HMA

HMA is a consumer VPN that used to call itself HideMyAss, a name its own homepage now admits did the brand more harm than good. The about page tells the origin story: in 2005 its founder Jack Cator, then 16 according to the homepage FAQ, built a web proxy site to get around his school's firewalls, found that a great many people wanted the same thing, and the company later bought that proxy from him. The VPN is the whole product here, not a side line of a wider suite, and it comes in individual, family and business plans. As for who can buy it, the site offers regional versions for the Americas, for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and for Asia and the Pacific, including a "Worldwide (English)" edition, and the Swiss German version shows its prices in Swiss francs. Apps are listed for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Android TV, with download pages on the site and links to its mobile apps. The site does not say which payment methods consumer plans accept; the business page lists payment by bank transfer as a business-plan benefit.

What HMA says about logging, and who is behind it

The site does not name an independent audit of its logging policy. What it offers instead is its own description. The family plan page says HMA is a VPN without logging, so that not even the company knows who a user is or what they do, and the homepage lists a "Null-Protokollierungsrichtlinie" (a zero-logging policy) and DNS that the provider says keeps no logs. All of that is the provider's claim.

The homepage FAQ on why a logging policy matters is more candid than most. It says the provider aims to log as little as possible, including declining to record the times a user switches the VPN on and off, and that minimizing logs costs it time and money. It also says, in so many words, that the value of this includes illustrating its principles and improving its marketing. The same answer says that if its databases were compromised by an attack or a lawful police order, the data obtainable would be too thin to be of use, and that it must cooperate with authorities because it is a legal entity. That last point is worth reading slowly: the provider is describing data minimization, not a claim that nothing is ever handed over.

On ownership and jurisdiction, the site is thin. The footer carries a copyright line in the name of HMA alone, and the about page speaks of a team of more than 40 staff and 52 experts working on the VPN, but none of the pages names the company that operates HMA, a parent company or any sister brand, and none says where the company is based or incorporated. The about page says a privacy company should be open about who is behind it, yet the site does not follow through on that point.

Apps, network and what it says about streaming

The site describes a network of more than 1100 servers at more than 290 locations worldwide, with server speeds of up to 20 Gbps. The homepage also prints "MEHR ALS 290 LÄNDER" (more than 290 countries) in a banner, which does not match its own locations figure, so the locations wording on the business and family pages is the clearer of the two. These are the provider's figures, not measurements.

Streaming is a headline theme. The homepage calls the service perfect for streaming and P2P, says users can reach streaming sites from over 190 countries, and links a "Streaming-Zentrale" (streaming hub). One detail undercuts the pitch: where the homepage should give a number of streaming-optimized servers, it shows the placeholder "XXX". The site does not publish a list of streaming services it says it works with. Netflix appears only inside a quoted third-party review on the homepage, not as a claim in HMA's own words. The family plan page lists servers for streaming and P2P connections, which is as far as the site goes on torrenting.

The feature list names the OpenVPN protocol, Lightning Connect (which the site says finds the fastest server in one click), a kill switch, a "smart" kill switch that starts HMA automatically to protect chosen apps, split tunneling, and leak protection against IP and DNS leaks. The business page describes the encryption as 256-bit AES "nach Militärstandard" (to military standard), which is marketing language for a common cipher. The site makes no mention of multi-hop servers, a dedicated IP, port forwarding or an ad blocker. The site also offers a free IP checker tool and privacy guides.

Plans, prices and the refund policy

The standard plan allows installation on any number of the owner's devices but, per the homepage FAQ, only 5 running at the same time; the family plan raises that to 10. The pricing page shows standard plans in Swiss francs. The 1-month plan is CHF 11.90 per month, billed immediately. The 12-month plan is shown at CHF 5.99 per month, billed as CHF 71.88 up front, against a regular price of CHF 142.80. The 36-month plan is shown at CHF 3.99 per month, billed as CHF 143.64 up front, against a regular price of CHF 428.40, and is marked as a limited-time offer.

The 10-connection family plan comes in three terms: 12 months at CHF 7.99 per month, billed yearly as CHF 95.88; 24 months at CHF 6.99 per month, billed as CHF 167.76; and 36 months at CHF 5.99 per month, billed as CHF 215.64 every 3 years. The pricing page describes the 24-month charge as billed now and then yearly, while the family plan page says every 2 years, so the billing basis for that term is worth checking at checkout.

Business plans cover 10, 20 or 30 simultaneous connections. With monthly billing the business page shows CHF 22.80, CHF 45.60 and CHF 68.40 per month. With annual billing it shows CHF 11.99, CHF 21.99 and CHF 29.99 per month, charged up front as CHF 143.88, CHF 263.88 and CHF 359.88. Business accounts get unlimited accounts and connections, volume discounts, bank transfer payment and a trial on request.

None of the pricing pages states what a plan renews at once the first term ends. The "regular price" figures shown beside each offer are the nearest hint, but the site does not say they are the renewal rates. Every plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee. The FAQ says a refund is given within that window without a reason being needed, and that a request after 30 days, or on a second purchase, can still be made, but with no guarantee it will be granted. The site advertises round-the-clock support, and the family plan page offers live chat.

What stays open, and who it fits

The biggest gaps are the ones this directory cares about most. The zero-logging promise rests on the provider's word, and its own FAQ says it cooperates with authorities when legally required. It does not name the company that runs HMA or where that company is based. It does not state renewal prices, does not list the streaming services it says it works with, and leaves a placeholder where its streaming-server count should be. Consumer payment methods are not listed.

What the site does make clear is useful: a published connection limit of 5, or 10 on the family plan, unlimited installations, a large advertised server footprint, a plainly worded refund policy, apps for the main platforms plus Android TV, and prices that drop sharply on longer terms. HMA suits someone who wants a straightforward streaming-oriented VPN from a brand whose history the site traces back to 2005, and who is comfortable relying on the provider's own logging statement. Anyone who needs a named operating company, a stated jurisdiction or an outside check of the no-logs claim will not find those on HMA's site.