Disclosure: VPNFin is reader-supported. If you buy a VPN through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our ratings — here’s our full disclosure.
Hideme vs StrongVPN compares a flexible privacy service with a living-room specialist. StrongVPN, launched in 2005 and owned by Ziff Davis, offers Smart DNS for consoles, 12 devices and the lowest local ping of 59 VPNs in Top10VPN’s 2026 tests, but no audit in our table. Hide.me, run by eVenture from Malaysia, adds an uncapped free plan, dynamic port forwarding and SSTP over port 443.
This guide compares free use, consoles, speed, torrenting, evidence, price and fit.
Hideme vs StrongVPN: Free or Paid From Day One
Therefore, light users may never need to pay for hide.me.
No card is needed for hide.me’s free plan.
Hide.me’s free plan has no data cap and no ads, with eight locations on one device, Cloudwards and Gizmodo note. StrongVPN has no free plan, and its $11.99 monthly plan carries no refund.
Only hide.me lets you start without paying.
Hideme vs StrongVPN for Consoles and TVs
Smart DNS adds no encryption.
StrongVPN’s Smart DNS lets a games console or smart TV reach streaming services without an app, and it has a Fire TV app. Hide.me relies on its full VPN apps, with Fire TV and Android TV apps but no Smart DNS, VPN.com notes.
For a console with no app, StrongVPN is simpler.
Speed, Ping and Torrenting
Test both at the same hour.
Ping matters most for games and calls.
Top10VPN found StrongVPN had the lowest local ping of 59 VPNs and strong long-distance speeds. We found no comparable recent speed figures for hide.me in our sources.
Gamers and frequent callers will notice StrongVPN’s advantage.
Dynamic ports close when the session ends.
Hide.me opens ports dynamically in its desktop apps, Cloudwards notes. We found no port forwarding for StrongVPN in our sources.
Seeders should lean towards hide.me.
Evidence
In short, neither offers a clear recent audit.
Weigh that before a long plan.
StrongVPN has no audit in our table, and Top10VPN notes its apps are unaudited. Tom’s Guide reports a Securitum check of hide.me’s no-logs policy, though VPN.com calls its audit dated.
Hide.me has some outside review; StrongVPN has none. Our VPN audit tracker compares providers.
Price
Also, compare renewals.
Compare totals over the term you keep.
StrongVPN costs $47.69 for the first year, then $89.99. Hide.me’s longest plan costs $69.95, about $2.39 a month with two months free, Tom’s Guide lists, and its free plan costs nothing.
Hide.me is cheaper on long plans. Our renewal price guide compares renewals.
Protocols and Blocked Networks
Install before travelling to a filtered country.
Hide.me supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther and SSTP, and SSTP’s use of port 443 makes it hard to block, VPN.com notes. StrongVPN uses WireGuard by default, also offers OpenVPN and IKEv2, and provides a WireGuard generator for routers.
For filtered networks, hide.me has more options.
Devices and Apps
Therefore, test the kill switch after setup.
A router counts once on either.
StrongVPN covers 12 devices and hide.me 10 on paid plans. Hide.me offers split tunnelling on Windows, Mac and Android; StrongVPN only on Android, with its kill switch off by default, Top10VPN notes.
Turn on and test the kill switch on whichever you choose.
Who Each Is For
Pick by your devices.
Both are easy to install, so testing costs little.
StrongVPN suits gamers and console owners who want Smart DNS and low ping. Hide.me suits people who want to start free, torrent with open ports or need many protocols on filtered networks.
Owners differ too: Ziff Davis for StrongVPN, eVenture for hide.me.
Streaming and Networks
Results change as services update their blocks.
StrongVPN does best with US services, Top10VPN found, opening HBO Max at the first attempt. Hide.me unblocks Netflix on paid plans with results that vary by region, VPN.com notes, and its free plan cannot stream.
Test your own services within any refund window.
Hide.me covers 91 countries with more than 2,600 servers, VPN.com counts. StrongVPN offers around 67 locations in 42 countries in one 2026 count.
Travellers to less common countries get more from hide.me.
Free Plan Limits
Also, it covers one device.
However, a free plan is a good way to test hide.me’s apps first.
Hide.me’s free tier covers eight locations on one device and excludes streaming, Tom’s Guide and Gizmodo note, but has no data cap. That suits browsing and public Wi-Fi rather than TV.
For a TV or console, a paid plan on either is needed.
Extras, Accreditation and Refunds
Hide.me adds Multihop, SmartGuard and StealthGuard, Cloudwards and Gizmodo note, and holds VPN Trust Initiative accreditation. StrongVPN’s main extras are Smart DNS and a WireGuard generator for routers.
Pick the extras that match your devices.
StrongVPN refunds yearly plans within 30 days and monthly plans not at all. Hide.me’s free plan lets you test its apps before paying. We put the two side by side in our StrongVPN vs Norton VPN comparison.
Avoid StrongVPN’s monthly plan if you want a safety net.
How We Research
This page draws on Top10VPN’s StrongVPN review and Cloudwards’, Tom’s Guide’s, VPN.com’s and Gizmodo’s hide.me coverage. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Top10VPN’s StrongVPN review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Hide.me vs StrongVPN FAQ
Hide.me for a free plan, ports and protocols; StrongVPN for consoles and speed.
No; hide.me’s has no data cap.
StrongVPN.
Hide.me, dynamically.
StrongVPN, with 12.
The Verdict
Hideme vs StrongVPN: hide.me for free use, open ports and protocol choice; StrongVPN for Smart DNS and the lowest ping.