Hidester Extension

April 24, 2022
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Fast & Free Anonymous Web Proxy – Hidester

Simple
Using Hidester is easy. Just open up your browser, type in a website address and your connection is instantly encrypted. No need to install software or apps, so you can use it on your mobile device.
Safe
Automatic SSL technology protects you against nasty scripts or hackers trying to steal your identity. Even on public Wi-Fi connections. We even add an SSL layer to all connections for non-SSL websites!
Fast
Unblock websites at lightning-fast speed, thanks to our free proxy servers across the US and Europe. No annoying buffering.
Reliable
Enjoy constant connection and access to HD Video content. Hidester is the most reliable free web proxy in the market.
Anonymous
Your web activity is 100% anonymous, guarded with 128-bit encryption. We don’t store or track logs. We’re the only ones who control our servers; there’s no third party IP proxy involvement.
Free
Hidester Web Proxy is free and lets you visit any website, anytime, from anywhere. Bypass blocking by your government, employer or ISP. Say goodbye to “this website is not available in your country” messages forever! For faster speed, more security, and privacy, upgrade to our VPN Service.
about
Why should I use Hidester Web Proxy?
People use Hidester for many reasons. You may want to avoid being snooped on by governments, multinationals, and cyber criminals. Maybe you want to access blocked content at work? Perhaps you need to view a website from behind a firewall? You might need a tool to unblock a proxy? With Hidester it’s nobody’s business except yours.
Is it free?
This web proxy is free – just like the world wide web should be. No registration, no contract, no advertising. Just type in the website address and away you go.
How does it work?
Hidester is an anonymous web proxy – acting as your broker or “middleman”. First, you make a request through Hidester to view a web page. Then Hidester goes off and finds the web page, encrypting your location (by hiding your IP address – what’s my IP address? ), before delivering the web page to you. The website has no details about you, and you leave no trace anywhere. Want to check it works? Visit some websites through Hidester, and then check your History folder. You’ll see that it appears you never left the site. It’s like you become invisible.
CAN I CHOOSE A PROXY?
Yes – if you use our proxy list. This enables you to take control and configure your online privacy. Filter by levels of anonymity (elite, anonymous, transparent), location, type (,, SOCKS4, SOCKS5), speed, port, Google proxy. All our listed proxies are fully tested and assessed prior to upload.
PROXY VS VPN?
Well, it depends on your needs. Proxies do not require any software installation, while VPNs usually do. But proxies their major drawbacks are as following:
Proxies are only conveying data going through your browser. VPNs can protect 100% of your internet traffic, including traffic going through Peer-to-Peer applications, games messaging applications.
Data exchanged between your computer and the websites you are visiting is not encrypted. When not encrypted, data can be caught and analyzed by your hackers, ISP or governments with the right tools.
Hidester propose a VPN solution with a dedicated software running on your Operating System, that encrypts data coming in and out of your computer, through Hidester VPN server network that you can select depending on your activities and location.
Fast & Free Anonymous Web Proxy - Hidester

Fast & Free Anonymous Web Proxy – Hidester

Hidester VPN Review: A Safe VPN or a Dangerous Web Proxy?

