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.
No demand on the public record
No demand on the public record
Recent changes
No change logged on this record
1 change logged, on 14 Sep 2026
Open questions
Still open on this record.
Jurisdiction. The about-us page says CactusVPN "started as a small company in Moldova" but that is company narrative, not a registration statement, and the Terms of Service state no governing law or incorporation country at all; the Securitum report names the client only as "Cactus VPN LLC" with no jurisdiction attached. M06 and the fields derived from it stay unknown until a registry record or an explicit jurisdiction clause is found.
Mandate hosting. All 25 countries in the published server list carry a data-retention mandate in this catalogue's own table, so C09b is not a narrow question here, but the server-locations page does not distinguish physical exit points from virtual ones for any location, and no per-country hosting fact was established this session.
App-level identifiers and store declarations. C07a, C12 and X12 stay unknown: no Play Store data-safety form or Apple privacy label was read this session, and the Securitum audit's whitebox scope covered server-side configuration and DNS/traffic handling, not what the mobile or extension clients transmit to app stores or analytics SDKs on their own.
Transparency and canary. No /transparency, /transparency-report, /warrant-canary or /canary path resolves on the site, and no such page turned up in the sitemap; that is an absence found by looking, not a sourced "none", so both fields stay unknown rather than being marked none.
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.
The Securitum engagement (20 Apr–7 May 2026, nine person-days, whitebox) inspected four production servers across four of CactusVPN's ~25 listed server countries and the VPN client's connection behaviour (including a Linux app used for testing, which is not among the platforms the downloads page currently lists — apparently manual/legacy client access rather than a listed product).
The report is a bespoke Securitum security assessment, not an ISAE 3000 or SOC 2 engagement, so V07/V15 record that rather than guessing an assurance tier.
Pricing carries a renewal-rate guarantee: the annual ($70/yr) and 2-year ($95/2yr) plans are both stated to renew at the same locked price "for life," which is unusual among providers in this catalogue and is not a lifetime one-time-fee scheme (X07=no).
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.
CactusVPN and hide.me were assessed by the HushFleet team and both placed in the Insufficient band: CactusVPN scores 20/100 for security, hide.me 28/100. They share an independent audit and independent ownership. The 8-point gap opens widest on Silence — “Ten years, millions of users and nothing on record?” — taking 23% from CactusVPN and 0% from hide.me.
Security
Usability
Rank 10 of 68 in the register
Not published · Commercial VPN
Exits in 25 countries
Security
Usability
Rank 5 of 68 in the register
Malaysia · Commercial VPN
Exits in 57 countries
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | CactusVPNDominant channel: Ignorance0 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? | 0.299 | 0.518 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.333 | 0.149 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.280 | 0.146 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.225 | 0.000 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.155 | 0.040 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.079 | 0.125 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.000 | 0.050 |
| 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 | 20 | 28 |
| CactusVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 20 insufficient · rank 10 of 68 | 28 insufficient · rank 5 of 68 |
| Usability | 66 out of 100 | 81 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 63% usability 100% | 77% usability 75% |
| CactusVPN | 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_linkableBcactusvpn.com · | Session metadata session_metadataBhide.me · |
| RAM-only diskless servers | — not establishedno source published | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · |
| IP allocation model | Exit address shared between users sharedBcactusvpn.com · | Dedicated address offered as an option dedicated_optionBhide.me · |
| Signup without email | No, an email address is required no | No, an email address is required no |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency through a processor | Cryptocurrency through a processor |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verified | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verified |
| Worst third-party SDK category in the app | — not establishedno source published | No third-party SDK noneBplay.google.com · 2 sources · |
| Worst third-party tracker category on the site | Analytics analytics | Analytics analytics |
| Who owns the hardware | — not establishedno source published | Owned by the provider ownedBhide.me · |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | 2 India, RussiaBcactusvpn.com · | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, VietnamBhide.me · |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | — not established | — not established |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | — not establishedno source published | No such mandate noBhide.me · |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | — not established | — not established |
| Persistent device identifier | — not establishedno source published | None held noneBplay.google.com · 2 sources · |
| Weakest protocol still offered | PPTP pptpBcactusvpn.com · | SSTP sstpBhide.me · |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | Traffic passes through unaltered noneBcactusvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
| CactusVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| At least one independent audit | Yes, and the report was read yes_verified | Yes, and the report was read yes_verified |
