hide.me vs Proton VPN
Side-by-side comparison based on Reddit & Twitter discussions
Community Pick
Proton VPN
Based on community sentiment and discussions
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...
Proton VPN
Winner
Approval Rate
71%
493 recommend · 203 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
1,012
Reviewers
836
Best for:
People who want a good free VPN that doesn’t feel sketchy
Privacy-focused users who like the Proton ecosystem
Folks who want optional anonymous payments
Everyday users who want a reliable VPN for general browsing
Proton VPN has a solid reputation as a privacy-focused VPN, and a lot of people like it because it feels trustworthy and reliable day to day. The free plan gets praised a lot as one of the better “act...
Performance by Use Case
| Use Case | hide.me | Winner | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming | -- (1) | → | 74% (64) |
| Torrenting | - | → | 74% (37) |
| Privacy | 0% (8) | → | 67% (397) |
| Censorship | 0% (1) | → | 60% (73) |
| Gaming | - | → | 44% (9) |
| Travel | - | → | 83% (7) |
| Work | - | → | 100% (3) |
| Router | - | → | 67% (4) |
| Mobile | - | - | 100% (2) |
| Price | 100% (1) | → | 73% (52) |
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
Proton VPN
Strengths
- Strong privacy reputation
- Best-in-class free tier
- No-logs and audit-focused image
- Anonymous payment options
- Good reliability overall
Weaknesses
- Can be slower than competitors
- Port forwarding can be annoying for torrenting setups
- Auto-connect behavior can be frustrating
- Not everyone trusts it as much as top privacy rivals