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 5 of 68 in the register
Malaysia · Commercial VPN
Exits in 57 countries
Security
Usability
Rank 7 of 68 in the register
United States · Censorship tool
Exits in 4 countries
No demand on the public record
1 documented demand, 1 of which produced data
Open questions
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.
Still open on this record.
Hardware ownership is not stated. Riseup's own government FAQ describes physical control of its core Seattle infrastructure ('not hosted in the cloud'), but says nothing about the VPN gateway machines in Montreal, Paris and Amsterdam, which sit on IP ranges typical of commercial hosts. C08_servers_ownership stays unknown rather than assumed from the Seattle statement.
The bare-minimum VPN log is described only by exclusion. The security page lists everything the 5-day rotating log does not contain (no IP, no fingerprint, no DNS requests, no metadata) but never states what it does contain. C01 is filled none_linkable on that exclusion list, but a reader who wants to know what the bytes actually are will not find it here.
Several usability fields have no documentation to read at all. Split tunneling, simultaneous device limits, P2P policy and streaming access are not addressed on any RiseupVPN page found this session, and the kill switch is confirmed only for the desktop tray client, not for Android.
The only independent audit is a client/infrastructure pentest, not a logging audit. The 2025 SRLabs report examined Bitmask and the Menshen bridge registrar for intercept and DPI risks; it never asked what the VPN servers retain, so V11_audit_findings is not_stated and the retention claim in C01 rests on Riseup's own word alone.
The 2012 seizure often cited against Riseup did not touch Riseup's own data. U.S. federal agents took a server from a colocation facility Riseup shared with May First/People Link, but the machine and its data belonged to a third tenant (European Counter Network); no Riseup account or user data was on it, which is why P01_seizure_event reads none_known rather than crediting an event that was never Riseup's to resist.
Notes
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.
On the record as a whole.
RiseupVPN is a free client of Riseup Networks, a US 501(c)(4) non-profit collective (riseup.net) operating since 1999; the VPN carries no price of its own and is sustained entirely by donations, which is why U04/U04b are not_applicable. RiseupVPN is a rebrand of the older Bitmask/Riseup-Black client built on the LEAP platform; its four gateways (Seattle, Montreal, Paris, Amsterdam) all sit in countries carrying a logging mandate per countries.csv, and hosting there is physical rather than virtual.
Recent changes
1 change logged, on 14 Sep 2026
No change logged on this record
14 Sep 20261 changes
Protocols offeredU07_protocols
wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn changed to wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn, vendor_open
By circumstance
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | — not established | — not established |
| Streaming | — not established | — not established |
| Devices at once | 10 | — not established |
| Under censorship | — not established | Claimed to work claimed |
| Exits in mandate countries | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Vietnam | None |
| Hosting in those countries | — not established | — the question does not arise |
| Company under a mandate | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | — not established | National security letters or their equivalent nsl_equivalent |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 28 insufficient · rank 5 of 68 | 25 insufficient · rank 7 of 68 |
| Usability | 81 out of 100 | 65 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 77% usability 75% | 88% usability 64% |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates the exit | Run by the provider itself provider_operated | Run by the provider itself provider_operated |
| Retention as declared | Session metadata session_metadataBhide.me · | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableBriseup.net · |
| RAM-only diskless servers | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
| IP allocation model | Dedicated address offered as an option dedicated_optionBhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
| Signup without email | No, an email address is required noBhide.me · | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency through a processorBhide.me · | The service takes no payment at allBriseup.net · |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
| 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 | Analytics analyticsBhide.me · | No third-party tracker noneBriseup.net · |
| Who owns the hardware | Owned by the provider ownedBhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, VietnamBhide.me · | NoneBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | — not establishedno source published | No such regime noBriseup.net · |
| Persistent device identifier | None held none | None held none |
| Weakest protocol still offered | SSTP sstpBhide.me · | — the question does not ariseBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | — not establishedno source published | Traffic passes through unaltered noneBriseup.net · |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 itselfAhide.me · | The infrastructure · The protocol · The app's securityAopentech.fund · |
| Server fleet coverage | A sample of servers sampleAhide.me · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
| Auditor name | Securitum (Pawel Rozanski, Maciej Szymczak) |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | — not establishedno source published | No seizure on record none_knownBhelp.riseup.net · |
| Actual disclosure history | No disclosure on record none_knownAhide.me · | Account data was handed over account_data_disclosedBriseup.net · |
| Court record of compelled production | — not establishedno source published | Produced account data produced_account_dataBriseup.net · |
| Response to a national logging mandate |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | — not establishedno source published | No documented lie noneAopentech.fund · |
