hide.me vs Planet VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick hide.me: it is second in our ranking of VPNs, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.8.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
hide.me grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
hide.me
Malaysia-based VPN with a no-signup free plan and flat renewal prices
Planet VPN
Free VPN with no data cap and a paid plan for 60+ countries
Which one is for you
Pick hide.me if
- Fits if you want a free VPN on one device without giving an email
- Works for games or torrents that need port forwarding or a fixed IP, on a paid plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: one device, 8 locations and restricted speeds
- Watch out: the pricing page says the free plan has unlimited data, but the FAQ still says 10GB a month
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.99, against $69.99 for 26 months
- Not for you if you want the Bolt speed-up on a Mac or phone, as it's described for Windows only
- Watch out: the 3-, 6- and 36-month terms show no price outside a coupon checkout, and VAT may be added
Pick Planet VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN with no monthly data cap
- Works for browser-only use through an extension
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want servers outside 5 countries on free, as 60+ countries need Premium
- Watch out: the 12-month renewal price is not stated on the page
- Watch out: the plans page shows dollars, while its FAQ quotes euros
- Watch out: the refund window is 14 days
- Tight if you want split tunneling or P2P, as those are Premium
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAhide.meVery good | 2.8GPAPlanet VPNGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe 26-month plan bills $69.99, so two years cost about $2.92 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs, and it renews at that same $69.99. The 13-month plan is $54.99, and monthly is $11.99. | BPremium is $47.88 for 12 months billed once, $3.99 a month, at the edge of the category's cheapest quarter. It covers up to 10 devices. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for good with no sign-up and no card: one device, 8 locations and restricted speeds. The pricing page says unlimited data, though the FAQ still says 10GB a month. If the pricing page is right, one person could live on it. | BFree has no traffic, bandwidth or time limits, and needs no card or registration, but is only 6 locations in 5 countries. |
| Features | B10 devices, 92 locations, the SmartGuard blocker, multihop, port forwarding, split tunneling, a kill switch, WireGuard, IPv6 and an audited no-logs policy. The Bolt speed-up is Windows only, but the core job is covered. | CPremium adds the 60+ country network, split tunneling, P2P and streaming servers. Free is a narrow slice of it. |
| Ease of use | B4.53 from about 7,900 App Store ratings. On the free plan there's no account to make, so you install it and connect. | BNo store rating on record, but the free version needs no registration, so you install it and connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, smart TVs, and Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and browser extensions. |
| Best for | a free VPN with no sign-up | a free VPN with no data cap |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: hide.me and Planet VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
hide.me starts at $2.69 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Planet VPN starts at $3.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
hide.me scores higher and starts $1.30 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than hide.me for less, and 2 score higher than Planet VPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- hide.me also covers ad and tracker blocking.
- Planet VPN also covers site & app blocker.
At a glance
| hide.me | Planet VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.69 per month, billed $69.99 every 26 months at the same price on renewal | $47.88 for 12 months, billed once ($3.99 a month) |
| Free plan | No sign-up needed: one device, 8 locations and restricted speeds. The pricing page lists unlimited data, though the site's FAQ still says 10GB a month. | 6 locations in 5 countries with no traffic, bandwidth or time limits, no card and no registration needed. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | eVenture Ltd. | Planet VPN |
| Price read from | hide.me | freevpnplanet.com |
| Checked | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
hide.me
- The free plan allows one device and 8 locations at restricted speeds; Premium is needed for 10 devices and all 92 locations.
- The pricing page mentions 3-, 6- and 36-month terms but links to them only through a coupon checkout, with no price shown.
- Bolt, hide.me's speed technology, is described for Windows only.
- Prices are in US dollars and VAT may be added at checkout.
Planet VPN
- The plans page shows dollars for the 12-month term; its FAQ gives monthly at EUR 9.99 and 48 months at EUR 95.52 billed once.
- Free servers cover only 5 countries; the 60+ country network, P2P and streaming servers need Premium.
- The refund window is 14 days from purchase, per the plans page.
- The 12-month renewal price is not stated on the page.
Key features
hide.me
- Renewals at the first-term price
- hide.me's pricing guarantee says a plan always renews at the same price and for the same length as the term first bought.
- SmartGuard
- Blocks malware, tracking, ads and phishing sites while connected.
- Multihop and port forwarding
- Pick separate entry and exit servers to route through two locations, and open ports automatically for games and P2P.
- Split tunneling and StealthGuard
- Choose which apps go through the VPN, restrict some apps to VPN-only, and cut the internet if the VPN drops.
- WireGuard, Bolt and IPv6
- WireGuard support, Bolt speed technology on Windows, and native IPv6 so IPv6 traffic does not leak around the tunnel.
- Audited no-logs policy
- The no-logs policy has been independently audited, and hide.me publishes a yearly transparency report.
Planet VPN
- Free version
- Unlimited traffic and time on 6 locations in 5 countries (USA, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France), with no sign-up needed.
- Premium network
- 1,260+ servers in 60+ countries, including servers optimized for P2P, streaming and Double VPN.
- Split tunneling and kill switch
- Premium adds split tunneling and system configuration options, alongside DNS and WebRTC leak protection.
- Smart filters
- In the browser extensions, filters decide which websites load and which are blocked.
- Protocols
- Supports OpenVPN, IKEv2 and its own StarGuard protocol, and publishes custom OpenVPN configs for routers.
- Multi-device subscription
- One Premium subscription covers up to 10 devices at the same time, including a router.
Plans
hide.me
Free$0
One device and 8 server locations at restricted speeds, with the same no-logs policy as paid plans.
1 Month$11.99
per month
Premium on 10 devices with 92 locations, port forwarding and a fixed IP address. Renews monthly at the same price.
12 Months + 1 Month$4.23
per month, billed $54.99 every 13 months
The same Premium plan for 13 months at a time; it renews at $54.99 for another 13 months.
24 Months + 2 Months$2.69
per month, billed $69.99 every 26 months
The same Premium plan for 26 months at a time; it renews at $69.99 for another 26 months.
Planet VPN
Free$0
No traffic or time limits on 6 locations in 5 countries. Premium servers, split tunneling and an ad-free app are paid.
Premium 1 year$47.88
for 12 months, billed once
$3.99 a month, shown as 60% off a crossed-out $119.88. Up to 10 devices on one subscription.
Ways to pay less
hide.me
- Annual discount
Longer terms cost less per month
The 26-month plan works out to $2.69 a month and the 13-month plan to $4.23, against $11.99 on the monthly plan. Both renew at the same price.
Planet VPN
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, hide.me or Planet VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, hide.me is cheaper to start with: $2.69 a month, against $3.99 a month when paid by the year for Planet VPN. hide.me starts at $2.69 per month, billed $69.99 every 26 months at the same price on renewal, and Planet VPN starts at $47.88 for 12 months, billed once ($3.99 a month).
Which has a free plan, hide.me or Planet VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both hide.me and Planet VPN have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.