Our VerdictOverall Rating:66. 0/10Our overall rating is reached by combining several subcategories. The subcategories are weighted as follows:
Logging & Jurisdiction: 30%
Speed & Reliability: 25%
Security & Features: 20%
Streaming: 10%
Torrenting: 5%
Ease of Use: 5%
Support: 5%
See our full methodology in how we review VPNs.
Hidester is a mediocre VPN service that fails to excel in any area. It logs connection metadata, has poor customer support, and offers consistently slow speeds. Though torrenting is allowed on some servers, it doesn’t unblock any streaming sites and its server list is #43 out of 68Hidester VPN Category RatingsStreaming0. 80. 8/10Torrenting4. 54. 5/10Logging & Jurisdiction7. 57. 5/10Speed & Reliability5. 15. 1/10Server Locations7. 27. 2/10Bypassing Censorship99. 0/10Security & Features6. 96. 9/10Ease of Use77. 0/10Customer Support4. 5/10Price & Value66. 0/10Hidester VPN Pros & ConsProsGood logging policyBypasses Chinese censorshipGood level of security Torrenting supportedBased in Hong KongConsDoesn’t work with Netflix or other streaming sitesPoor long-distance speedsFailed our streaming testsHigh ping/latencyPoor app designHidester is a VPN that promotes itself as “Secure. Private. Fast. ”
We’ve seen identical claims from other VPN providers and often been disappointed. So we decided to put Hidester through our intensive testing process and find out the truth.
In this Hidester VPN review, we answer the questions that people want the honest answers to, like:
Is Hidester safe?
Is Hidester a good and reliable VPN?
Does Hidester come with a proxy extension?
How much does Hidester cost?
Before we jump into our detailed review, here’s a quick look at Hidester’s pros and cons.
See our review of ExpressVPN, our best-rated VPN
Hidester VPN Key DataData CapUnlimitedSpeed80MbpsLogging PolicySome User LogsData LeaksNoJurisdictionHong Kong (Privacy Haven)Servers43IP AddressesNot disclosedCountries30US NetflixNoTorrentingPermittedWorks in ChinaYesSupportEmail & Online Resources OnlyCheapest Price$3. 99/mo over 12 monthsOfficial mLogs some user data from its Hong Kong jurisdictionLogging & JurisdictionLogging & Jurisdiction Rating7. 5/10We dissect the logging and privacy policies of every VPN. A VPN should never log:
Your real IP address
Connection timestamps
DNS requests
A base of operations outside of 14-Eyes or EU jurisdiction is preferable.
Hidester’s privacy policy is clearly written and laid-out, but it collects a little more information than we’re wholly comfortable with. Hidester collects your country of origin, dates of connection, choice of server, and total daily traffic. It does not say how long this data is stored for or what is done to protect or anonymize it. Hidester is incorporated in Hong Kong, and has been since October 2016.
We haven’t been able to find much more about Hidester than that, and we really tried.
We couldn’t even find the name of the boss in charge. We always prefer transparency with VPNs — it builds greater trust.
Still, Hong Kong is a good place to base your VPN as no data retention laws exist. Hidester won’t be forced to hand over sensitive personal details.
Hidester’s office building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
This, coupled with its minimal-logging policy, in theory makes Hidester a good choice for anyone looking to hide their IP address and browse public WiFi safely.
Because of its vague logging policy, we can’t recommend it for anyone looking for the absolute highest levels of privacy.
Logging PolicyHidester claims to be a ‘zero-logs’ VPN but it clearly collects connection data. This data includes:
Your connection country (but not your IP address)
VPN server location
Date of connection (but not the exact time)
Total amount of data transferred per day
Hidester does not log any websites you visit while connected to the VPN, which is standard for all good VPN services.
What’s much less reassuring is what Hidester doesn’t tell you – this is one of the shortest privacy policies we’ve seen – just one paragraph relates to the use of the Hidester’s VPN service.
There is no clear policy around how long that data is stored for before it is deleted, nor how it is stored.
There is reference to “diagnosis data” that is shared with a “third party analytics provider” with no clear definitions of what that data contains. We would like to see a much more exhaustive list of things that Hidester VPN does and doesn’t do before being able to fully recommend it for privacy.
Slow long-distance connection speedsSpeed & ReliabilitySpeed & Reliability Rating5. 1/10Speed ratings are calculated using upload speeds, download speeds, and ping (latency).
We test average speeds regularly using a dedicated 100Mbps connection in London, UK. Local download speed is considered the most important factor.
