hide.me vs NordVPN

Comparing: two VPNs
Decided by: Independent no-logs audits
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26

hide.meTakes bitcoin

One of the first VPNs ever audited, re-audited a decade later, with a free tier that does not cap your data at all.

NordVPNTakes bitcoin

Six independent no-logs assurance engagements, more than anyone else here, and crypto refunds that are actually paid out.

Verdict: NordVPN

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 2 for hide.me. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion: Independent no-logs audits
hide.me: 2
NordVPN: 6

hide.me and NordVPN, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

hide.me and NordVPN compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	hide.me	NordVPN
Independent audits	2, latest 2024	6, latest 2025 (favoured on this row)
Real-world tests	0	0
Incidents on record	0	1
Market exits	0	1
Owner	eVenture Limited	Nord Security
Jurisdiction	Malaysia	Panama
Eyes alliance	Outside	Outside
Price	Free tier, or from $2.59/mo	From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Crypto accepted	bitcoin, monero, ethereum, litecoin, dogecoin, solana	bitcoin, ethereum
Anonymous signup	No	No
Free tier	No data cap, 8 locations, one device, reduced speeds, no card needed	None
Servers	Vendor states roughly 2,600 servers across 92 locations, with free users limited to eight of them	Vendor states thousands of RAM-only servers across roughly 125 countries
Last reviewed	2026-08-26	2026-08-26

No-logs evidence, side by side

Dated audits and real-world tests from each review. An empty column is a finding: the claim has not been independently checked.

hide.me

2024Audit by Securitum: no-logs policy and the RAM-only server infrastructure, with a published summary report
2015Audit by DefenseCode: one of the first independent examinations of a VPN provider's logging claims

NordVPN

2025Audit by Deloitte Lithuania: sixth no-logs assurance engagement under ISAE 3000 (Revised), covering standard, Double VPN, obfuscated and Onion Over VPN servers
2024Audit by Deloitte: fifth no-logs assurance engagement
2023Audit by Deloitte: fourth no-logs assurance engagement
2022Audit by Deloitte: third no-logs assurance engagement, the first conducted by Deloitte rather than PwC
2020Audit by PwC Switzerland: second and broader assurance engagement on the no-logs claim, reported 28 May 2020
2018Audit by PwC Switzerland: first independent assurance engagement on the no-logs claim

Frequently asked questions

Is hide.me or NordVPN better for privacy?

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 2 for hide.me. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides. Audits, court and seizure records and incidents are dated on each review with their sources.

Can I pay hide.me or NordVPN with bitcoin?

hide.me takes bitcoin, monero, ethereum, litecoin, dogecoin and solana (processor: In-house). NordVPN takes bitcoin and ethereum (processor: CoinGate). Each review quotes the vendor's own refund sentence for crypto purchases verbatim.

Which is cheaper, hide.me or NordVPN?

hide.me: Free tier, or from $2.59/mo. NordVPN: From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan. Money-back: hide.me 30 days, NordVPN 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are hide.me and NordVPN based?

hide.me: Malaysia (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). NordVPN: Panama (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). A jurisdiction matters less than a court record showing what the provider could hand over; the reviews carry those where they exist.

The full reviews: hide.me and NordVPN, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

More comparisons

Every other head-to-head hide.me or NordVPN appears in.