| 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 establishedno source published | Nothing adverse on record cleanBriseup.net · |
| How the service is paid for | A free tier funded by the paid one freemium_funded | A free tier funded by the paid one freemium_funded |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | eVenture Ltd. (eVenture Limited), registered in Malaysia under registration number LL09685Bhide.me · | Riseup NetworksBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
| Where the company sits | Malaysia MYBhide.me · | United States USBriseup.net · |
| Year the service launched | 2012Bhide.me · | 1999Briseup.net · |
| hide.me | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 10 Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Browser extension, RoutersBhide.me · | 4 Linux, macOS, Windows, AndroidBriseup.net · |
| Countries with an exit | 57 countriesBhide.me · | 4 countriesBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| Paying monthly | $11.99 per monthBhide.me · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
| Paying yearly | $54.99 |
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | hide.meDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse | RiseupVPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse |
|---|---|---|
| RetentionDoes a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked? | 0.518 | 0.497 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.125 | 0.200 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.040 | 0.200 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.149 | 0.097 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.146 | 0.070 |
| DisclosureHas it already handed something over? | 0.000 | 0.087 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.050 | 0.000 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| What is left of 100The channels multiply: each one takes a share of what the one before it left standing | 28 | 25 |
hide.me and RiseupVPN were assessed by the HushFleet team and both placed in the Insufficient band: hide.me scores 28/100 for security, RiseupVPN 25/100. They share an independent audit and independent ownership. The 3-point gap opens widest on Integrity — “Has it been caught saying one thing and doing another?” — taking 4% from hide.me and 20% from RiseupVPN.
| Security Research Labs (SRLabs)Aopentech.fund · |
| Auditor category | A security specialist security_specialist | A security specialist security_specialist |
|---|
| Assurance standard | Another standard otherAhide.me · | No standard stated noneAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Date of latest report | 2024-06-07Ahide.me · | 2025-05-16Aopentech.fund · |
|---|
| 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_linkableAhide.me · | The report does not address retention not_statedAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Client source code published | Some clients partialBgithub.com · | Every client allBgithub.com · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Separate pentest | — not establishedno source published | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
Pulled its servers out rather than comply withdrew_physicalBhide.me · |
| — the question does not ariseno source published |
| Transparency report | Current, with request numbers fresh_with_numbersAhide.me · | No report noneBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Warrant canary discipline | — not establishedno source published | Kept current maintainedBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Requests received | 9Ahide.me · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | 0Ahide.me · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | — not establishedno source published | National security letters or their equivalent nsl_equivalentBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 0 No demand on the public recordAhide.me · 2 sources · | 1 documented demandBriseup.net · |
|---|
Claims total anonymity or military-grade encryption yesBhide.me · |
Makes no such claim noBriseup.net · |
| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no | Does not no |
|---|
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | — not establishedno source published | Covered outside affiliate sites too noBhelp.riseup.net · |
|---|
| Security incident and how it was disclosed | No incident on record none_knownBhide.me · | Disclosed by someone else third_party_disclosedAopentech.fund · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | A high payout high_payoutBhide.me · | No affiliate programme noneBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno 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) | Mass: 10 million users or more massBhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | — not establishedno source published | Riseup Collective (self-governed autonomous collective; no external owner)Briseup.net · |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | None disclosed | None disclosed |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | — not establishedno source published | USBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Owner group | independent | independent |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | 2012Bhide.me · 2 sources · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| — the question does not ariseno source published |
| Usable free tier | A free tier with limits limited_freeBhide.me · | A free tier with no data cap unlimited_freeBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | — not establishedno source published | Claimed to work claimedBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 5 WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN, A vendor protocol with published sourceBhide.me · | 2 OpenVPN, An obfuscated protocolBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On every platform all_platformsBhide.me · | On desktop only desktop_onlyBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Available yesBhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 10Bhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | An email address only email_onlyBhide.me · | No account needed no_accountBriseup.net · |
|---|
| P2P allowed | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | — not established | — not established |
|---|