With a loss to our download speeds of less than 20% on servers in our own country, Hidester is more than fast enough for everyday encrypted browsing. However it’s when connecting to more distant VPN servers, like those in the US and Asia, that Hidester really begins to heavily impact your internet speeds. Its New Jersey server slowed our speeds all the way down to found Hidester’s overall speed performance to be acceptable. Connecting to a nearby server will produce speeds fast enough to browse without much interruption, but connecting to distant servers will reduce your speeds dramatically.
If you’re looking to get an IP address in a country far from your real location, we recommend using a different VPN.
Download Speed: 98. 11MbpsUpload Speed: 97. 9MbpsPing: 3msDownload Speed: 80. 33MbpsUpload Speed: 63MbpsPing: 23msDownload speed loss when Hidester VPN is
running: 18%Download speed without Hidester: 98. 11Mbps
Download speed with Hidester: 80. 33Mbps
Our download speed loss when Hidester is running: 18%
As you can see, we recorded fast speeds when connecting to a local Hidester server — a loss of 18% when connecting to the UK (where we test from) and 30% when connecting further away in Germany.
These results aren’t threatening high-end VPNs for speed, but you won’t have any problems with most online tasks with Hidester.
The real problem with Hidester is its distant connections, which are painfully slow.
From our location in the UK, we tested average speeds connecting out to various locations worldwide while connected to Hidester. These are the results we got:
USA: 14Mbps (download) & 8Mbps (upload)
Germany: 68Mbps (download) & 26Mbps (upload)
Singapore: 6Mbps (download) & 0. 3Mbps (upload)
Australia: 6Mbps (download) & 3Mbps (upload)
A speed decrease when connecting across continents and oceans is normal and we take that into account, but a 93% speed loss in Singapore and a 94% speed loss in Australia is not good, at all.
In the case of Singapore, we even had a 99% decrease in upload speeds.
Most surprising of all, though, is how much speeds dropped when connecting to the East Coast of the US. If you want to watch US Netflix from a location outside of America Hidester likely isn’t fast enough to do that without some buffering.
Ping times also underperformed across the board of servers. Locally, where you expect latency to be at its lowest, we clocked 23ms. If you’re a gamer reading this and looking for a VPN, Hidester isn’t it.
Unless you’re solely interested in short-distance connections, Hidester isn’t fast enough.
Cannot unblock streaming servicesStreamingStreaming Rating0. 8/10Streaming is rated by the number of different services unlocked, how many regional libraries are viewable, and how consistently the VPN can access them.
Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, DAZN, and Amazon Prime Video are all tested on a weekly basis.
Hidester VPN does not work to unblock any of the streaming services that we test for. We tried multiple locations with all three of its protocols, but nothing worked. It doesn’t have any servers labeled for streaming, either, so testing is a case of tested Hidester VPN against the proxy detectors of US Netflix. Running all the available US servers, we had zero success unlocking the service.
That’s disappointing, but how about BBC iPlayer? Nope. Hidester’s UK VPN server didn’t unlock that, either.
Needless to say, Hidester isn’t a good VPN for streaming. We recommend that you consult this list of top options for streaming, if this is what you need from your VPN service.
Hidester is no good for torrentingTorrentingTorrenting Rating4. 5/10We calculate the average download bitrate of every VPN using a bespoke torrenting setup.
Testing also factors in the percentage of servers which permit P2P, plus useful features like port forwarding.
Hidester returned absolutely horrible speeds in our torrenting tests. Our download bitrate dropped from 11. 2MiB/s to 1. 2MiB/s. It allows P2P traffic on 20 of its 30 global locations, but there’s some big gaps in its coverage. The kill switch and its reliable encryption are the only things Hidester does well for rvers which allow torrenting are designated with an icon within the Hidester app.
It’s not available on all servers – 20 of them permit P2P.
Plenty of VPNs don’t permit torrenting on their entire server network, so this isn’t necessarily a huge problem. What is a problem, though, is how these servers are distributed.
There are no torrenting servers in the US. If you live there then your nearest P2P server is Montreal, Canada. There’s also no torrenting server in Australia, meaning the nearest option is roughly 3, 000 miles away in Malaysia. This will have a huge impact on the download speed of your torrents – and we found them to be slow even on a local connection.
