HMA VPN 2024 Review: 5 Cons and 3 Pros

by Vít Nováček
updated January 1, 2024 (Report a bug)

1. ▼ Table of Contents

   1. HMA VPN Runs Servers In 218 Countries, Most Are Virtual
   2. HMA VPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…
   3. HMA VPN and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…
   4. HMA VPN App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…
   6. HMA VPN Server Locations
   7. HMA VPN Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…
   9. Features of HMA VPN: AdBlock, Static IP…
   10. HMA VPN‘s CPU usage and App Performance
   11. HMA VPN Torrenting Servers
   12. What is the country of origin of HMA VPN?
   13. HMA VPN and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…
   14. HMA VPN Support: Chat, e-mail…
   15. HMA VPN FAQ

   HMA VPN Runs Servers In 218 Countries, Most Are Virtual

   • Most of the servers are virtual, so sometimes there is poor location detection
   • Only 5 devices connect simultaneously
   • Poor customer support
   • Failed to unblock Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime
   • Missing some advanced features

   • 218 countries available
   • The service is audited by an independent company
   • Simple and clear application

   HMA VPN (formerly known as Hide My Ass) was founded in 2005 by Jack Cator from the UK, and has been operated by the Czech company Avast since 2016. In our test, HMA VPN earned a score of 7.4/10, which puts it in 27‘s most-reviewed VPN.

   It lost points in the overall HMA VPN rating due to its inability to unblock Netflix’s foreign libraries, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max. Customer support is also weak, with live chat failing to appear as it should have been available. The number of 5 simultaneously connectable devices within a single subscription can also be considered below average.

   The advantage of HMA VPN is the user-friendly and clear application, where each available function is accompanied by a short explanation. In addition, the application is available in 28 languages, including English, so even less experienced users can operate it. A free trial version is available for 7 days for HMA VPN.

   Compared to competing services, HMA VPN clearly excels in the number of available locations, which include normally inaccessible places such as Greenland, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Falklands, and Sierra Leone. The servers are only virtual in the vast majority of 218 countries, so bypassing geo-blocking on YouTube and other servers is not entirely functional with HMA VPN.

   The HMA VPN does not lose in connection speed either, during repeated tests we measured average download 109 Mb/s and upload 100 Mb/s. The application has implemented an important security feature kill switch and can automatically connect to the fastest server. An interesting feature is the IP address rotation, which continuously changes the displayed address to provide better security.

   Confidence in HMA VPN is helped by passing an independent audit that confirmed the service provider does not store user data.

   The price of the most affordable subscription option $2.49 per month bears comparison with competitors. However, for example, NordVPN or Surfshark offer more features for similar money.

   

2. HMA VPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price: $8.39​70% off  $2.49 /mo (5 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (30 days)
   • Free Trial: Yes (7 days)
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     No

     Bitcoin :No
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :No
     Ripple :No

   

   7.4

   ★★★☆

   This VPN offers a wide range of locations, but most servers are virtual. It has been independently audited but failed to unblock some streaming platforms.

   $2.49 /mo Free 7-day trial ​30-day money back guarantee

   Get this VPN 70% cheaper

   HMA VPN offers three subscription options: monthly, yearly, and bi-annual. The least convenient is the monthly billing subscription for $8.39, which can be terminated at any time. The most advantageous subscription is the two-year subscription, the price when paying for the entire period upfront is only $2.49 per month.

   With one subscription, HMA VPN can be used on up to 5 devices simultaneously. All orders are covered by a money-back guarantee of 30 days.

   Payment of subscriptions can be made via credit card, PayPal or, in the case of in-app purchases, via Google Pay and Apple Pay.

   The trial version HMA VPN is available for free for 7 days.

3. HMA VPN and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: 5

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     Yes

     Android TV is supported by 37 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     No

     Fire TV is supported by 43 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     No

     Chromebook is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     Yes

     Linux is supported by 61 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     No

     NAS is supported by 24 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     No

     nVidia Shield is supported by 14 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     No

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     No

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 17 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     No

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     Yes

     Router is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     No

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     No

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     No

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 21 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     No

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 34 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     No

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     No

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.

