Head to head
The gap
The security score is not a total of good things. It starts at 100 and eight channels each take a share of what is left, so one channel can settle a record on its own. Both records are drawn here on the same scale — the model’s own cap of 0.9 — rather than on a scale fitted to this pair, which would make every comparison look equally dramatic.
Line by line
Every field the contract publishes about a provider, in the contract’s own groups, including the rows where the two agree — a table that printed only differences would invent a disagreement, and one that printed only the interesting rows would be us choosing what is interesting. Open a group to read its rows; each one says how many it holds and how many of them the two records answer differently.
A green cell means the methodology itself prices that value below the other one, not that we prefer it. Rows the model does not price carry no mark at all: price is never marked, because nothing in the model says cheaper is safer, and neither is coverage, platform count or devices. Where a value was never established the cell says so instead of showing a zero.
What actually happened
Other pairs
Pairs within the top ten get a page — 80 comparisons in all. Records below that are not paired here: a comparison earns a page where the choice between the two is a real one, and that choice is made near the top of the register.
Security
Usability
Rank 4 of 68 in the register
Italy · Commercial VPN
Exits in 23 countries
1 documented demand, none of which produced data
Security
Usability
Rank 5 of 68 in the register
Malaysia · Commercial VPN
Exits in 57 countries
No demand on the public record
Recent changes
1 change logged, on 14 Sep 2026
Open questions
Still open on this record.
Retention, unchecked by anyone. No independent audit has ever been commissioned (V01=no, based on consensus among reviewers and the absence of any AirVPN announcement of one, rather than a primary AirVPN denial) — retention (C01) rests entirely on the provider's own privacy notice, never checked by an outside party.
No transparency report, no canary. No transparency report of government/legal requests and no warrant canary could be found on airvpn.org (P05, P07 unknown) — the site does publish periodic 'mission' reports, but those cover donations to NGOs, not law-enforcement requests, so they do not establish P05.
What the forum threads show. Forum threads show users repeatedly asking AirVPN for a warrant canary with no confirmation from staff that one exists, which is suggestive but not a primary denial, so P07 stays unknown rather than 'none'.
Counts nobody publishes. Request/data-handover counts are consequently also unknown (P08, P09), and total subscriber count is never disclosed (M08 unknown) — AirVPN publishes only a live concurrently-connected-users counter, not a registered-user or subscriber total, so silence/ignorance carry real weight here.
Builds and pentests. Reproducible builds are not documented on AirVPN's own build-from-source page (eddie.website/support/build/), and no dedicated client/infrastructure pentest could be found (V13, V14 unknown). Kill switch scope and split-tunneling behaviour are sourced to a third-party review rather than AirVPN's own documentation (U08, U09 at confidence C) because the relevant FAQ pages could not be reached directly through the site's routing (they render via JavaScript and returned only a loading shell to a plain fetch).
Coverage outside the affiliates. Press coverage is not affiliate-only: BleepingComputer, a mainstream outlet outside the affiliate-aggregator list, has published an independent review carrying its own affiliate-disclosure notice rather than being confined to affiliate directories (X08=no). Its same review also found AirVPN failed every streaming service it tried — Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ABC, NBC, CBS — which is why U12b_streaming_works now reads no rather than the addictivetips.com-sourced partial it carried before that host was ruled forbidden.
The yearly price. U04b_price_yearly=4.08 is the EUR effective-monthly rate of the one-year plan (49 EUR/year) on airvpn.org/buy/, flat on renewal like every AirVPN term.
The wordmark. AirVPN serves its wordmark only as PNG (/static/img/logo/web_header.png, logo_horiz.png) and has no press or brand page, so logos/airvpn.svg is left absent per AUDITOR.md §1 rather than tracing a raster.
Still open on this record.
Ultimate beneficial owner. eVenture Ltd. is named and registered (Malaysia, LL09685) with a street address, but no individual owner or parent structure is disclosed anywhere in the provider's own documents; M09, M11 and the owner-jurisdiction channel stay unknown.