On the plus side, there’s a kill switch which is there to terminate your internet connection should the VPN cut-off for any reason. It’s a security measure, and an important one for keeping your IP address hidden when you torrent.
Secure, with some interesting extra featuresSecurity & FeaturesSecurity & Features Rating6. 9/10Top-rated VPNs offer OpenVPN or WireGuard protocols, AES-256 encryption, and a functional kill switch. We also consider additional security features and the global spread of VPN servers. Hidester is a secure app with more emphasis on privacy and security than many VPNs we’ve seen. In addition to some excellent censorship-bypassing tech, it also has a number of customization options for DNS and leak protection. However, a great deal of these extras are only available on otocolsOpenVPN (TCP/UDP)ProprietaryEncryptionAES-256SecurityDNS Leak BlockingFirst-party DNSVPN Kill SwitchWebRTC Leak BlockingAdvanced featuresNoneHidester ticks some important boxes when it comes to encryption and security. But it’s got some work to do if it wants to compete with top-tier providers.
You can choose between three protocols: OpenVPN, which we recommend using whenever possible as it offers the best balance between privacy and performance, and Hidester’s own two protocols: CamoVPN and CamoWeb.
It should be noted that the app defaults to CamoVPN on startup, so unless you’re connecting from a high-censorship country, be sure to change it.
Encryption is good quality too: top cipher AES-256.
The all-important VPN kill switch is appreciated, too, even if it has to be manually activated. The integrated DNS and WebRTC leak testing is also a plus.
While Hidester runs its own DNS server network, reducing the potential of IP leaks, these servers can be unreliable, often falling back to third-party DNS servers, such as those owned by your ISP or Google.
Beware of the third connection method, CamoWeb (not to be confused with CamoVPN). Using CamoWeb is good if you need to access a blocked site since it promises faster browsing, but it doesn’t encrypt your connection meaning your privacy isn’t protected. It is, essentially, a proxy that you turn on and off from within the Hidester app.
Small VPN server networkServer LocationsServer Locations Rating7. 2/10The global spread and coverage of the VPN server network is the most important factor here.
We also consider the number of city-level servers, plus how many IP addresses are maintained.
This rating does not directly contribute to the Overall Rating, but instead makes up a portion of the Security & Features rating.
Hidester’s VPN server network has shrunk in recent years. It still offers a serviceable 30 countries around the world, but South America and Africa only get one each. Europe and the US are best represented, with the US being the only country with servers in multiple cities. Canada and Australia are only represented by servers on their East Coasts. 30Countries36CitiesUndisclosedIP AddressesSee all Server LocationsHidester VPN has 43 servers in 36 cities across 30 countries. That’s a decent number of countries, but a pretty small total number of servers.
As is common with VPNs, the US receives the most attention. Hidester has servers in seven US cities, covering the country well.
What’s less common, though, is that the US is the only country with a choice of city-level servers. Other countries may have more than one server, but they’re all within the same one city.
This becomes a real inconvenience with Australia and Canada. Such huge countries need more than one server to represent them. Canada’s is in Montreal and Australia’s is in Sydney. That means that if you’re on the West Coast or to the north of either country you’ll definitely experience sub-par speeds.
Hidester doesn’t reveal the number of IP addresses it has to offer. We were informed by the support team that:
“Depending on the load [the number of IP addresses] will change”
South America’s only server is in Brazil, and Africa’s only server is in South Africa. Hidester isn’t the only VPN to give these continents insignificant resources, but it’s still disappointing.
We also had the occasional issue establishing a connection to certain Hidester servers.
Works in ChinaBypassing CensorshipBypassing Censorship Rating99. 0/10Our remote-access server in Shanghai, China routinely tests if a VPN can beat restrictions and access a free, open internet. Obfuscation technologies and nearby servers are also a contributing factor.
Hidester is one of very few VPNs we’ve tested to work in China. It has not one but two different VPN protocols designed to beat censorship. We found that CamoVPN worked to get us access to the open internet from our test server in a lesser known VPN, Hidester seems to be flying under the radar in China. It continues to work there despite the ban and the enforcement of the Great Firewall.
