- English e-mail support
- No chat support
- No phone support
Hola VPN Ltd is technically not a VPN but a freemium Peer-to-Peer (P2P) style VPN. It is a community-powered VPN, which means that when you use Hola, you are sharing your bandwidth with other users from across the globe. This enables you to have access to content outside of your country.
This VPN proxy service acts as an unblocker and is one of the best if you want to surf the web with fewer restrictions. It acts as an unblocker, and due to its large user network, it's possible to unblock some of the most popular websites and streaming services, including Netflix.
Hola Free VPN is largely used in its browser extension format, but there are also apps for operating systems, including mobile phones and Smart TVs. There is a paid version of the Hola VPN, which offers more security and privacy features than the Free Hola plan.
If privacy is less important to you than price and site unblocking, this VPN is a great choice. However, if you're looking for first-rate encryption and security features, Hola isn't the best VPN.
- Unlimited VPN time
- Unblock any site
- Connect up to 10 devices
Pros
- Not secure due to p2p
- Bad interface
- No encryption
Cons
Max Speed: | Unlimited |
---|---|
Type of IP offered: | Shared |
Simultaneous connections / Users: | 10 |
Number of Netflix Libraries: | All |
Information sharing: | 5 Eyes Member |
OS support: | ChromeOS, iOS, macOS, Windows |
Router support: | |
VPN Promotion: | Get VPN from Hola VPN for 4.08$ per month |
- Alipay
- Discover
- GiroPay
- Google Pay
- JCB
- Mastercard
- Mastercard Debit
- Paypal
- Sofort
- Visa
- Visa Debit
- Visa Electron
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
Hola VPN Security
If you're looking for a secure VPN, Hola VPN should not be your first choice. This is due to the way the VPN proxy functions. Since Hola VPN operates a P2P style service, you share bandwidth with other unknown users from around the world and direct your internet traffic through the internet connection of others. This has many drawbacks when it comes to the security of the VPN.
Hola turns your device into an exit node for another user. This poses a risk to your online safety since sharing user resources could link you to an illegal activity that you didn't carry out. For example, if someone in Spain used your IP while carrying out something illegal online, it could be traced back to you.
While Hola VPN is not a virus, it has been described as having "malware-like behavior" since the provider resells user bandwidth, which encourages criminal activity under innocent users' IP addresses.
Exposing yourself to risks by using Hola isn't just due to its P2P style VPN. Since it is a VPN proxy service, it doesn't offer the same security level as a paid VPN provider, like NordVPN. There is no encryption with Hola VPN meaning, when you're online, your browsing activity is not protected. Your ISP, government agencies, and hackers will be able to see what you're getting up to online.
Hola VPN also monitors what you do online. By using Hola Free VPN, users let Hola log a lot of information; more than most paid VPN providers would ever store. On its website, Hola states that information it may collect and retain includes your IP address, your name, email address, screen name, payment and billing information, browser type, web pages you visit, time spent on those pages, access times, and dates.
Personal information should not be stored by a VPN and the amount Hola collects is a lot. If you sign up for Hola's service with a social network account, then the company will also have access to basic information on that account.
Hola states that it monitors user activity in a bid to catch cybercriminals and stop online abuse. However, this would require a lot of monitoring that even big VPN companies don't do. We checked Hola's privacy policy and found that Hola doesn't just log user data and information- it sells it to third parties.
So, is Hola VPN safe to use? Let's say, if you're looking for online security, look elsewhere.
Hola VPN Features
Hola VPN turns your device into an exit node. This service's P2P style makes it one of the best for unblocking websites because your connection is tunneled through another user's device. Hola also checks web requests, modifying them to help you unblock more content. With Hola VPN, you can enjoy unlimited access to streaming websites like Netflix, Disney, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
When we tested the VPN, we found that there were many location choices, which makes it ideal for streaming fans who want to unblock a lot of content online. Users can choose from a long list, which is organized by country.
We found that Hola performed well when it came to unblocking websites, although our connection was interrupted at one point when accessing German Netflix. Since Hola doesn't use VPN servers, this makes it less reliable than other VPN services.
Hola has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, and we were able to download the extension from the Chrome web store easily and found this was the best browser for unblocking websites. Using an extension proxy allows you to enjoy the split tunneling technology offered by Hola, choosing for which activity you want to use the extension.
If you prefer to use apps, you can do so since Hola has easy to use apps for macOS and Windows devices, Android, and iOS devices. The unblocker VPN also works on Smart TVs, making it easier to stream media in your home.