Seizure and court-record history. The transparency report states law-enforcement requests received nothing to hand over every year since 2013, which supports P02_disclosure_history, but no single dated seizure or court order is documented with its own record, so P01_seizure_event and P03_court_record stay unknown rather than the favourable none_known/unable_to_produce a P12 event would earn.
Mandate-country hosting. hide.me offers exit locations in three countries this catalogue's mandate table flags (AE, TR, VN); none of the three country pages state whether the hardware there is physical or virtual, so C09b_mandate_hosting is unknown.
Circumvention and streaming claims. The pricing page advertises undifferentiated "Streaming Support" and the site offers no measured circumvention evidence, so U06_censorship_circumvention, U12a_p2p_allowed and U12b_streaming_works stay unknown rather than resting on marketing copy.
Audit history before 2024. The provider's own pages assert an audit "back in 2015" and describe audits as routine, but only the 2024 Securitum PDF could be located and opened; V09_audit_regularity and V10_audit_count are scored on the one document actually read, not the claimed series.
Notes
On the record as a whole.
AirVPN is a sole proprietorship ("AirVPN di Paolo Brini") registered in Perugia, Italy, and explicitly refuses service to residents of Italy (stated on every page footer and in the Terms of Service §1) — the practical effect is that its own home jurisdiction cannot compel it to log its own resident customers, though this is not evidence of a broader logging-mandate exemption.
AirVPN prices only in EUR (airvpn.org/buy/): 7.00 EUR/month, 49 EUR/year (4.08 EUR/month), flat on renewal. U04_price_monthly (8.11) is 7.00 EUR/month and U04b_price_yearly (56.74) is the 49 EUR/year total, both converted to USD at 1.158 EUR/USD — the rate Mullvad publishes on its own pricing page for the same date, where 5 EUR is shown as 5.79 USD — hence confidence C and a second source for the rate. Multi-year plans drop as low as 2.75 EUR/month.
A notable practice data point: public US federal court transcripts in United States v. Klyushin (D. Mass., docket 61629108, documents #183 and #217, found via CourtListener/RECAP) show a law-enforcement pen register was placed directly at the hosting company (DediPath), not at AirVPN, to monitor an AirVPN server's IP from Jan–Feb 2020; AirVPN's own staff, replying on their forum, confirmed the company had no knowledge of or involvement in the tap and that the device had to be installed outside AirVPN's own systems.
This is recorded in P12_case_history as a court_order/nothing_produced event, sourced to AirVPN's own forum confirmation (not to the PACER PDFs themselves, which returned 403 to automated fetches and were read only via a secondary summary).
On the record as a whole.
Pricing has no plain 12-month tier; the closest analogue to an annual plan is a 13-month term (12 months plus 1 bonus month) billed 54.99 USD, recorded in U04b with this note per the schema's first-term rule. A 26-month term (24+2 bonus months) also exists at 69.99 USD but is not the annual plan the field asks for. C05_payment_anonymous also lists Visa/Mastercard/Amex/PayPal on the same page; only the Coinpayments crypto option is anonymous-adjacent.
C07b_site_trackers is a self-hosted/proxied Plausible-style analytics script served from hide.me's own domain (data-api https://hide.me/api/event) rather than a third-party domain; coded as analytics since it is still a distinct analytics product, not a first-party log.
U07_protocols refresh (2026-09-14) found SoftEther added to the protocol list alongside WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP and OpenVPN; SoftEther is third-party open-source software (not hide.me's own protocol) with a published, reviewable implementation, so it is coded vendor_open rather than proprietary.
