AirVPN vs hide.me
Side-by-side comparison based on Reddit & Twitter discussions
Community Pick
AirVPN
Based on community sentiment and discussions
AirVPN
Winner
Approval Rate
85%
28 recommend · 5 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
38
Reviewers
28
Best for:
Torrenters who specifically need port forwarding
Privacy-focused people who want minimal tracking and anonymous payment options
Linux users and home-lab folks using Docker, Gluetun, Sonarr, or similar tools
People who like tweaking settings and having more control
AirVPN has a strong reputation online as a privacy-first VPN that gives you a lot of control. People especially like it for torrenting because it still offers port forwarding, which can help you conne...
Approval Rate
25%
3 recommend · 9 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
156
Reviewers
150
Best for:
Android TV / Nvidia Shield and Firestick users who want a VPN that just works
People who want a free VPN option without constant upgrade pressure
Privacy-minded users who want basics like a kill switch and split tunneling
hide.me comes up as a solid, privacy-leaning VPN that a lot of people feel comfortable using day to day. It gets points for practical features like a kill switch and split tunneling (selective routing...
Performance by Use Case
| Use Case | AirVPN | Winner | hide.me |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming | 0% (2) | - | -- (1) |
| Torrenting | 90% (12) | ← | - |
| Privacy | 100% (12) | ← | 0% (8) |
| Censorship | - | - | 0% (1) |
| Price | - | - | 100% (1) |
AirVPN
Strengths
- Port forwarding for torrenting
- Privacy-focused and no trackers
- Anonymous payment options
- Lots of control and advanced settings
- Linux-friendly for tinkerers
Weaknesses
- Can be complicated to set up
- Speeds can feel inconsistent
- Not a simple app experience
- Split tunneling (like excluding Plex) can be a headache
hide.me
Strengths
- Kill switch
- Split tunneling (selective routing)
- Works well on Android TV / Nvidia Shield
- Free tier that isn’t overly pushy
- Privacy-focused reputation
Weaknesses
- Slow speeds for some people
- Price can feel high depending on the plan
- Server locations may not fit everyone
- Torrenting performance can be hit-or-miss