ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss

ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss (HMA) in 2025: VPN Apps Compared

Last update: January 21, 2025

Quick Summary: ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss

The main differences between ExpressVPN and HMA are ExpressVPN’s superior speeds, features, streaming capability, privacy and OS support. While costlier than HMA, ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee you can use to see if it fits your needs.

Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

In this ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss (HMA) matchup, I thoroughly tested both popular VPNs to see how they compare. HMA has been around since 2005, while ExpressVPN has been active since 2009. However, if you think longevity translates to superiority, this comparison review is about to prove otherwise. 

While I’m prepared to call ExpressVPN one of the best VPNs, I can’t say the same about HMA. ExpressVPN eclipses HMA in speeds, privacy, features, streaming, OS support and customer support. 

HMA isn’t a pushover, though, holding its ground in the server network and pricing categories. This HideMyAss vs ExpressVPN review dives into the similarities and differences between the two services to help you decide which one to pick. Read on to see how each of them fared in my tests across nine categories.

  1. Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN
    Money-Back Guarantee
    30 Days
    Worldwide Server Amount
    Over 3,000 servers in 105 countries
  2. Overall Rating 7.5 / 10
    HideMyAss
    Money-Back Guarantee
    30 Days (does not honor)
    Worldwide Server Amount
    42 countries

ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss VPN: Comparison at a Glance

Before diving any deeper, here’s a quick ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss summary showing the winner of each category. If you want a more thorough look at either service, PrivacyJournal has a detailed ExpressVPN review and a HMA review.

Criteria:WinsExpressVPNWinsHMA
Security-Lightway
-IKEv2
-OpenVPN
✖️-WireGuard
-OpenVPN
-Mimic
-IKEv2
Privacy-No-logs policy
-Audited 3 times
-RAM-only servers
✖️-No-logs policy
-Audited once
-No RAM-only servers
Features-8 device connections
-Kill switch
-Split tunneling
-Automatic obfuscation
-Ad & malware blocker
✖️-5 to 10 device connections
-Kill switch
-Split tunneling
SpeedAv. download: 19.64% lost✖️Av. download: 25% lost
Streaming-Netflix
-Hulu
-Amazon Prime Video
-Max
-Disney+
-BBC iPlayer
-Peacock TV
✖️-Netflix
-Hulu
-Amazon Prime Video
-Max
-BBC iPlayer
-Peacock TV
Server Network✖️165 locations in 107 countries297 locations in 218 countries
Plans & Pricing✖️$4.99/month for 28 months$2.99/month for 36 months
OS Support-Windows
-Linux
-macOS
-Android
-iOS
-Browser extensions
-Fire TV
-Smart DNS
-ExpressVPN Aircove router
✖️-Windows
-macOS
-Android
-iOS
-Android TV
-Smart DNS
Support-Live chat
-Email
-FAQs
-Tutorials
✖️-Email
-FAQs
-Tutorials
TOTAL WINS72

My Expert Opinion: Is ExpressVPN or HMA Better?

ExpressVPN is better than HMA. Its RAM-only servers are more reliable for privacy, and the service is faster, has better customer support and unblocks more streaming services. I was also surprised to discover HMA adopted a no-logs policy in 2020, despite being operational for 15 years. The only areas where HMA has the upper hand are its server network and pricing. 

I Recommend ExpressVPN For:

  1. $4.99/month for 28 months
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

I Recommend HMA For:

  1. $2.99/month for 36 months
    Overall Rating 7.5 / 10
    HideMyAss

Security

A VPN is expected to create a point-to-point tunnel that encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address. Some VPNs come with extra security features. Here’s how ExpressVPN and HMA compare on security.

ExpressVPNHMA
VPN ProtocolsLightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2WireGuard, OpenVPN, Mimic, IKEv2
EncryptionAES-256, ChaCha20AES-256, ChaCha20
Private DNSYesYes
Kill SwitchYesYes
Passed DNS Leak TestYesYes

ExpressVPN Security

ExpressVPN delivers its encryption through three protocols. There’s the Lightway protocol (UDP and TCP), the OpenVPN protocol (UDP and TCP) and IKEv2. 

I ran a DNS leak test on ExpressVPN to check if its IP leak protection claim holds. The results didn’t show my real IP address. Instead, it displayed only the virtual New York IP address to which I was connected. This shows that ExpressVPN is a safe VPN that masks your location and your entire traffic.

expressvpn dns leak test
ExpressVPN prevents your real IP from being seen when you’re connected to any server.