12 Sep 20265 changes
Major streaming services reachableU12b_streaming_works
partial changed to no
Usability scoreusability.score
60 changed to 57
Security scoresecurity.score
40 changed to 37
Monthly price USD, month-to-month plan, as chargedU04_price_monthly
8.11 changed to 8.12
Yearly plan price USD, first term as chargedU04b_price_yearly
56.74 changed to 56.84
14 Sep 20261 changes
Protocols offeredU07_protocols
wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn changed to wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn, vendor_open
By circumstance
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | Allowed yes | — not established |
| Streaming | Not reachable no | — not established |
| Devices at once | 5 | 10 |
| Under censorship | Claimed to work claimed | — not established |
| Exits in mandate countries | None | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Vietnam |
| Hosting in those countries | — the question does not arise | — not established |
| Company under a mandate | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | Orders go through a judge judicial_only | — not established |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 37 weak · rank 4 of 68 | 28 insufficient · rank 5 of 68 |
| Usability | 57 out of 100 | 81 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 82% usability 100% | 77% usability 75% |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates the exit | Run by the provider itself provider_operated | Run by the provider itself provider_operated |
| Retention as declared | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableBairvpn.org · | Session metadata session_metadataBhide.me · |
| RAM-only diskless servers | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBairvpn.org · | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · |
| IP allocation model | Exit address shared between users sharedCairvpn.org · | Dedicated address offered as an option dedicated_optionBhide.me · |
| Signup without email | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBairvpn.org · | No, an email address is required noBhide.me · |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency paid directlyBairvpn.org · | Cryptocurrency through a processorBhide.me · |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBairvpn.org · | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · |
| Worst third-party SDK category in the app | No third-party SDK none | No third-party SDK none |
| Worst third-party tracker category on the site | No third-party tracker noneBairvpn.org · | Analytics analyticsBhide.me · |
| Who owns the hardware | Rented from third parties rentedCairvpn.org · | Owned by the provider ownedBhide.me · |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | NoneBairvpn.org · | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, VietnamBhide.me · |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | — the question does not ariseno source published | — not establishedno source published |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | No such regime noBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
| Persistent device identifier | None held none | None held none |
| Weakest protocol still offered | — the question does not ariseBairvpn.org · | SSTP sstpBhide.me · |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | — not established | — not established |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| At least one independent audit | No independent audit noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAhide.me · |
| How the report is published | — the question does not ariseno source published | The full report is published full_pdfAhide.me · |
| Subject of the audit | — the question does not ariseno source published | The no-logs claim itselfAhide.me · |
| Server fleet coverage | — |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | No seizure on record none_knownno source published · | — not establishedno source published |
| Actual disclosure history | No disclosure on record none_known | No disclosure on record none_known |
| Court record of compelled production | No court record none_knownno source published · | — not establishedno source published |
| Response to a national logging mandate | Was never present in that country no_presenceno source published · | Pulled its servers out rather than comply withdrew_physicalBhide.me · |
| Transparency report | — not establishedno source published | Current, with request numbers fresh_with_numbers |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | No documented lie noneCbleepingcomputer.com · | — not establishedno source published |
| Marketing against audit findings | — the question does not ariseno source published | No gap on record noneBhide.me · 2 sources · |
| Ownership structure transparency | Ownership is stated and checkable clear | Ownership is stated and checkable clear |
| Adverse events on the owner group record | Nothing adverse on record cleanCairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
| How the service is paid for |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | AirVPN di Paolo Brini — Via Sagittario 4, Perugia (PG), Italy. VAT ID IT03297800546, REA PG-279011 (individual/sole-proprietor enterprise)Bairvpn.org · | eVenture Ltd. (eVenture Limited), registered in Malaysia under registration number LL09685Bhide.me · |
| Where the company sits | Italy ITBairvpn.org · | Malaysia MYBhide.me · |
| Year the service launched | 2010Bairvpn.org · | 2012Bhide.me · |
| AirVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 8 Android, Android TV, Fire TV, iOS, Linux, macOS, Routers, WindowsBairvpn.org · | 10 Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Browser extension, RoutersBhide.me · |
| Countries with an exit | 23 countriesBairvpn.org · | 57 countriesBhide.me · |
| Paying monthly | $8.11 per monthCairvpn.org · 2 sources · | $11.99 per monthBhide.me · |
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | AirVPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse | hide.meDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse |
|---|---|---|
| RetentionDoes a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked? | 0.349 | 0.518 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.240 | 0.000 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.162 | 0.149 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.066 | 0.146 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.000 | 0.125 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.050 | 0.050 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.000 | 0.040 |
| DisclosureHas it already handed something over? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| What is left of 100The channels multiply: each one takes a share of what the one before it left standing | 37 | 28 |
AirVPN and hide.me were assessed by the HushFleet team: AirVPN scores 37/100 for security, in the Weak band, and hide.me 28/100, in the Insufficient band. They share independent ownership. The 9-point gap opens widest on Silence — “Ten years, millions of users and nothing on record?” — taking 24% from AirVPN and 0% from hide.me.