   With a single subscription, HMA VPN can be used on a maximum of 5 devices simultaneously.

   The HMA VPN app is available for Windows, Mac and Linux desktop devices, and the mobile app can be downloaded to Android and iOS devices. Among smart TVs, HMA VPN only supports Android TV. The advantage is router support, through which all devices connected to the same network can be secured.

   The native app is not directly available for Fire TV, Kodi, Chromecast smart TVs, Playstation or Xbox game consoles, or alternative devices like Raspberry Pi or NAS.

   Extensions HMA VPN for browsers are not available.

4. HMA VPN App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +27 more🇪🇸 Spanish 🇷🇺 Russian 🇩🇪 German 🇹🇷 Turkish 🇫🇷 French 🇮🇹 Italian 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇨🇳 Chinese 🇵🇱 Polish 🇸🇪 Swedish 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇦🇪 Arabic 🇯🇵 Japanese 🇰🇷 Korean 🇨🇿 Czech 🇳🇴 Bokmal 🇩🇰 Danish 🇹🇭 Thai 🇫🇮 Finnish 🇭🇺 Hungarian 🇬🇷 Greek 🇸🇰 Slovak 🇻🇳 Vietnamese 🇧🇬 Bulgarian 🏴  Catalan 🇺🇦 Ukrainian 🇮🇱 Hebrew
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   The HMA VPN app is pleasant to use, all available features are clearly described even for less experienced users. The advantage is the translation of the environment into 28 different languages, including English. The only available application theme is dark blue, there is no light alternative.

   The connection country can be manually selected from the list provided, or the “Connect to fastest” option can be selected. On the home screen of the app, information about the connection length or the amount of data transferred is displayed.

   With one subscription, HMA VPN can be used on up to 5 devices simultaneously. If needed, you can add an account for family and friends to protect up to 10 different devices.

   Exclusively in HMA VPN for Android, split tunneling is available, where you can select apps that will connect directly to the internet even when VPN protection is enabled. You can also create a list of secure wi-fi networks that do not require VPN activation.

   Optionally, beta testing can be enabled. Subsequently, new features may appear in the HMA VPN application that may not always be fully functional and may cause problems in normal use.

5. HMA VPN Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 115 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 81 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 48 ms.

   HMA VPN doesn’t limit users in the amount of data transferred, which is standard among paid VPNs.

   In repeated tests with HMA VPN, we achieved an average download speed of 109 Mb/s that is sufficient for playing 4k videos and downloading bulky files.

   The upload speed of 100 Mb/s was also above average, so HMA VPN can be used for torrenting.

   The average response speed 24 ms is sufficient for computer gaming or video chatting, where too high a value could cause annoying stuttering. For response as opposed to transfer speeds, a lower value is better. Still, the top VPNs in the rankings had even better response times, for example, we measured NordVPN at 11 ms, AdGuard VPN reached 7 ms.

   To achieve the fastest connection speed, we recommend that you choose to automatically connect to the most appropriate server.

6. HMA VPN Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     1,080

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1699.
   • Number of countries:
     218

