Service overview
Windscribe
windscribe.com
Canadian VPN with open-source apps, a free tier and crypto payment
Open source
Privacy 6.8/10
Safety 8.1/10
Read the evidence
hide.me review
Malaysian VPN with a no-registration free tier and crypto payment for premium
Privacy score
6.8/ 10
FairHow much you reveal
See the score breakdown Safety score
6.2/ 10
FairHow well you’re protected
See the score breakdown Identity policy
1/ 4 KYC level
No ID mentioned Read the policy Evidence
Documentation reviewed Grades based on published terms and documentation.
0 published tests Two grades. Different questions.Understand the methodology
The overview
The essentials, at a glance.
hide.me is a VPN operating since 2012. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 6.8/10 for privacy (fair) and 6.2/10 for safety (fair). In its favour: no account needed, no email needed and no-logs policy. To watch: it is closed source. No incidents are on record.
What stands out
- No account needed
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
- No email needed
An email address is not required to sign up or use it.
- No-logs policy
States that connection or activity logs are not kept.
Before you use it
- Closed source
The code is not public, so its behaviour cannot be checked.
No test transactions published yet.
About hide.me
hide.me is a VPN operated by eVenture Limited, registered in Labuan, Malaysia (registration LL09685), which says it has operated since 2012. Its free plan is advertised as needing no registration or sign-up. Premium accounts are created with an email address, which the privacy policy says is the only personal information collected and is stored encrypted. The pricing FAQ lists cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, SEPA, SOFORT and bank transfer, plus Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Polygon, Solana, USDT, TUSD and USDC. The privacy policy says browsing is not monitored or logged, with only a short-lived troubleshooting log. The Linux client is published on GitHub under GPL-2.0; the other apps are not open source.
Cite this review or read as plain text
NoKYC Score, "hide.me review", reviewed 23 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/hide-me
Open plain-text review ↗The feature review
Privacy, without the guesswork.
5 / 14 features confirmed1 warning in the recorded terms
Identity
2 / 4 confirmed
- ID never requiredNot stated
The terms rule identity checks out, or the design makes them impossible.
- No account neededYes
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
- No email neededYes
An email address is not required to sign up or use it.
- No phone numberNot stated
A phone number is never required.
Payment
0 / 3 confirmed
- Accepts MoneroNot stated
Monero hides sender, receiver and amount, so the payment cannot be traced to you.
- Accepts LightningNot stated
Bitcoin Lightning payments: fast, cheap and more private than on-chain.
- Accepts cashNot stated
Cash by post or in person: no bank and no blockchain record.
Access
0 / 2 confirmed
- Tor onion addressNot stated
An official .onion address, reachable only through Tor.
- Works without JavaScriptNot stated
Core functions work with scripts disabled, as in Tor Browser on its safest setting.
Trust
3 / 5 confirmed
- Open sourceNo
The code that matters is public and can be inspected.
- No-logs policyYes
States that connection or activity logs are not kept.
- Independent auditNot stated
A third party audited the code or the no-logs claim, and the report is public.
- Company namedYes
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
- 5+ years operatingYes
Has operated continuously for five years or more.
Warnings
1 flagged
- May ask for IDNot in terms
The terms reserve the right to demand identity documents, often after a risk flag.
- Email requiredNot in terms
An email address is required to use the service.
- Phone number requiredNot in terms
A phone number is required to use the service.
- Closed sourceYes
The code is not public, so its behaviour cannot be checked.
- Nobody accountableNot in terms
No company or person is publicly responsible for the service.
“Not stated” means the service’s own pages do not say. Expand a group to see every check.
Identity requirements
Does hide.me require KYC?
Level 1 of 4
No ID mentioned
- 0 Never
- 1 Not mentioned
- 2 Rare
- 3 On risk flag
- 4 Mandatory
No ID requirement appears anywhere in hide.me's terms or documentation. Checked against its own terms.
- No account needed
- Email may be asked
- Phone may be asked
- No ID documents
KYC level 1: No ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears anywhere in the terms or documentation.
No identity documents are mentioned; the free tier needs no account and premium needs only an email address.
Transparent by design
Every point, explained.
Both grades start at 50 points and move by fixed, published amounts. Nothing is adjusted by hand. The total is divided by ten.
Privacy
6.8/ 10
- Starting points 50
- KYC level 1: No ID mentioned +12
- No registration +6
- No-logs policy +2
- Closed source -2
- Total, clamped to 0–100 68
Safety
6.2/ 10
- Starting points 50
- 5+ years operating +10
- Legal entity disclosed +5
- Closed source -3
- Total, clamped to 0–100 62
Evidence, not promises
Test ledger 0
Published test transactions, with the route, amount and outcome available to inspect.
No test transactions published yet
The grades above rest on hide.me’s terms and documentation. Tests will appear here with the date, route, amount band and result as they are run.
The track record
Incidents 0
No incidents on record
We have no documented cases for hide.me. An empty record does not guarantee a service is risk-free.
Community experience
What users are saying 0
Reviews never change a grade. Reviews with a transaction reference are marked.
Have you used hide.me?
Be the first to share your experience. Useful details help the next person decide.
Write a review
Create an account to write a review. It takes ten seconds and needs no email: you get a random key and a random name. Already have a key? Sign in.
Alternatives to hide.me
All alternatives → Service overview
Mullvad VPN
mullvad.net
Swedish VPN using numbered accounts; accepts cash by post and Monero
Open sourceAccepts Monero
Privacy 9.7/10
Safety 7.6/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
AzireVPN
azirevpn.com
Swedish-founded VPN with no-email sign-up; now card and PayPal payment only
No email needed
Privacy 7.2/10
Safety 7.4/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Proton VPN
protonvpn.com
Swiss VPN with a free tier; paid plans payable in Bitcoin or cash
Open sourceAccepts cash
Privacy 6.4/10
Safety 7.3/10
Read the evidence
hide.me vs Windscribehide.me vs Mullvad VPNhide.me vs AzireVPNhide.me vs Proton VPN
hide.me: common questions
Does hide.me require KYC?
hide.me is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. No identity documents are mentioned; the free tier needs no account and premium needs only an email address.
Is hide.me safe to use?
hide.me has a Safety grade of 6.2 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 6.8 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.
Is hide.me legit?
hide.me is a working VPN that has operated since 2012. It publishes the company that runs it, in Malaysia. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 6.2 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.
Is hide.me a scam?
NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. No incidents are on record for hide.me.
Do I need an account or email to use hide.me?
Email optional.
What fees does hide.me charge?
Free plan; premium subscriptions with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Fees were recorded from hide.me's own pages and can change; check before you send.
Does hide.me have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on hide.me's own pages.
Which cryptocurrencies does hide.me support?
hide.me supports BTC, DOGE, ETH, LTC, POL, SOL, USDT, USDC, and fiat payments in USD, EUR.
Can I use hide.me over Tor?
hide.me does not publish an official onion address.
Listing history
- Listing added. Facts and KYC level set from the service's own terms and documentation.