HMA VPN review (2026): HideMyAss is easy to use, but read the renewal terms

What HMA VPN is in 2026

HMA VPN is the current name of HideMyAss!, one of the oldest consumer VPN brands. Jack Cator built the first version in 2005 as a web proxy to get around his school's firewall, and Avast later bought it. HMA's privacy policy now describes the brand as part of Gen, the group that also runs Norton and Avast. The data controller for your account is Avast Software s.r.o. in Prague.

The product is a paid VPN with apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Android TV. HMA lists more than 3,400 servers in 100+ locations across 65+ countries. There is no free plan. You get a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.

HMA has a history you should know about before you trust it with your traffic. In September 2011, HMA confirmed that it had given US authorities information about a customer later charged over the LulzSec attack on Sony Pictures. At the time it kept session logs with connection times and IP addresses. HMA has since rewritten its logging policy, and the current version, covered below, records much less.

Setting up HMA

Setup is the part HMA gets most right. You download the app from HMA's site, the App Store or Google Play, sign in, and press one button. The Windows app supports Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11. The Mac app runs on Big Sur through Sonoma, the iOS app on iOS 12 to 17, and the Android app on Android 6.0 or later. There is also an Android TV app, which is handy if you watch through a Google TV box or a TV that runs Android TV.

You can install HMA on as many devices as you like. The limit applies to how many connect at once: 5 on the standard plan and 10 on the Family Plan, as long as every device signs in to the same account.

Linux is the gap. HMA's download page still mentions configuration files for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and other distributions, but its installation page says plainly that HMA VPN is no longer supported on Linux. Take the second statement as the current one. If you run Linux on a laptop or a home server, choose a provider with a current Linux app.

To try it, the 7-day trial runs through HMA's normal checkout with a $0 charge. HMA's help center would not load when we checked these terms, so we could not confirm whether the trial needs a card or turns into a paid plan on day eight. Assume it might, and cancel in your account before the week ends if you don't want to continue.

Lightning Connect and the server network

The main screen is built around Lightning Connect. You press it and the app picks the fastest available server for your connection, which is the setting most people should use most of the time. If you need a particular country, the location list lets you choose one, and HMA's servers page lists each city it covers, from Tirana and Buenos Aires to Tokyo, Lagos and several UK cities.

HMA claims its servers run at 20 Gbps. Its own FAQ is honest about what that means in practice: a VPN adds a hop, so a slow home connection or a server on the other side of the world will slow you down, and a fast connection to a nearby server mostly won't. Lightning Connect exists to keep you on the nearby fast server.

Auto Connect lets you set when the VPN turns itself on. The obvious use is public Wi-Fi in a hotel, cafe or airport, where you want protection without remembering to open the app.

Privacy: what HMA logs and what it doesn't

HMA calls itself a no-log VPN, and its no-log page spells out the detail. The company says it never collects your original IP address, your DNS queries, or your activity, which covers the sites you visit, the apps you run and what you stream.

It does keep some data. HMA records the day you connect and a rough time of day (morning or evening), plus the amount of data you transfer, rounded to the hundredth of a megabyte. It deletes that record after 35 days. Stricter providers keep less, so if you need the least possible connection data, this is the clause to weigh.

The mobile apps carry three analytics tools: Google Firebase, Crashlytics and AppsFlyer. You can opt out of Firebase and AppsFlyer in the app settings, but not Crashlytics, which HMA says holds no personal data. The desktop apps use no third-party tracking tools. Billing details, including your name, address and email, stay on file while you subscribe and for ten years afterwards, which HMA says the law requires.

In August 2020, HMA announced that the consultancy VerSprite had reviewed its Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps and given the no-logging policy a low-risk privacy rating. HMA's current no-log page doesn't mention a newer review. Several rivals publish more recent audits, so treat HMA's privacy claims as reasonable for everyday use, while knowing that six years have passed since the last outside check.

Security features

HMA covers the standard protections a paid VPN should have. Smart Kill Switch cuts your internet if the VPN drops, so your real IP address isn't exposed while the app reconnects. Leak Shield blocks IPv4, IPv6 and DNS leaks, and HMA answers your DNS lookups from its own no-log DNS servers instead of your internet provider's.

On Windows and Android, HMA documents its encryption: OpenVPN in AES-256-GCM mode, with 4096-bit RSA keys for the handshake and SHA256 authentication. The site doesn't say which protocols the Mac and iOS apps use, so check the app's settings if that matters to you.

Split tunneling lets you choose which apps go through the VPN. That helps when a banking app refuses VPN connections, or when you want a game or a local printer on your normal connection while your browser stays protected. HMA also says its servers have DDoS protection.

Streaming and torrenting

HMA labels some servers for streaming and others for P2P downloads, and its Streaming Central page promotes Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and live sports. That page is partly out of date (it still promotes MotoGP 2020 streams), and streaming services block VPN addresses on and off, so we would not buy HMA on the promise of a particular streaming library. Use the 7-day trial to check the service you care about from the country you need.