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 41.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇦🇽 Åland 🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇩 Andorra 🇧🇾 Belarus 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇬🇮 Gibraltar 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇹 Malta 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇲🇨 Monaco 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇲 San Marino 🇲🇰 Northern Macedonia 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇯 Svalbard and Jan Mayen 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇻🇦 Vatican City
   North America	🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇦🇮 Anguilla 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇼 Aruba 🇧🇧 Barbados 🇧🇿 Belize 🇧🇲 Bermuda 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands 🇩🇲 Dominica 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 🇬🇩 Grenada 🇬🇱 Greenland 🇬🇵 Guadeloupe 🇬🇹 Guatemala 🇭🇹 Haiti 🇭🇳 Honduras 🇯🇲 Jamaica 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇲🇸 Montserrat 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 🇵🇦 Panama 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 🇵🇲 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 🇸🇻 El Salvador 🇺🇸 USA 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands
   South America	🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 🇬🇾 Guyana 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇵🇾 Paraguay 🇵🇪 Peru 🇸🇷 Suriname 🇺🇾 Uruguay 🇻🇪 Venezuela
   Asia	🇦🇫 Afghanistan 🇦🇲 Armenia 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 🇧🇭 Bahrain 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 🇧🇹 Bhutan 🇧🇳 Brunei 🇨🇳 China 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇬🇪 Georgia 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇮🇶 Iraq 🇮🇷 Iran 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇵 Japan 🇾🇪 Yemen 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇯🇴 Jordan 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇶🇦 Qatar 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 🇰🇼 Kuwait 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 🇱🇦 Laos 🇱🇧 Lebanon 🇲🇴 Macao 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇲🇻 Maldives 🇲🇳 Mongolia 🇲🇲 Myanmar 🇳🇵 Nepal 🇴🇲 Oman 🇵🇰 Pakistan 🇵🇸 Palestinian Authority 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇰🇵 North Korea 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 🇸🇾 Syria 🇹🇯 Tajikistan 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 🇻🇳 Vietnam
   Africa	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 🇩🇿 Algeria 🇦🇴 Angola 🇧🇯 Benin 🇧🇼 Botswana 🇧🇮 Burundi 🇹🇩 Chad 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo 🇩🇯 Djibouti 🇪🇬 Egypt 🇪🇷 Eritrea 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 🇬🇦 Gabon 🇬🇲 Gambia 🇬🇭 Ghana 🇬🇳 Guinea 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇨🇻 Cape Verde 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇰🇲 Comoros 🇨🇬 Congo 🇱🇸 Lesotho 🇱🇷 Liberia 🇱🇾 Libya 🇲🇬 Madagascar 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇲🇱 Mali 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇲🇺 Mauritius 🇲🇷 Mauritania 🇲🇿 Mozambique 🇳🇦 Namibia 🇳🇪 Niger 🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire 🇷🇼 Rwanda 🇸🇳 Senegal 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 🇸🇴 Somalia 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 🇸🇩 Sudan 🇸🇭 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 🇸🇿 Swaziland 🇹🇿 Tanzania 🇹🇬 Togo 🇹🇳 Tunisia 🇺🇬 Uganda 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
   Oceania	🇦🇸 American Samoa 🇦🇺 Australia 🇨🇰 Cook Islands 🇫🇯 Fiji 🇬🇺 Guam 🇰🇮 Kiribati 🇨🇨 Cocos Islands 🇳🇷 Nauru 🇳🇺 Niue 🇳🇫 Norfolk 🇳🇨 New Caledonia 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇵🇼 Palau 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 🇵🇳 Pitcairn Islands 🇼🇸 Samoa 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 🇹🇰 Tokelau 🇹🇴 Tonga 🇹🇻 Tuvalu 🇨🇽 Christmas Island 🇻🇺 Vanuatu

   HMA VPN operates 1,080 servers, this is average compared to competing VPNs. The number of servers is only one of the quality parameters, it also depends on their configuration and the number of active users. During the testing of HMA VPN we did not notice any difficulties with connection or speed, so the number can be considered sufficient.

   The servers are located in 218 countries across all continents, which puts HMA VPN at the absolute top. However, almost all servers in less common countries are virtual, which can pose problems in circumventing geo-blocking. For example, during the tests, the YouTube server displayed a different country than the one listed by HMA VPN.

   The available countries include the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, as well as some very exotic destinations such as Guyana, Mongolia, Myanmar, Somalia and Tonga. Among the countries with state censorship, HMA VPN includes Russia, Belarus, North Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand.

   The list of servers in the application is sorted alphabetically and grouped by continents, the user can save them as favorites at will. It is also possible to choose to automatically connect to the fastest server at the time.

   The HMA VPN also runs servers specifically optimized for torrenting or streaming. A pair of servers designed for multiple connections HMA VPN does not offer this.

7. HMA VPN Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 92% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 87% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 19 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   HMA VPN has built-in DNS and WebRTC leak protection. During testing, our real data, including IPv6, remained reliably hidden.

