Sure, there are some exceptions, but Hola - which has put its users at risk repeatedly - is certainly not one of them. So here are 5 better - and safer - alternatives.
Why not Hola? Because It’s Not Safe
Hola simply can’t be trusted. Sure, it’s free, unrestricted, and doesn’t use ads, and that may sound tempting… but beware. The problem with Hola is that it uses a peer-to-peer system, meaning that you share your bandwidth with other users. While that is sure to slow down your connection, that’s the least of your problems. Since you’re also sharing your IP address, you have no control over what it’s used for— leaving you open to having someone else’s creepy (or illegal!) online activity traced back to your IP address. Ugh! On top of that, Hola has put its users at risk. In July 2018, MyEtherWallet (MEW), a popular service used to access crypto wallets, claimed that users who accessed the service with Hola were at risk of a malicious attack. For five hours, Hola was hacked, and therefore anyone who used Hola to access MEW during that time was wide open to cryptocurrency theft. Sadly, that was not even the only time Hola was hacked! Hola was also removed from the Chrome store and it’s working on fixing this issue. It recommends you download its desktop apps or Firefox, Opera, or Edge extensions. Those serious safety flaws, have led us to put this VPN at the top of our list of VPNs to avoid. To learn more about why you should steer clear of Hola, see our full Hola review.
Is a Free VPN Right for You?
A free VPN may seem like a good idea. You don’t really want to fork over extra cash just to browse the internet, and you don’t mind if your VPN displays ads. Maybe you don’t feel like you really need a bunch of fancy premium features. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to make an informed decision. Keep in mind that all companies need to make money. While some might do this by displaying ads, others could be using shadier methods, such as compromising your privacy and selling your data. Also, while using a free VPN, you may find that your connection is annoyingly slow, your bandwidth is too limited to do what you want, or you don’t have access to servers in the location you need. Many paid VPN services offer money-back guarantees so you can ask for a refund if you aren’t satisfied. Our expert tip is that you use is ExpressVPN.
Expert Tip: Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free
ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs available, plus it’s packed with some of the most advanced features. You can rely on this VPN to never get hacked. With ExpressVPN you’ll be able to enjoy buffer-free streaming and outstanding security without committing to an expensive plan. Since making the leap from a free VPN to a paid one is not always an easy one, it offers you a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a refund if you don’t like it. And, of course, unlike free VPNs — it has 0 ads, keeps no logs, and doesn’t sacrifice your data or privacy to third parties. Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free
Best Free VPNs to Use Instead of Hola:
No free VPN is perfect, but if you’re not quite ready to invest in a paid service, those are the decent options you should use. Our experts have done the legwork for you and put together a list of the best ones:
1. CyberGhost
Free version pros:
Impressive speeds Unlimited bandwidth 9,074 servers in 90 countries Strong encryption Zero-logs policy
Free version cons:
Only free for 24 hours
CyberGhost is a premium VPN that offers a convenient 24-hour free trial so you can see if you like it. After that, you can sign up for a plan and use its 45-day money-back guarantee to test it even further. It has a strict no-logs policy, so you don’t have to worry about your data being stored and shared with third parties. Besides, it protects you from IP and DNS leaks so no hacker can access your personal information. It doesn’t have any data caps, so you can use it to stream and browse as much as you like. With over 9,074 servers around the world, you’ll have no problems accessing geo-restricted content. Plus, it allows you P2P transfers on all its locations, and you’ll be completely anonymous at all times. You can try it out completely free with its 24-hour free trial. If you want to see its performance, then take a look at the full review. GET FREE VPN
2. Windscribe
Free version pros:
Decent speeds A generous 10GB of data transfer per month
Free version cons:
Data transfer is capped You don’t get access to all their servers
If it has to be free, it should be Windscribe. It has reasonably good speeds, and it is quite reliable in general: it is a true VPN, not a connection to a proxy network like Hola. In order to keep it free, data transfer is capped. However, users get a generous 10GB every month, which allows a decent amount of browsing and watching geo-restricted videos. Besides capping data transfer, Windscribe does not allow non-paying users access to all their servers, and that can be a major disadvantage – however, the free server locations still offer decent speeds. The reasonably-priced pro version will give you unlimited data transfer and access to over 177 servers in 69 different countries. If you’re still not sure if you’re ready to try it out, check out these user reviews. GET FREE VPN
3. TunnelBear
Free version pros:
User-friendly No popup ads No logging
Free version cons:
Monthly limit of 500MB Limited server access Doesn’t work well with Netflix
TunnelBear is likely the most user-friendly free VPN available, with simple apps for MacOS, Windows, and all mobile devices. It also has a wide range of servers across the world to ensure seamless routing of traffic data everywhere from Norway to Hong Kong, but its India and Australia nodes are limited in the free VPN version. Fortunately, the free version does not have annoying popup ads like you find in Hola. TunnelBear promises no traffic logging and high-quality encryption. The big drawback of the free version is that you are limited to 500MB per month (plus it does not work well with Netflix). This renders it useless if you’re trying to bypass geoblocks and stream video. Nevertheless, it’s one of the most popular free VPNs on the market. The premium version offers you unlimited data transfer and access to servers in 47+ countries. GET FREE VPN
4. hide.me
Free version pros:
No ads No logging Full customer support
Free version cons:
Monthly limit of 2GB data transfer No access to OpenVPN Only one device per account
Hide.me is another one of the best free VPNs available, with 28 servers spread across 22 countries. Security is guaranteed with the OpenVPN encryption, and the connection speed is decent. There is a 2GB data transfer limit per month for the free service. It will definitely be enough when you just need to unblock some websites or get some privacy when using a public hotspot. And you can find out what real users think of it here. The premium version will give you unlimited bandwidth, premium support, and 10 devices on a single connection – all with a 30-day money-back guarantee. GET FREE VPN
5. Trust.Zone
Free version pros:
Unlimited bandwidth 111 server locations No personal info needed to sign up
Free version cons:
You can use it for only three days 1GB data transfer limit Only one device per account
Trust.Zone, a Seychelles-based VPN provider who does not store logs of any kind, has a good free client. It offers you access to servers in 100+ locations, and with its 256-bit AES encryption and kill switch, it’s extremely secure. Users certainly seem to like it. Trust.Zone does not require any names or personal information to sign up for the free version – just an email address. The big drawback of this free VPN is that you can only use it for three days. If you decide you’d like to continue using it, the paid version allows for up to 5 simultaneous connections, access to servers in 96+ locations and unlimited server switching. GET FREE VPN
Head to Head Comparison
Try One of These Best Hola Alternatives
Hola makes a tempting case for its free VPN, but there’s no real reason to put your security and privacy at risk when other free VPNs can do a much better job at protecting both. If you haven’t yet found the right free VPN for you, check out our list of the top free VPN services that are safe to use. Interested in trying a premium VPN? Click here for a full list of the best, safest, and most affordable VPNs in 2023 — and our honest reviews of each.
To summarize, the best Hola alternatives are…
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