hide.me vs Private Internet Access
We give hide.me a 3.0 GPA and Private Internet Access a 2.2, out of 4.0. hide.me grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, 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
Private Internet Access
Open-source VPN with unlimited devices and servers in all 50 US states
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAhide.meVery good | 2.2GPAPrivate Internet AccessFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$47.88 a year, the same at renewal, so two years cost $95.76, about $3.99 a month, just above the cheaper quarter of VPNs at $3.33. The 3-year plan is $2.03 a month for the first 39 months, then $79 every 3 years, but that's three years up front. Monthly is $11.95. |
| 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. | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers, but that isn't a trial. |
| 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. | BUnlimited devices, servers in 104 countries including all 50 US states, RAM-only servers, WireGuard and OpenVPN, ad and malware blocking, split tunneling, multi-hop and port forwarding. It covers the whole job. |
| 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 App Store rating on record, but it's an app you install, sign in to and connect, with nothing to configure first. |
| 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. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a free VPN with no sign-up | unlimited devices without renewal surprises |
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 Private Internet Access. 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. Private Internet Access starts at $3.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and hide.me starts $1.30 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than hide.me for less, and none scores higher than Private Internet Access 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 starts at $2.69 per month, billed $69.99 every 26 months at the same price on renewal. Private Internet Access starts at $47.88 per year (1 Year plan, the same price at renewal).
- hide.me has a free plan. Private Internet Access does not.
- Private Internet Access is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| hide.me | Private Internet Access | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $2.69 per month, billed $69.99 every 26 months at the same price on renewal | $47.88 per year (1 Year plan, the same price at renewal) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | eVenture Ltd. | PIA Private Internet Access, Inc. |
| Price read from | hide.me | privateinternetaccess.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
hide.me
- People who want a free VPN without creating an account
- Buyers who want the renewal price to match the first term
- Users who need port forwarding or a fixed IP address
Private Internet Access
- Households with more devices than a capped VPN allows
- People who want a server in a specific US state
- Torrent users who need port forwarding
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.
Private Internet Access
- The 3-year plan's $2.03 a month is a first-term rate; it renews at $79 every 3 years, and the page gives no total for the first 39 months.
- There is no free trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee is for new subscribers, and app store purchases follow Apple's or Google's refund terms.
- Antivirus and a dedicated IP cost extra and are added at checkout; their prices are not shown on the plans 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.
Private Internet Access
- Unlimited devices
- One subscription can be used on as many devices at the same time as you like.
- Servers in 104 countries
- The network reaches 104 countries, including servers in all 50 US states, and the servers run from RAM only.
- Open-source apps and protocols
- PIA's apps are open source, and it connects over WireGuard or OpenVPN.
- MACE
- Blocks ads, trackers and malware at the DNS level.
- Split tunneling, multi-hop and port forwarding
- Choose which apps skip the VPN, route traffic through more than one server, and open a forwarded port on selected servers for torrenting.
- Email breach monitor
- A built-in alert tells you if your email address shows up in a data breach.
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.
Private Internet Access
1 Month$11.95
per month
Billed monthly and renews at the same $11.95.
1 Year$47.88
per year
$3.99 a month. The first year and each renewal are both billed at $47.88.
3 Years + 3 Months$79
every 3 years at renewal, after a first term of 39 months
Shown at $2.03 a month for the first 39 months, labelled 83% off; the page does not state the first bill. Renews at $79 every 3 years.
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.
Private Internet Access
- Other savings
3 years plus 3 extra months at $2.03 a month
The 3-year plan comes with 3 extra months at $2.03 a month for the first term, which the page calls 83% off the monthly price. It then renews at $79 every 3 years.
- Annual discount
About 67% off with yearly billing
The 1-year plan costs $47.88, against $143.40 for twelve months at the $11.95 monthly price.
