoxx VPN for mobile devices, 50+ locations and 100+ servers on the Premium version. More here.
- Short on industry-standard security features. Minimal security with no advanced protection like a kill switch or double VPN. It does offer an ad-blocker and split tunneling for premium. Get more details.
- Extensive data collection. Honest privacy policy but it collects an extensive amount of data that could put your devices and identity at risk. See more.
- Extremely easy to use. The app is easy to download, install, and navigate. See details.
Hoxx VPN Top Features Updated 2021
| Number of countries with servers | 17 |
| Number of servers | 100 |
| Does VPN keep logs? | Yes |
| Does VPN include a kill switch? | No |
| Number of devices per license | Unlimited |
Streaming – Does It Unblock Netflix? No
Hoxx VPN isn’t powerful enough to unblock Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video on the free or Premium versions. I was able to unblock YouTube, and several social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Unblocked: YouTube
The video was a little grainy but I was able to access YouTube content in each area I tested
Blocked By: Netflix libraries, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video (US content), and other popular streaming sites.
I was able to log into my Prime account but not watch any US content
If you want a free VPN powerful enough to unblock Netflix and a ton of other popular streaming sites, check out the best free VPNs for streaming.
Speeds – Fast Enough for HD Streaming
My base speeds were excellent, so I was interested to see if I would experience significant drops in download and upload speeds once I connected to Hoxx VPN.
Fast speeds for browsing the internet or watching YouTube
I didn’t drop speed much at all when I connected to a server in the US, New Jersey specifically. Download speed only decreased by 10%, and upload speed increased by 8%. Not bad at all for the free version of a VPN.
Next, I connected to a server in Canada and was surprised by the drastic reduction in download speed. There was a 51% speed decrease, and I live closer to Canada than New Jersey. Upload speeds continued to increase, this time by close to 10%.
Oddly, when I connected to a German server download speeds only dropped 18% from my base speed, and this time upload speeds decreased by 27%.
The speeds are more than fast enough for streaming in HD, but since it can’t unblock most streaming services your options will be limited for videos and movies.
Is Hoxx VPN Good for Gaming? No
Recommended ping back for gaming is 20-100ms. The higher you get toward 100ms, the more likely you become to experience latency issues. Ping is the amount of time it takes for data to transfer from your computer, to the server, and back again. If it’s too slow you will experience latency, which can potentially cause disconnects and lag. That means you could experience disconnects and lags during peak hours, since ping already fairly high on some of the servers I tested.
Server Network – Smaller Than Most
You get access to 50+ server locations on the Premium version according to the Hoxx VPN website. The app states that you get access to 100+ servers on the Premium plan, these servers are spread over 17+ countries.
That seems like a lot compared to the 4 servers in 4 locations, that users can access on the free plan.
Does Hoxx VPN Work In China? Yes
Hoxx VPN does work in China but there are some issues with random disconnects and latency, even for users visiting or living within the country.
The speeds aren’t terrible either, however, I wouldn’t recommend using this VPN for accessing content in China. The government heavily monitors the internet and Hoxx VPN doesn’t offer a kill switch. Plus, its data collection practices could put you at risk if a server is compromised.
Security – Not Strong on Features
Hoxx VPN is very basic when it comes to security on both its plans, offering Shadowsocks protocols, split tunneling, and an ad/malware blocker.
It’s Premium plan offers users 4096-bit encryption. While 4096-bit is strong, it’s also hackable; unlike the 256-bit AES military-grade encryption used by most VPNs. The free users get 1024-bit encryption, which under the right circumstances can be hacked in less than a week. That means if your data is intercepted while using Hoxx VPN, it could potentially leave your information up for grabs.
OpenVPN protocol is currently the industry-standard for VPNs, and more recently WireGuard has been taking the industry by storm. Hoxx VPN uses Shadowsocks, a secure Socks 5 proxy that isn’t a protocol at all. Shadowsocks proxy works fine for browser extensions and as an added option for a VPN users, but HoxxVPN uses it as the default for desktop and mobile apps.
Proxies are no where near as strong as protocols and are often incompatible with a number of programs, which could leave you exposed. The browser extensions use HTTP tunneling, a method that uses HTTP protocol to surround and protect data during transfer.
You can only use split tunneling for mobile devices, and the ad/blocker feature is only available on the browser extensions.
Privacy – It Doesn’t Exist on Hoxx VPN
First, I have to give Hoxx VPN credit for being brutally honest in its “privacy” policy, that said there is nothing private about this policy. I would be hard-pressed to find data it doesn’t collect. Here’s just a small offering from its privacy policy, it collects the following information:
- Logs: Including but not limited to browser type and language, access times, pages viewed, your IP address, and the website you visited before Hoxx VPN.
- Device: Includes the type, hardware model, OS and version, EMEI, phone number, and mobile network.
- Location: If you grant permission it collects device location, speed your device is traveling, and adds location based filters for any other reason.
It openly admits to using cookies and tracking technologies to collect information. Hoxx VPN also uses third-party tracking pixels from Google Analytic and Advertising.
I’d heard nightmare stories of IP/DNS leaks while connected to Hoxx VPN but I was happy to find that I didn’t experience any leaks during testing. A small but welcome relief, after discovering the lack of privacy policy.
Despite the horror stories about Hoxx VPN, my test results didn’t show any DNS or IP leaks
Is Hoxx VPN Good for Torrenting? No
Don’t torrent with Hoxx VPN. It collects too much information to make it safe. In the odd case you do end up downloading something that was supposed to be free license and isn’t, you could end up in a lot of trouble. Plus, its FAQ section is pretty clear that it doesn’t allow torrenting. It just isn’t worth the risk.
Hoxx VPN is clear that it doesn’t allow torrenting in its FAQ section
If you’re looking for a VPN to protect you while torrenting or doing other P2P activities, check out the best VPNs for torrenting.
