We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
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.
Advertising Disclosure

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.

hide.me VPN vs SaferVPN vs PureVPN 2024

Table of Contents

    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Nicky Hosek
    Nicky Hosek

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Note: SaferVPN joined forces with StrongVPN, so we'll be referring to it as StrongVPN in this comparison.

    This is an interesting comparison between three popular VPN services that have all managed to cultivate a following for themselves over the years.

    Exactly as its name suggests, hide.me offers a premier privacy package that includes Multihop servers and the Stealth Guard feature that blocks any app from communicating outside of the VPN connection. It’s also based in Malaysia, which falls outside any of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. Many users will also find its free forever plan enticing, despite its bandwidth and device limits.

    PureVPN is also headquartered in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, in the British Virgin Islands. It’s also a popular and trusted VPN as its 2 competitors, having been active in the VPN industry for some time. PureVPN is known for its vast server network that spans the globe, as well as its user-friendly apps.

    On the other hand, StrongVPN is the only VPN based in the US, considered the heart of the 5 Eyes Alliance. However, it has a strict no-logs policy in place and provides all the security and privacy-related assurances you expect of a trustworthy VPN. Much of its focus is on the US market, with a large number of server locations in North America.

    Now that you know a bit more about these contenders, let’s see how they compare across different categories.

    Our Score

    Features 9.0/10
    Pricing 9.6/10
    Ease of Use 9.2/10
    Reliability & Support 9.6/10
    Features 9.0/10
    Pricing 8.8/10
    Ease of Use 9.2/10
    Reliability & Support 9.0/10
    Features 7.6/10
    Pricing 8.0/10
    Ease of Use 9.0/10
    Reliability & Support 6.0/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Matthew Amos
    Matthew Amos

    Senior Editor

    Our Score: 9.0/10

    Offering a popular free version and cheap premium plans, hide.me claims to be one of the best value VPNs in the world. But will the free version keep you safe online, and how do its paid plans stack up to other premium VPNs? To find out, I performed extensive tests on every feature that hide.me offers. I explored speeds, streaming capabilities, and safety with the free and paid versions. In ad...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Anonymous Reviewer
    10.0/10
    Best VPN for free

    It works perfectly fine, the speeds are good, and there are a lot of different locations. I have had ... no problems with this VPN, and I like that it has a 10GB data limit monthly (more than most competitors). I tried every other free VPN, but all of them are slow and aren't as fast as this one. In my opinion, download this VPN and you will be happy.More

    Latest negative user review
    P
    Penki
    2.0/10
    Not working with my Asus RT-AX88U

    Will not work with Asus routers - Hide.me Service has no Interest in compatibility with Routers. I ha... d to change the Provider from Hide.me to NordVPN and its all OK now. I had a Bad Time and now the sun shines on the VPN Sky - thanks NordVPN.More

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Emma Browne
    Emma Browne

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Our Score: 9.0/10

    SaferVPN is merging with IPVanish, and it will no longer operate independently. Existing users will still be able to use their login credentials. Check out what IPVanish has to offer here.

    SaferVPN Features — 2024 Update

    9.0
    ...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    AK
    10.0/10
    5 stars

    I tried it for 25 days and bought it for 3 years. In these 25 days I also tried expressVPN. Safervpn w... as much much better. I guess it depends on which country or what you are after. I use it for Asia and India. Works the best especially for India. Now lets see how it goes the next 3 years I paid for lol, I cant cancel it BUT I feel they are good.More

    Latest negative user review
    A
    Avi Schwartz
    2.0/10
    Terrible service

    SaferVPN has terrible service. It is an Israeli-based company but for some reason, their Israeli node ... is missing for a while now. Their answer: "The Israel servers are under maintenance at the moment. It shall be back soon, I request you to please allow us some time." One has to wonder about a company that has no failover and takes weeks if not longer to bring up a server. If they had any competence or care, they could have brought up a new server within hours and a virtual one in half an hour. Gives you an idea of how bad they are. Stay away from this company and take your money somewhere else.More

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Matthew Amos
    Matthew Amos

    Senior Editor

    Our Score: 7.6/10

    PureVPN is a highly-rated and affordable VPN, but its had its share of controversies. A past incident involving the FBI caused significant damage to its reputation. So, has it done enough to improve its policies since then? To find out, I did a deep dive into its privacy policy and everything else it offers. I also tested its speeds, thoroughly explored its server network, examined its security ...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    R
    Rich
    10.0/10
    An excellent value, all things considered