Hidester is doing this via its exclusive, proprietary protocol: CamoVPN. This is essentially an extra layer of obfuscation added to OpenVPN, and it allows users of Hidester to access blocked content within the country.
However, that’s not to say Hidester won’t get blocked in the future, especially as it grows to be more well-known. This is, unfortunately, natural when it comes to VPNs in China.
As it sits now, Hidester has a guide on how to use its app in China, which is well worth reading.
Because it works in China, Hidester is also very likely to work within other censored or authoritarian regimes, including:
Iran
Iraq
Russia
Turkey
UAE
Available on popular platforms but lacking manual configurationPlatforms & DevicesPlatforms & Devices RatingA quality VPN should maintain functional, fully-featured applications and extensions for as many platforms and devices as possible.
This does not directly contribute to the Overall Rating, but instead makes up a portion of the Ease of Use rating.
Hidester is available for a small selection of platforms and devices: just Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. All three of Hidester’s protocols are available on all platforms, as are all its servers. You do get access to some extra security features on Windows, though. There’s no router support or Smart DNS, so any other devices you own can’t be protected by sHidester is available to use with the most popular platforms, including:WindowsMaciOSAndroidLinuxWe previously asked Hidester support about plans to support more platforms, and we were told it was planning on increasing its compatibility with other operating systems. That was more than a year ago, though, and nothing has changed.
Although setup on these devices is pretty self-explanatory, Hidester offers simple, step-by-step guides in the support section of its website should you need them.
An unremarkable app that looks best on MacOSEase of UseEase of Use Rating77. 0/10This rating mainly consists of the intuitiveness of setup and everyday use.
Device or platform compatibility and customization options are also a factor.
While it looks a little dated on Windows, Hidester is a neat and rather unremarkable VPN on its other platforms. If all you want to do is choose servers and get connected then it’s nice and simple. The few advanced features it has don’t come with much explanation, to Install & Set Up Hidester VPN Click the ‘download’ button on your confirmation email or the website. Go through the set-up wizard, answer the installation prompts and click ‘finish’ and the installation process is you can use the app, you’ll have to sign in using the log-in details you chose at main view of the Hidester’s user-friendly desktop app – just click the power button to on/off button turns orange when connected and clearly shows the chosen server location. Click ‘change location’ on the main screen for the server list and ‘score’- the higher, the better! Manually activate the kill switch in the ‘security’ section of the settings menu (cog symbol in the top left corner) can change the DNS server settings by clicking on the ‘VPN’ tab under Settings. Hidester offers a simple user experience.
The main screen is clutter-free, with a large connect button in the center and your chosen server location beneath.
You can easily change the VPN protocol by clicking ‘Advanced’ in the bottom left-hand side of the app, and it’s simple to navigate the other advanced settings in order to configure the kill switch and DNS servers.
The fact that you have to manually activate Hidester’s kill switch every time you log on is very annoying, though, and a big privacy risk.
However, once activated, if the connection drops you are clearly notified at the bottom of the desktop app with a bright blue banner clearly stating so.
Customer support needs improvementCustomer SupportCustomer Support Rating4. 5/10This rating is based on our assessment of each VPN’s:
Email support
Live chat support
Online resources
Not every VPN offers all of these, and they often vary in quality and response time.
Hidester support only operates via email – there’s no live chat. Usually this approach is supplemented by plenty of online resources, but Hidester’s material is very limited. There’s some basic info on how to install the VPN and what its various features do, but that’s about support via an online formYesOnline ResourcesYesHidester has no live chat function, and the online form is highly unreliable – despite boasting ’24/7 support’.
We resorted to emailing the support team directly, only to receive an impersonal and incomplete response hours later.
Hidester will need to improve its customer support if it wants to compete with the best VPN providers.
The blog, while once comprehensive, is now extremely out of date. Most sections haven’t been updated by any Hidester staff member in years.