A sample of servers sampleAhide.me · |
| Auditor name | — the question does not ariseno source published | Securitum (Pawel Rozanski, Maciej Szymczak)Ahide.me · |
|---|
| Auditor category | — the question does not ariseno source published | A security specialist security_specialistAhide.me · |
|---|
| Assurance standard | — the question does not ariseno source published | Another standard otherAhide.me · |
|---|
| Date of latest report | — the question does not ariseno source published | 2024-06-07Ahide.me · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | — the question does not ariseno source published | One-off one_offAhide.me · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Total published audits | 0Cbleepingcomputer.com · | 1Ahide.me · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | — the question does not ariseno source published | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableAhide.me · |
|---|
| Client source code published | Every client allBairvpn.org · | Some clients partialBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Separate pentest | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — the question does not ariseno source published | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Warrant canary discipline | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Requests received | — not establishedno source published | 9Ahide.me · |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | — not establishedno source published | 0Ahide.me · |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | Orders go through a judge judicial_onlyCairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 1 documented demandBairvpn.org · | 0 No demand on the public recordAhide.me · 2 sources · |
|---|
Paid subscriptions only paid_onlyBairvpn.org · |
A free tier funded by the paid one freemium_fundedBhide.me · |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | Makes no such claim noCairvpn.org · | Claims total anonymity or military-grade encryption yesBhide.me · |
|---|
| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no | Does not no |
|---|
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | Covered outside affiliate sites too noCbleepingcomputer.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Security incident and how it was disclosed | No incident on record none_known | No incident on record none_known |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | A standard payout standardBairvpn.org · | A high payout high_payoutBhide.me · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — the question does not ariseno source published | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| App store declaration | The store form matches the published policy matches_policy | The store form matches the published policy matches_policy |
|---|
| User base scale (mass >=10M, mid >=1M, niche <1M) | — not establishedno source published | Mass: 10 million users or more massBhide.me · |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | Paolo Brini, sole owner/operator trading as 'AirVPN di Paolo Brini'. The service began in 2010 as a project of a small group of Rome-based activists/hacktivists (initially operated by a company called Iridium), and was formalized under a dedicated company with Brini as owner in November 2012.Bairvpn.org · 2 sources · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | None disclosed | None disclosed |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | ITBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Owner group | independent | independent |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | — the question does not ariseno source published | 2012Bhide.me · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Role of this brand inside the group | The group's principal brand principal | The group's principal brand principal |
|---|
| Infrastructure shared with cluster siblings | Separate infrastructure separate | Separate infrastructure separate |
|---|
| Paying yearly | $56.74 a year at renewal, billed onceCairvpn.org · 2 sources · | $54.99 a year at renewal, billed onceBhide.me · |
|---|
| Usable free tier | No free tier noneBairvpn.org · | A free tier with limits limited_freeBhide.me · |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | Claimed to work claimedBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 3 WireGuard, OpenVPN, An obfuscated protocolBairvpn.org · | 5 WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN, A vendor protocol with published sourceBhide.me · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On some platforms partialCeddie.website · 2 sources · | On every platform all_platformsBhide.me · |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Not available noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Available yesBhide.me · |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 5Bairvpn.org · | 10Bhide.me · |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | No account needed no_accountBairvpn.org · | An email address only email_onlyBhide.me · |
|---|
| P2P allowed | Allowed yesBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | Not reachable noCbleepingcomputer.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