    While they will absolutely throttle p2p in most servers, it's easy to find and log into the p2p server... s. They responded promptly when I had questions (although once it was basically to say "sorry, tough luck"). Overall though, I think I paid something like $20 for a year's subscription - I really can't complain. I'm sold on the service, although I think the fact that it's based out of HK is a bit spooky. 9/10More

    Latest negative user review
    J
    John
    2.0/10
    Not Private! They cooperate with FBI! Application will NOT CLOSE (only minimizes)

    PureVPN COOPERATES WITH FBI INVESTIGATIONS! You can verify this with any search! PureVPN REQUIRES ... USERS TO PROVIDE REAL NAME TO USE THE SERVICE! VPN Does NOT Support Close Application, Against Windows Standards! Close Actually Minimizes and it Keeps Running. Company refuses to change this back (used to operate correctly) A clear violation of your rights as owner of your PC.More

    Pricing

    Starting price $2.59/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices
    Starting price $2.13/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 12 devices
    Starting price $2.03/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 31 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    Both PureVPN and StrongVPN put on a strong case in specific categories, but it's hide.me that emerges as the top choice for most VPN users. It’s hard to beat hide.me’s user-friendly and feature-rich apps, plus its impressive global network of servers and exceptional torrenting capabilities. In all the categories it didn’t win, hide.me was always a very close second.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    hide.me is one of the few top VPNs that openly promote using its services for torrenting. It also backs up its marketing with features useful for torrenting, such as P2P support on all servers, Multihop (Double VPN) for added privacy, and SOCKS5 with dynamic port forwarding to improve your speeds. However, you may not even need it as it typically has fast torrenting speeds, even when connected to distant servers. What also helps is its worldwide server network with options in only fewer countries than PureVPN.

    Best VPN for Windows

    All three VPNs provide similar features in their Windows apps, so we have to give it to hide.me based on how well-rounded it is. You get all the features you expect from a top VPN desktop app, including one that blocks apps from using the internet if the VPN is not connected, a kill switch, and a quick-connect. Plus, you can choose between five VPN protocols.

    Best VPN for Android

    PureVPN for Android is one of the most enjoyable mobile VPN apps you’ll ever use. The minimal and clean design works perfectly on smaller screens without sacrificing any of the features of the Windows app. Plus, it’s also available on Amazon Fire TV Stick, as its 2 competitors, StrongVPN and hide.me.

    Best VPN for Mac

    hide.me offers a powerhouse macOS app with support for WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SSTP, and even SoftEther. The macOS app also comes with essential VPN features like a kill switch and split tunneling. Although PureVPN’s macOS app looks the same as the Windows version, it doesn’t offer split tunneling or show server ping rates which is why it misses out in this category.

    Best VPN for iOS

    Like most VPNs, neither of these three offers split tunneling on iOS. While it’s a close call, PureVPN still wins thanks to offering the best user experience on mobile, plus giving access to protocols like SSTP, IKEv2, OpenVPN, L2TP, and WireGuard on iOS.

    Best VPN for USA

    This is a pretty straightforward win for StrongVPN as it offers servers in 15 US cities, compared with 13 for PureVPN and 14 for hide.me. It also has a decent selection of servers in neighboring countries, like Mexico and Canada. However, both hide.me and PureVPN may be better options for US citizens looking to connect to servers abroad with larger networks spread across more countries.

    The Bottom Line

    After spending some time with it, it’s clear why hide.me is such a popular VPN. It's impossible to ignore the convenience of how easy-to-use and streamlined its apps are, plus that you can find servers near you almost anywhere in the world. Considering the high level of privacy that hide.me has to offer, plus its generous free plan, it is simply the more tempting choice for most users. While its long-term pricing is not as cheap as PureVPN’s, it’s still more affordable than most other VPNs, especially considering you get 10 simultaneous device connections.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    FAQ

    Is hide.me VPN better than SaferVPN and PureVPN?

    Yes, hide.me VPN is better overall than SaferVPN and PureVPN. It has 2400 servers in 89 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $2.59 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between hide.me VPN, SaferVPN and PureVPN?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then hide.me VPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests.

    Is hide.me VPN faster than SaferVPN and PureVPN?

    Yes, hide.me VPN is faster than SaferVPN and PureVPN. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free.. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do hide.me VPN, SaferVPN or PureVPN offer any deals?

    hide.me VPN, SaferVPN, and PureVPN offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 49% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    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.

    About the Author

    A previous London-based journalist, Nicky is a freelance writer based on a farm in South Africa. When she's not training horses, she writes fluent, intelligent cybersecurity articles with creativity and flair.