For torrenting, the P2P-labeled servers are the ones to use. Combine them with the kill switch so a dropped connection doesn't expose your address mid-download. HMA's terms forbid using the service to infringe copyright, as every mainstream VPN's terms do.

Family and business plans

The Family Plan is the same product with room for 10 devices connected at once. It suits a household where two adults and children each have a phone, a laptop and maybe a TV box. At $5.99 a month on a 36-month term, it costs twice as much as the 5-device plan, so count your devices before you upgrade.

HMA also sells a business plan with 10, 20 or 30 connections. It is the only HMA plan with monthly billing: $23 a month for 10 connections, or $12.99 a month billed yearly. Business plans add unlimited accounts, volume discounts and wire payments. This is a shared consumer VPN for small teams, so a company that needs dedicated servers, an admin console or single sign-on should look at business VPN products instead.

Pricing and value

HMA's personal plans are all prepaid, and the lower monthly figures need longer terms. On November 4, 2026, the US prices for the 5-device plan were:

• 12 months: $4.99 a month, $59.88 for the first year
• 24 months: $3.99 a month, $95.76 for the first two years (shown on the home and features pages, not on the pricing page)
• 36 months: $2.99 a month, $107.64 for the first three years

The Family Plan for 10 devices costs $7.99 a month on 12 months ($95.88), $6.99 on 24 months ($167.76) and $5.99 on 36 months ($215.64).

Renewal is where the value changes. HMA's subscription terms say your plan renews for the same length at the undiscounted price in effect at the time, plus tax, and it takes payment 15 days before a 1-year or 2-year term renews. The pricing page lists the regular price of the 12-month, 5-device plan as $143.88, more than twice the first-year offer. Put a reminder in your calendar, and either cancel automatic renewal in your HMA account or look for a new-customer deal when the term ends.

The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to purchases made directly from HMA or through Google Play. HMA's refund policy excludes a second refund on the same product within six months, and App Store purchases go through Apple's own refund process.

If you are not sure you will still want a VPN in three years, the 12-month plan costs $59.88 and leaves you free to switch when it ends. The 36-month plan saves money only if you keep using HMA for the whole term, and the refund window closes after 30 days, so use the free week first. A couple with a laptop and a phone each fits inside the 5-device limit. A family with tablets and a TV box will hit it quickly, and at that point the Family Plan, or a rival with unlimited devices, makes more sense.

At $2.99 a month for three years, HMA is fair value for a simple VPN on a few devices. It is less good value if you need more than 5 devices, since rivals include more at a similar price.

Support

HMA says it offers 24/7 support in English. Its site has a live chat button, a contact form and a help center with setup guides for each app. The help center runs as a separate site and would not load in a plain browser view when we checked, so if you have trouble with it, use chat. Business customers also get account managers through a separate contact form.

HMA vs Surfshark

Surfshark is the better pick for most households. Its plans allow unlimited devices at the same time, compared with HMA's 5 or 10, and it has apps for Linux, Apple TV and Fire TV, which HMA lacks. Surfshark also says its no-logs policy is audited, and it bundles extras such as an ad blocker and IP rotation.

HMA is simpler. Its app does less, which some people prefer, and Lightning Connect gets you online in one press. If you only protect a laptop and a phone and want the least fuss, HMA does the job. If you have a full house of devices or any Linux machine, choose Surfshark.

HMA vs Proton VPN

Proton VPN suits people who put privacy first. It has a free plan with no data limit, which HMA can't match, and its apps are open source and independently audited. The paid VPN Plus plan covers 10 devices at once and was $3.49 a month on November 4, 2026, billed at $83.76 for the first 24 months and renewing at $83.88 a year. That renewal is far lower than HMA's listed regular prices.

HMA's advantages are a simpler app and an Android TV app with a one-click fastest-server button that anyone in the house can use. For a privacy-minded buyer, Proton VPN is the stronger choice. For a beginner who wants to press one button, HMA is easier.

Pricing and value

On November 4, 2026, HMA's 5-device plan cost $4.99 a month for 12 months ($59.88), $3.99 a month for 24 months ($95.76) or $2.99 a month for 36 months ($107.64). The 10-device Family Plan cost $7.99, $6.99 or $5.99 a month on the same terms. Business plans start at $12.99 a month billed yearly, or $23 billed monthly, for 10 connections. Every personal plan is prepaid and renews at the undiscounted price, and there is a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Who should buy it

Buy HMA if you want a VPN that a beginner can run with one button on a laptop, a phone and an Android TV box. It suits travelers who want protection on public Wi-Fi, and households that need up to 10 devices and are happy to prepay for one to three years.

Who should skip it

Skip HMA if you use Linux, need more than 10 devices connected at once, or want a provider with a recent independent audit and a smaller connection record. Skip it too if you want a free plan you can keep, since HMA offers only a trial. Surfshark and Proton VPN cover those needs better.