   The security is greatly enhanced by the kill switch feature, which disconnects the user from the Internet if the connection to the VPN server is lost. This prevents the user’s real location and IP address from being revealed. Kill switch is available in the HMA VPN apps for Windows, Android and macOS, but cannot be used on iPhones.

   On Android mobile phones, split tunneling is available, which allows you to select apps that will connect directly to the internet even when VPN protection is enabled.

   For greater privacy, IP rotation can be enabled, where a new address is assigned to the user at regular intervals.

   Transmitted data is secured with 256-bit AES encryption, which is considered one of the most secure on the market. In the HMA VPN settings, you can choose from IKEv2, IPSec and OpenVPN protocols. The most modern option is OpenVPN, which is considered the current standard, the other two protocols are already rather outdated.

   The HMA VPN lacks multi-hop (also known as Double VPN), which routes connections through two different VPN servers simultaneously. This achieves a higher level of privacy and security.

   Using HMA VPN on the Tor network is also not supported. Advanced features such as monitoring for leaks of personal data to the Internet or two-factor account security are not offered by HMA VPN.

8. HMA VPN & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     No

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     Yes

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     No

     HBO streaming is supported by 57 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 50 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     No

     Netflix streaming is supported by 67 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 97 % of reviewed VPNs

   HMA VPN runs servers specifically optimized for streaming video, located in the US, UK and Germany.

   Nevertheless, the test of unblocking foreign streaming platform libraries did not go well for HMA VPN. Only video from Disney Plus, Hulu and YouTube were unblocked. Amazon Prime revealed an activated VPN and did not allow us to play the video. No foreign content could be unlocked from HBO Max, and Netflix ironically locked down series that are commonly available in our location. However, it has not unlocked any foreign content.

   Our measured download speed 109 Mb/s is sufficient on its own to play 4K video. For this, a speed of at least 50 Mbps is stated as necessary.

   For the purpose of unblocking foreign streaming platform libraries, we recommend giving preference to NordVPN or CyberGhost VPN. Both offer sufficient speed for ultra-high definition video playback, unblocked all the platforms tested, and on top of that offer a number of security features.

9. Features of HMA VPN: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     No

     Ad blocking is offered by 44 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     No

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     No

     Trackers blocking is offered by 38 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   The range of extra and premium features HMA VPN is minimal. Blocking ads, trackers or malware is not supported by any of the available applications. You can’t even purchase a dedicated IP address for a single user.

   Nor does HMA VPN support camouflage mode, which can hide an activated VPN from the ISP. This feature, useful for example in countries with strong state censorship, is supported by PrivateVPN or CactusVPN.

   Virtually the only extra feature of HMA VPN is an IP rotator that changes the displayed address at specified intervals. This provides better privacy to the user and makes it harder to trace.

10. HMA VPN‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    The HMA VPN loads the device more than other reviewed services, yet the application should not cause complications when using the device.

    From the test Macbook Air, HMA VPN sliced approximately 100 MB of RAM, took around 3% of the computing power, and also took 3% of the battery. Although the measured values are not high, better optimization of power consumption can be achieved by quitting the application completely via the system tray icon. In addition, the automatic launch of the app when the device is switched on can be turned off in the settings.

11. HMA VPN Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 89 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    HMA VPN supports P2P file sharing on all servers, some of which are even specifically optimized for torrenting. In the list of servers, they are marked with the P2P label.

    The HMA VPN application reliably hid our real IP address during testing, which ensured anonymity when sharing files. A kill switch protects the user in case of a sudden connection failure to the VPN server. Our measured download 109 Mb/s and upload 100 Mb/s speeds are sufficient for torrenting purposes.

    For the purpose of sharing legal torrents, HMA VPN is usable. When using it, note that sharing copyrighted files is prohibited.

12. What is the country of origin of HMA VPN?

    • VPN Provider: Gen Digital Inc.
    • Country of origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

    HMA VPN was founded in 2005 by Jack Cator still under the name Hide My Ass, his motivation was to break the firewall during school hours. The Ass in the name primarily referred to the English name for Jack the Donkey, the service’s mascot.