Better value for money is availablePrice & ValuePrice & Value Rating66. 0/10Price & Value for Money receives a rating, but is not factored into our Overall Rating. We believe the reader should decide what is or isn’t a reasonable price.
A good rating here isn’t just based on how cheap the VPN is, but for the value it offers overall.
Hidester employs a very standard VPN pricing plan. At $9. 99 for its one-month plan and $3. 99 per month for its one-year plan it is entirely unremarkable. If it were a much better VPN service then $3. 99 would be a very tempting price. However, it’s not, and as such is hard to recommend even from a financial standpoint. Seven of our top 10 VPNs are cheaper than Hidester. Hidester’s pricing is straightforward: there are three plans to choose from, and they get cheaper the longer you sign up for.
With no differences in the VPN features offered for each plan, it’s just a matter of how long you’d like to stick with the service.
For a 30-day rolling contract, the full price is $9. 99 — cheaper than plenty of VPN services if you just want to try it out.
Hidester offers a 49% discount for its 12-month plan, which works out at $3. 99 per month. $46. 80 for a year of Hidester is a mid-range price in the VPN market (remember that you have to pay that fee up-front) but it’s simply not a good enough product to make it tempting.
MonthlyUS$9. 99/moBilled $9. 99 every month 6 monthsUS$6/moBilled $36. 00 every 6 monthsSave 14%12 monthsUS$3. 99/moBilled $46. 80 every 12 monthsSave 49%All plans have 7-day money-back guaranteePayment & Refund OptionsHidester accepts popular forms of payment such as major credit/debit cards and PayPal.
If you would like a little more anonymity, you can also pay using Bitcoin.
However, a 12-month commitment is required to use this form of payment and you will not be eligible for a refund.
American ExpressBitcoinBitcoin CashMastercardMoneroPayPalVisaOver a dozen other cryptocurrencies are accepted via CoinPayments, including:
Monero
Ethereum
Litecoin
Dash
Nav
Neo
Qtum
Stratis
USDT
Waves
Verge
Ripple
Zcash
Hidester does not accept international payments options, such as Alipay and UnionPay.
Hidester’s refund policy differs depending on the price plan you opt for. Committing to one or six months gives you a measly three-day money-back guarantee, which extends to seven days for the 12-month plan.
Although this may be sufficient time to fully test out the VPN, this is much less generous than the policies of our top-tier providers.
Worse, Hidester’s guarantee does not cover change of mind as a reason to get your money back. Within the refund period, you only get a refund if Hidester doesn’t work on your device and the support team can’t fix it.
Outside the guarantee period, refunds are at the provider’s discretion even if the service doesn’t work.
Bitcoin purchases are non-refundable, always.
Secure, but simply gets too much wrongThe Bottom LineIf you should use Hidester for anything, it’s for accessing a free internet in censored countries – particularly China.
We thoroughly applaud Hidester for creating an app that’s not only clearly focused on beating censorship, but also does a very good job of it.
However, Hidester logs connection metadata, and it’s not very fast. Though it does allow torrenting on some of its servers, it doesn’t unblock any streaming sites and its modest server network is poorly distributed.
Overall, we recommend you don’t use Hidester and opt for another VPN provider. There are far better alternatives available within the same price range.
Alternatives to Hidester VPNPrivateVPN is better than Hidester in every way. It works reliably in China, it unblocks Netflix libraries from around the world, and it has easy-to-use apps on all platforms. It’s available for as low as $1. 98a month, too, giving you much more for a lower price than Hidester. Read PrivateVPN reviewWith CyberGhost you can connect to a much larger number of countries than Hidester. The VPN has 7, 400 servers located in 91 countries, which is a massive increase of 56 countries over Hidester’s network. Read CyberGhost review

Frequently Asked Questions about hidester extension

Is Hidester proxy good?

Reliable. Enjoy constant connection and access to HD Video content. Hidester is the most reliable free web proxy in the market.

Is Hidester safe?

Hidester is a secure app with more emphasis on privacy and security than many VPNs we’ve seen. In addition to some excellent censorship-bypassing tech, it also has a number of customization options for DNS and leak protection.Sep 22, 2021

How do you use Hidester?

The 5 Best Free Chrome VPNs1: CyberGhost – Best for Regular Unblocking.2: Browsec – Most Convenient.3: TunnelBear – Best for Infrequent Usage.4: HotSpot Shield – Easiest and Most Reliable Unblocking.5: Windscribe – Most Flexible Server Locations.ExpressVPN – Best Paid VPN.

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