| How the report is published | The full report is published full_pdf | The full report is published full_pdf |
| Subject of the audit | The no-logs claim itself · The infrastructureAsecuritum.com · | The no-logs claim itselfAhide.me · |
| Server fleet coverage | A sample of servers sample | A sample of servers sample |
| Auditor name | SecuritumAsecuritum.com · | Securitum (Pawel Rozanski, Maciej Szymczak) |
| CactusVPN | 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 | — not establishedno 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 |
| CactusVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | — not established | — not established |
| Marketing against audit findings | No gap on record none | No gap on record none |
| Ownership structure transparency | Ownership is stated and checkable clear | Ownership is stated and checkable clear |
| Adverse events on the owner group record | — not established | — not established |
| How the service is paid for | Paid subscriptions only paid_onlyBcactusvpn.com · | A free tier funded by the paid one freemium_fundedBhide.me · |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | Claims total anonymity or military-grade encryption yes | Claims total anonymity or military-grade encryption |
| CactusVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Cactus VPN LLCAsecuritum.com · | eVenture Ltd. (eVenture Limited), registered in Malaysia under registration number LL09685Bhide.me · |
| Where the company sits | — not establishedno source published | Malaysia MYBhide.me · |
| Year the service launched | 2011Bcactusvpn.com · | 2012Bhide.me · |
| User base scale (mass >=10M, mid >=1M, niche <1M) | — not established |
| CactusVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 7 Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Browser extensionBcactusvpn.com · | 10 Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Browser extension, RoutersBhide.me · |
| Countries with an exit | 25 countriesBcactusvpn.com · | 57 countriesBhide.me · |
| Paying monthly | $15.00 per monthBcactusvpn.com · | $11.99 per monthBhide.me |
By circumstance
| CactusVPN | hide.me | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | Allowed yes | — not established |
| Streaming | Reachable yes | — not established |
| Devices at once | unlimited | 10 |
| Under censorship | Claimed to work claimed | — not established |
| Exits in mandate countries | 2 India, Russia | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Vietnam |
| Hosting in those countries | — not established | — not established |
| Company under a mandate | — not established | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | No secret-order regime on record none_known | — not established |
| Auditor category | A security specialist security_specialist | A security specialist security_specialist |
|---|
| Assurance standard | Another standard other | Another standard other |
|---|
| Date of latest report | 2026-05-08Asecuritum.com · | 2024-06-07Ahide.me · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | One-off one_off | One-off one_off |
|---|
| Total published audits | 1 | 1 |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkable | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkable |
|---|
| Client source code published | None noneAsecuritum.com · | Some clients partialBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Separate pentest | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| 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 | No secret-order regime on record none_knownno source published · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | — not establishedno source published | 0 No demand on the public recordAhide.me · 2 sources · |
|---|
yes| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no | Does not no |
|---|
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | Covered only on sites paid to cover it yesCcactusvpn.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 standardBcactusvpn.com · | A high payout high_payoutBhide.me · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| App store declaration | — not establishedno source published | The store form matches the published policy matches_policyBplay.google.com · 3 sources · |
|---|
Mass: 10 million users or more massBhide.me · |
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | Independent; founded and run by co-founders (Sergiu Candja, Pavel Bodeanu, and colleagues), who state they have refused outside buyout offersBcactusvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | None disclosed | None disclosed |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| 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 | $70.00 a year at renewal, billed onceBcactusvpn.com · | $54.99 a year at renewal, billed onceBhide.me · |
|---|
| Usable free tier | No free tier noneBcactusvpn.com · | A free tier with limits limited_freeBhide.me · |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | Claimed to work claimedBcactusvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 8 OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, L2TP, PPTP, SSTP, A vendor protocol with published source, An obfuscated protocolBcactusvpn.com · | 5 WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN, A vendor protocol with published sourceBhide.me · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On every platform all_platforms | On every platform all_platforms |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Available yes | Available yes |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | unlimitedBcactusvpn.com · | 10Bhide.me · |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | An email address only email_only | An email address only email_only |
|---|
| P2P allowed | Allowed yesBcactusvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | Reachable yesBcactusvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
14 Sep 20261 changes
Protocols offeredU07_protocols
wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn changed to wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn, vendor_open
