hide.me vs Norton VPN
Side-by-side comparison based on Reddit & Twitter discussions
Community Pick
hide.me
Based on community sentiment and discussions
hide.me
Winner
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...
Approval Rate
34%
20 recommend · 39 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
81
Reviewers
79
Best for:
People who already pay for Norton 360 and want a simple VPN toggle
Casual users who just want basic protection on public Wi‑Fi
Anyone who wants antivirus and a VPN in one app
Norton VPN comes up a lot as the “it’s already there” VPN, especially if you’re using Norton 360. People like that it’s simple to turn on, works fine on phones, and once it connects it can handle basi...
Performance by Use Case
| Use Case | hide.me | Winner | Norton VPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming | -- (1) | → | 71% (9) |
| Torrenting | - | → | 0% (4) |
| Privacy | 0% (8) | ← | 29% (18) |
| Censorship | 0% (1) | → | 75% (6) |
| Gaming | - | → | 0% (4) |
| Travel | - | → | 0% (2) |
| Work | - | → | 50% (5) |
| Mobile | - | - | 100% (1) |
| Price | 100% (1) | ← | 25% (5) |
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
Norton VPN
Strengths
- Very easy to use
- Convenient if you already have Norton 360
- Works well on mobile
- Fine for basic streaming once connected
- All-in-one antivirus bundle option
Weaknesses
- Disconnects and stability issues (especially on Windows/gaming)
- Annoying popups and upsells
- Billing and subscription management headaches
- Refund experience can be frustrating
- Can trigger bot/blocked access on some websites