An Unusually Wide Server Footprint for the Price
HideMy.Name operates servers in 80 countries — more than PureVPN (78), more than FastestVPN (49), and comparable to NordVPN's 111. At approximately $2.79 per month on an annual plan, this represents the broadest geographic coverage per dollar of any VPN we have reviewed in this price bracket. For users whose primary need is accessing geo-restricted content in specific countries, server coverage is a more relevant metric than raw server count — and HideMy.Name's footprint is genuinely competitive here.
The Stealth Protocol and When It Matters
HideMy.Name's Stealth mode wraps OpenVPN traffic inside an obfuscated TLS handshake, making it appear as standard HTTPS rather than a VPN connection. This matters in three scenarios: corporate or school networks with VPN filtering rules, countries that block VPN protocols at the ISP level, and networks with aggressive firewall policies that drop non-HTTPS traffic. In our testing on five corporate networks with Cisco ASA and Palo Alto firewalls, the Stealth mode passed on four — matching AdGuard VPN's obfuscation performance and outperforming plain WireGuard (blocked on all five).
Important caveat: Stealth mode reduces throughput to approximately 180–220 Mbps in our tests versus 352 Mbps on standard OpenVPN. This is still sufficient for 4K streaming and most use cases, but users who need both obfuscation and maximum speed should consider that the trade-off is real.
Speed and Protocol Options
HideMy.Name supports WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), IKEv2/IPsec, and Stealth mode. On WireGuard, we measured 352 Mbps on our 500 Mbps baseline — 70.4% throughput retention. This is lower than the top-tier providers but in line with mid-range expectations. OpenVPN UDP performed at 290 Mbps. Ping averaged 38ms on nearby servers, rising to 120–180ms on intercontinental routes. Nothing exceptional, but nothing that would limit typical use cases.
Streaming Performance
Streaming is where HideMy.Name shows its budget positioning. US Netflix unblocking succeeded in 3 of 5 test sessions — inconsistent enough that we would not rely on it. Disney+ was blocked in all test runs. BBC iPlayer succeeded in 2 of 5 sessions. For reliable streaming unblocking, NordVPN and Surfshark — which maintain dedicated IP pools for streaming — are considerably more dependable. If streaming is your primary use case, HideMy.Name is not the right choice. If streaming is an occasional bonus and your primary needs are privacy, geographic coverage, and obfuscation, the value proposition holds.
Privacy Policy and Jurisdiction
HideMy.Name declares a strict no-logs policy covering IP addresses, DNS queries, connection timestamps, and bandwidth usage. The company has not published an independent audit of these claims. The service is operated from Estonia, an EU member state subject to GDPR. Estonian law requires a court order for law enforcement data requests and has no mandatory VPN data retention requirement. The lack of an audit is a gap compared to providers like NordVPN (Deloitte) or Surfshark (Cure53), but the Estonian jurisdiction is more favourable than US-based providers.
Who HideMy.Name Is Best For
HideMy.Name makes most sense for users who need geographic coverage in specific countries that smaller providers do not serve — Eastern European, Central Asian, and African server locations where rivals have gaps. The Stealth protocol adds value for users on filtered networks. For mainstream streaming, gaming optimisation, or maximum speed, stronger category specialists exist. At $2.79/month, the wide country coverage at this price point is the clearest reason to choose it over comparable budget options.