    The operator HMA VPN was bought out in 2015 by Czech company AVG, which was also absorbed by Czech tech group Avast a year later. The HMA VPN remains headquartered in the UK, with the same parent company also operating Avast SecureLine VPN and AVG Secure VPN.

    The UK location of HMA VPN may cause concern for some users, as the country is part of the 5 Eyes alliance. The police and intelligence services of the group’s members can monitor internet traffic and share the data between them if there are security concerns. Other member countries of the group include the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

13. HMA VPN and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    HMA VPN is one of the services that does not store any user logs when using the application. Thus, the user’s IP address, DNS, or visited websites are not collected.

    The data stored includes connection time (differentiated only between morning and afternoon) and the volume of data transferred, rounded to hundreds of MB, which is used for capacity planning of individual servers. The data is stored for 35 days after it is created.

    An email address is required to create and maintain a user account. The HMA VPN does not support payment of subscriptions with cryptocurrencies, which would help to provide an even better level of anonymity.

    The operator’s claim of not storing logs is verified by an independent audit from the reputable VerSprite. In addition, Avast’s parent company regularly publishes a Transparency Report, which includes user data release requests received. The number of these is decreasing year by year. In the same place, Warrant Canary is published, which shows whether a company has been forced by a court to release user data.

    For analysis purposes, the operator HMA VPN uses Google Firebase, which collects anonymized data. This option can be turned off in the application settings. Google Firebase Crashlytics is also used to analyze application performance issues. By default, sending reports of application crashes to the service provider’s servers is enabled; this option can be disabled in the settings.

    User billing data is collected by third parties. They may be shared further in case of suspected fraud or when resolving other issues.

    Although HMA VPN does not collect much data about users, according to the privacy policy, it may share the collected information with the parent company Avast, with third parties in case of selling the service, or with authorities and courts if it receives a legally binding request.

14. HMA VPN Support: Chat, e-mail…

    Customer support is one of the weakest aspects of the service. The only available option is the contact form on the HMA VPN website. No one responded to the query we sent during the 14 days we tested the VPN.

    While HMA VPN does present live chat support on the site, when we clicked on the link we were redirected to another page where we were unable to log in. Support via chat is thus unavailable.

    The knowledge base available on the HMA VPN site is too brief and rather unorganized. Help can also be sought from the HMA VPN user community, who can be asked for help and share their own experiences with the service.

    To better identify problems, automatic diagnostics can be run in the HMA VPN app for Windows and macOS, the result of which can be sent to technical support.

15. HMA VPN FAQ

    Can HMA VPN be used to unblock videos from Netflix?

    Although HMA VPN runs servers optimized for streaming video, we were unable to unblock the US Netflix library during our tests. The HMA VPN only managed to unblock YouTube, Disney Plus and Hulu streaming platforms.

    To unblock videos from Netflix, we recommend giving preference to NordVPN or Surfshark.

    Is HMA VPN secure?

    The Czech company Avast, one of the world’s biggest players in the field of cybersecurity, is behind HMA VPN. The HMA VPN service has undergone an independent audit by VerSprite, which confirmed that no data is stored about the user’s internet behaviour.

    256-bit AES encryption is used to secure the data being transmitted, which is currently the highest available. The HMA VPN uses the secure OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. In addition, automatic IP address rotation can be enabled in the application, making it even more difficult to trace.

    Is HMA VPN a good service?

    In our test, HMA VPN scored an overall grade of 7.4/10, giving it 27. place among the 90 VPNs we tested.

    Strengths of HMA VPN include a wide selection of sites, above-average connection speeds, and a security audit from independent company VerSprite. However, almost all servers in use are virtual, which can make it difficult to bypass the geo-block on some sites. The service also loses out to the best VPNs NordVPN or Surfshark due to its limited range of premium features and inability to unblock streaming platforms Netflix, HBO Max or Amazon Prime Video.