Hola VPN Review

9.2

Very Good

Our verdict:
Hola’s unique peer-to-peer system and fast speed make it a decent choice for those looking for a free VPN service.

Hola VPN Networks Ltd., a company based in Israel, launched their own VPN service in late 2012. What began as a small startup quickly gained popularity and now boasts over 180 million users worldwide. So, what sets Hola VPN apart from other VPN brands? There are two key factors that differentiate Hola VPN. Firstly, it is not your typical VPN software. Instead, it positions itself as the “world’s first peer-to-peer proxy service”.

Secondly, unlike most VPN companies that offer a trial period as an afterthought to their paid model, HolaVPN operates primarily as a free service with the option of a paid subscription. At present, Hola VPN has received over a million reviews across platforms such as Google Play and the App Store, with an average rating of 4.4 stars. Now, you may be wondering how Hola VPN manages to offer its services for free. Essentially, it relies on community support. Rather than maintaining an expensive server network, it leverages the idle resources of its users to route traffic. In simple terms, everyone collaborates to “open up the internet”.

Pricing

In addition to the free option, there are paid versions available for a month, 1 year, or 3 years. The monthly plan is quite expensive, with Hola Premium priced at $14.99 and Hola Ultra at $29.99. As is typical with subscription models, you can save more by choosing the 3-year plan, which costs $2.99 for Hola Premium and $7.99 for Ultra. Hola provides a 30-day money-back guarantee and allows you to cancel your subscription anytime.

Speed and Reliability

One of the primary disadvantages of utilizing a VPN is the decrease in connection speed. However, with Hola, you won’t encounter this issue since it’s technically not a genuine VPN. In fact, for a free service, it performs admirably fast. We initially had an upload speed of 70 Mbps and experienced only a 1% reduction after connecting to an available IP in the UK. This is quite remarkable considering that when using a VPN, connection speed typically drops by as much as 60%. Our US connection also provided decent performance, achieving a download speed of 38.60 Mbps – a decrease of 45%, which falls within the industry average.

Speed test results for Hola VPN

The following table summarizes our Hola VPN speed test results.

Platforms and Devices

Hola VPN is compatible with a wide range of platforms such as iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Additionally, it provides browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. Furthermore, Hola VPN offers instructions on how to use the service with consoles, Xbox, Playstation, routers, and other devices. The free version of Hola VPN allows you to install it on one device. On the other hand, the Premium package permits up to 10 simultaneous connections, while the Ultra plan allows up to 20 connections at the same time.

Server Locations

Hola VPN differs from conventional VPNs in that it functions as a peer-to-peer proxy service, rather than having its own network of servers. Surprisingly, this lack of a server network is advantageous for users, as it allows for virtually unlimited access to various locations. Consequently, you can effortlessly connect to locations such as Turkey, Russia, and even China, which are typically not supported by most VPNs.

Hola VPN claims you can connect to servers in these regions:

Privacy & Anonymity

The functioning of Hola’s peer-to-peer model involves utilizing your bandwidth to transmit signals instead of relying on their own servers. Essentially, when you connect through Hola, you are essentially using someone else’s IP address. If you have concerns about this arrangement and are willing to pay for enhanced privacy and security, you have the option to upgrade to a paid plan. This plan includes SSL encryption and Smart DNS (available only with the Ultra plan).

Additionally, Hola VPN offers various protocols such as IKEv2/IPSec and PPTP/L2TP, along with encryption options including DES3, AES128, AES192, and the default AES256. It is important to note that these security features are exclusive to premium plans. Moreover, Hola VPN provides a convenient ad blocker feature that ensures a seamless browsing experience. This means you can avoid annoying pop-ups while reducing the chances of malware infection and tracking. Unlike other platforms that bombard users with advertisements, Hola generates revenue through its business platform known as Luminati.

Regrettably, there is no Kill Switch feature available. Although they promote a “no logs policy” as one of the premium advantages, a careful examination of their privacy policy page reveals otherwise. To begin with, Hola VPN keeps track of details such as your browser type, the web pages you visit, the amount of time you spend on those pages, and the access times and dates.

They openly acknowledge that they also gather personal information including your IP address and email address, which they then share with their subsidiaries and affiliated companies. Lastly, Hola will disclose your information to comply with legal requirements, regulations, subpoenas, or court orders. While it is commendable that they are transparent about this, if privacy is your primary concern when selecting a VPN service, there are significantly better alternatives available.

Hola Free VPN Category Ratings

• Streaming
  6.56.5/10
• Torrenting
  00.0/10
• Privacy & Logging
  0.10.1/10
• Speed
  8.58.5/10
• Server Locations
  5.55.5/10
• Bypassing Censorship
  0.10.1/10
• Security & Features
  11.0/10
• Ease of Use
  77.0/10
• Customer Support
  4.94.9/10

Hola Free VPN Pros & Cons

• Easy to set up and use
• Unblocks some websites

Cons

• No kill switch or encryption on mobile
• Sells free user bandwidth to premium users
• Monitors and logs your online activity
• Android app removed due to malware
• Doesn’t work on macOS
• Blocks all torrenting clients

Customer Service

The website has a section called the Knowledge Base which contains information on troubleshooting, billing, payments, and general topics. However, there is no specific live chat or ticketing system available. Instead, they provide a phone number and email address on their contact page. We were pleased to receive a response within the same day when we sent them an email.

5 Best Hola VPN Alternatives

Looking for a better alternative to Hola VPN? Our curated list features strong contenders, none of which face security issues like Hola VPN and provide the level of protection that you expect from a VPN service.

Summary

Overall, Hola VPN is a service that poses a threat to users’ privacy and security. It engages in unethical practices by sharing free users’ bandwidth with paying users, thereby exposing the former to potential risks. Additionally, it gathers significant amounts of user information, including those who have subscribed to a paid plan.

While it boasts user-friendly features, Hola VPN lacks secure protocols for free users and fails to include a kill switch that would prevent IP leakage. Furthermore, it does not support torrenting or enable access to Netflix. Lastly, the level of customer support provided is subpar.

Hola VPN is a reliable and user-friendly VPN service that offers a wide range of servers in various locations. With its affordable pricing plans and excellent customer service, Hola VPN is a great choice for anyone looking to enhance their online privacy and security. Whether you want to access geo-restricted content or protect your personal information while browsing the internet, Hola VPN has you covered. Try it out today and experience the benefits of a secure and unrestricted internet connection with Hola VPN.

Hola is one of the worst free VPNs we’ve reviewed. It logs all of your online activity, shares your information, and doesn’t encrypt your connection. It is categorically unsafe and we do not recommend downloading or using it if you value your privacy, personal information, or online security.