HMA Security

HMA is equipped with four VPN protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, Mimic and IKEv2. My DNS leak protection test for HMA was successful. Like ExpressVPN, it displayed only the IP address of the server I was using, not the identity of my real ISP.

hma dns leak test
HMA displayed only the virtual IP address I was connected to during the DNS leak test.

HMA was hit by a minor macOS security vulnerability in 2017, giving hackers access to some user computers. The service quickly dealt with the situation. ExpressVPN also experienced a minor security issue when its Windows split tunneling feature exposed some DNS requests; ExpressVPN disabled split tunneling on Windows until the issue was fixed.

Winner: This is a tie. While both VPNs have experienced minor security scares, nothing was compromised and both handled the situation swiftly. Each VPN also protects your traffic with secure protocols.


Privacy

A no-logs policy, which is the standard of any reputable VPN, means that the VPN service doesn’t collect or store your browsing data in any format. ExpressVPN and HMA both have zero-log policies, but they implement them differently. 

ExpressVPN Privacy

ExpressVPN uses RAM-only servers. With these, your data is wiped at set intervals, eliminating the chance that your online activities will be traced back to you. ExpressVPN’s logging policy has also been independently audited multiple times, and nothing suspicious was ever found; you can read one of the audit reports here.

expressvpn audit report
ExpressVPN has passed all the independent audits of its no-logs policy.

Additionally, ExpressVPN demonstrated its solid no-logging policy in 2017, when Turkish authorities seized two of its VPN servers during an investigation. The police claimed that an assassin used ExpressVPN to hide his online movements. However, the complete absence of logs meant that the whole operation yielded nothing.

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, a territory that has no data extradition laws and doesn’t belong to any surveillance alliance. If anyone tried to request a user’s browsing data (which wouldn’t exist to begin with), the legal process involved would be too burdensome and costly.

HMA Privacy

As of the time of writing, HMA doesn’t have RAM-only servers. It’s also suspicious that it’s had a no-logs policy only since 2020, 15 years after it launched. Although HMA has been audited once by a company called VerSprite, there’s no public access to the report — plus, that accounting firm isn’t nearly as reputable as we’d like.

hma audit
HMA has had only one independent audit, which didn’t find anything out of order.

Generally, everything surrounding HMA’s handling of its privacy policy is suspect. Worst of all, it was caught logging user data in 2011 when it turned over information for the trial of an alleged hacker. 

Winner: The regular security audits that ExpressVPN has undergone, combined with its RAM-only servers and HMA’s sketchy privacy history, award this round to ExpressVPN.

  1. Privacy Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Features

ExpressVPN and HMA offer features dedicated to security and performance. They share some of these features, while others are unique to each service. 

ExpressVPNHMA
Kill SwitchYesYes
Split TunnelingYesYes
Ad/Malware/Tracker BlockerYesNo
ObfuscationYesNo

Both VPNs have a kill switch that deactivates the internet when the VPN connection drops. This prevents your actual IP from being seen; you won’t reconnect to the internet until the VPN connection is restored. HMA offers its kill switch on Windows, macOS and Android.

kill switch
The HMA kill switch is available on Android, Windows and macOS.

ExpressVPN has a kill switch on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and ExpressVPN Aircove.

expressvpn kill switch
The kill switch option on ExpressVPN is called Network Lock.

Split tunneling is another helpful feature. It allows you to divide your internet traffic into secured and unsecured tunnels, resulting in better performance because you don’t have to encrypt every bit of data. HMA offers split tunneling only on Android, while ExpressVPN has it on Windows, Android, and macOS 10 and below.

In this comparison, ExpressVPN is the only one that offers an ad blocker for ads, Threat Manager for blocking malicious sites, and parental controls to block adult sites. Another ExpressVPN-only feature is obfuscation, which automatically disguises your VPN connection as normal traffic when you encounter networks that restrict VPNs. 

advanced protection
You can use Threat Manager, the ad blocker and parental controls to enhance your browsing security.

Winner: ExpressVPN is the winner. It has more security features, such as obfuscation, ad blockers and parental controls, none of which you’ll find on any HMA server.

  1. Features Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Speed

A fast VPN is necessary for streaming, torrenting and gaming. We tested both ExpressVPN and HMA to see which was faster. The result: HMA came in second to ExpressVPN, which posted the speeds I’d expect from a service on our list of the best VPNs for gaming. It also supports torrenting on all its servers.

HMA Speed Tests

Location:Download (Mbps)Upload (Mbps)Latency (ms)
🌐 Portland, U.S.A.157.845.8120
🇺🇸 United States253.885.4656
🇬🇧 United Kingdom49.655.48156
🇧🇷 Brazil45.925.02406
🇿🇦 South Africa33.824.11613
🇸🇬 Singapore42.304.29412
🇦🇺 Australia34.054.93413
Average (%)43.27 (25% loss)4.88 (16% loss)343 (1,713%)
1. Unprotected
2. Fastest server

HMA averaged 43.27 Mbps download speeds against our unprotected speeds of 57.84 Mbps, a 25.19% speed drop. This is a moderate speed loss and it was still enough to handle streaming and gaming, but there were noticeable lags and buffering. Upload speeds dropped 16%, which is respectable. 

ExpressVPN Speed Tests

Location:Download (Mbps)Upload (Mbps)Latency (ms)
🌐 Portland, U.S.A.160.006.0027
🇺🇸 United States255.165.6027
🇬🇧 United Kingdom53.315.56284
🇧🇷 Brazil49.185.30381
🇿🇦 South Africa29.412.02779
🇸🇬 Singapore50.255.02524
🇦🇺 Australia52.015.64337
Average (%)48.22 (19% loss)4.86 (19% loss)389.67 (1,439% increase)
1. Unprotected
2. Fastest server

For both average upload and download speeds, ExpressVPN registered a 19% speed loss, making it faster than HMA and a stronger choice for streaming, gaming and downloads. We recommend that you switch to the Lightway UDP protocol for the fastest speeds.

Winner: ExpressVPN is faster than HMA, making it better for streaming content, gaming online and downloading large files.

  1. Speed Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Streaming

I’m in Kenya, where a lot of services, like Disney Plus, are blocked. I tested HMA and ExpressVPN to see what each provider can unblock. The results are shown in the table below.

Streaming Service:ExpressVPNHMA
NetflixYesYes
Amazon Prime VideoYesYes
MaxYesYes
HuluYesYes
Disney PlusYesNo
BBC iPlayerYesYes
Peacock TVYesYes

ExpressVPN’s servers unblocked every streaming service without problems. I connected to a New York server to stream live English Premier League games on Peacock TV, and my access was instant. I switched to a Tokyo server and unblocked the Japanese Netflix library easily — if you need to get Netflix unblocked, ExpressVPN should be your go-to.

expressvpn peacock tv
ExpressVPN can unblock Peacock TV using U.S. servers.

HMA unblocked most of the popular streaming services but couldn’t get past Disney Plus, no matter how many U.S. servers I tried. But it worked well with Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Max.

hbo max
You can watch Hulu, Max, Peacock TV, BBC iPlayer and more with HMA.

Winner: This was tight as both VPNs are good at unblocking restricted streaming services. However, ExpressVPN won because HMA couldn’t unblock Disney+.

  1. Streaming Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Server Network

The number of server locations and their distribution matters. A big server network with a balanced distribution across the major continents will let you unblock content in more places and provide backup options if one server fails to work. 

ExpressVPN has servers in 165 locations across 107 countries. This includes major locations like the U.S. and Europe, with a decent server distribution in Africa, the Middle East and Oceania, as shown below. 

Region:CountriesLocations
North America1440
South America1011
Europe4765
Asia2532
Africa66
Oceania28
Middle East33
Total:107165

HMA has about 1,100 servers in 297 locations across 218 countries. While it does have more locations than ExpressVPN, with just over 1,100 servers, the chances of overcrowding are high. Furthermore, many of its physical servers serve as a base for virtual servers, which may explain HMA’s poorer showing in the speed category. 

From the table below, you can see how HMA has a better server distribution than ExpressVPN. It is the only VPN I’ve ever reviewed that has so many server locations in Africa and the Middle East, though many of them are virtual. The best ExpressVPN can do in Africa is six.

Region:CountriesLocations
North America3288
South America1516
Europe4961
Asia5460
Africa5357
Middle East1515
Total:218297

Winner: HMA is the winner because it has more locations with better distribution.

  1. Server Network Winner
    Overall Rating 7.5 / 10
    HideMyAss

Plans and Pricing

When choosing a VPN, pricing matters. It should not only be affordable but also offer a risk-free money-back guarantee. HMA is well priced, but if you want a cheap VPN with no baggage, I recommend Private Internet Access — see our PIA review to learn why.

ExpressVPN is costlier than HMA. It comes with two price plans: a 28-month option for $4.99 per month and a 15-month option for $6.67 per month. Both ExpressVPN plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

HMA has two price tiers based on the number of simultaneous device connections allowed. For five device connections, you have a 36-month option that costs $2.99 per month, a 12-month option for $4.99 per month, and a seven-day free trial. 

For 10 device connections, there’s a 36-month plan going for $5.99 per month, a 24-month plan at $6.99 per month and a 12-month plan that will set you back $7.99 per month. No free trial option exists in this tier. All HMA premium plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Winner: HMA wins this round as it’s cheaper and has a free trial option for all compatible devices.

  1. Pricing Winner
    Overall Rating 7.5 / 10
    HideMyAss

OS Support

The more operating systems a VPN supports, the more convenient it is to use. ExpressVPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromebook, browsers, some routers and Android TV. You can also use a “smart DNS” feature called MediaStreamer on VPN-incompatible systems like LG and Samsung smart TVs.

expressvpn apps
ExpressVPN has a wider range of app compatibility, including routers.

HMA is compatible only with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Android TV. You can also use smart DNS to run HMA on systems like Samsung and LG, which don’t support direct VPN app installations. HMA isn’t compatible with routers, nor does it offer support for browser extensions.

hma apps
HMA has limited compatibility, with no support for browsers and routers.

Winner: ExpressVPN wins this category because it’s compatible with more devices, including Apple TV and routers. 

  1. OS Support Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Customer Support

Prompt responses from customer support make using a VPN service better. You’re sure to get quick help if you run into issues.

ExpressVPN offers a fast live chat option that connects you to live agents available 24 hours a day. You can also contact ExpressVPN’s customer support through email, although the responses may take up to 48 hours. Other resources you can use include FAQs and troubleshooting guides.

expressvpn customer support
You can contact ExpressVPN’s live agents anytime through the live chat option.

HMA doesn’t have a live chat option. The fastest way to get help is to fill out a request form by entering your name, an email address, and the subject and details of your problem. The responses can take up to 48 hours. HMA’s other support resources include a knowledgebase with FAQs. 

hma support
HMA doesn’t have live chat, so the responses take longer.

Winner: ExpressVPN wins this round for having a live chat option with agents handling different customer issues 24/7. It also features an email option and a detailed FAQ section, whereas HMA offers only an email option with slow responses.

  1. Customer Service Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Conclusion: Why I Think ExpressVPN Wins Overall

ExpressVPN is the better VPN. It has faster speeds, better security and privacy, more features, better OS compatibility and faster customer support — plus, it unblocks all major streaming services. In all fairness to HMA, very few VPNs can beat ExpressVPN, and you can check our past comparison reviews for proof.

I would recommend HMA for users on a tight budget who need a wide server distribution.

Which of these two VPNs impresses you the most? Would you trade ExpressVPN’s fast speeds for HMA’s large server network? Tell us what you think in the comments below, and keep reading our blog for more informative content.

  1. Winner
    Overall Rating 9.1 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

Methodology: How I Compared ExpressVPN and HMA

This is the methodology I used in this ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss review.


Other VPN Alternatives I Like

If ExpressVPN and HMA don’t meet your needs, here are some alternatives for you.

  1. $4.13
    Overall Rating 9.3 / 10
    Visit NordVPN
    Pros
    • Easy to operate
    • Unblocks every major streaming service
    • Great savings on one- & two-year plans
    • Includes a kill switch & ad blocker
    • Strict no-logs policy
    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    Cons
    • Suffered a security breach in the past
    • Split tunneling isn’t available on all OSes
    • Mobile UI map challenging
  1. $2.21
    Overall Rating 9.2 / 10
    Visit Surfshark
    Pros
    • Very good price-performance ratio
    • High security level
    • Netflix-compatible
    • Unlimited simultaneous connections
    • Great support with live chat
    Cons
    • No information on individual servers
    • Can have issues establishing a connection
  1. $3.29
    Overall Rating 8.8 / 10
    Visit Proton VPN
    Pros
    • Fast download & upload speeds
    • Impeccable security
    • Unblocks all streaming services
    • Unique quality-of-life features
    • Servers in oft-ignored locations
    Cons
    • High latencies on most servers
    • No live chat support
    • Overpriced plans
    • Few servers overall
    • Manual router installation only

FAQ: ExpressVPN vs HideMyAss

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