HideMyAss and BTGuard are the two most popular VPN services in the world for secure BitTorrent use. Though they are used to achieve the same goal (safe, anonymous torrent downloading) they each take a different approach and have their individual strengths and weaknesses. We compare BTguard and HideMyAss in-depth to help you choose which is better VPN for Torrenting.
HIDEMYASS VS BTGUARD FEATURE QUICK COMPARISON
Hidemyass
- Based in United Kingdom
- Servers in 53 Countries
- 40,000+ IP Addresses
- OpenVPN, L2TP and PPTP
- Full-Featured HideMyAss VPN Software
- No Pre-Configured uTorrent Client
- 256-Bit AES Encryption
- Temporary Connection Logs
- VPN Only (No Torrent Proxy)
- $11.52/month for 1 Month
- $6.55/month for 1 Year
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
BTGuard
- Based in Canada
- Servers in 3 Continents
- 1,000+ IP Addresses
- OpenVPN & PPTP + Secure Proxy
- Uses OpenVPN GUI Software
- Free Pre-Configured uTorrent client with proxy/encryption settings
- 256-Bit AES Encryption
- No Connection Logs
- VPN and Bittorrent Proxy Service
- $9.95/month (VPN)
- $6.95/month (Proxy)
- No Refund Policy
HIDEMYASS VS BTGUARD: SOFTWARE AND SERVERS
HideMyAss pro vpn offers ervers in over 50 countries. Their proprietary software has pro-level features like randomized IP-switching, smart server connections based on speed/ping, and secure IP bind technology (which allows you to auto-disconnect your internet if your VPN connection fails. BTguard by contrast does not offer their own desktop client, though they do have VPN servers in North America, Europe and Asia.
Winner: HideMyAss
HIDEMYASS VS BTGUARD: CONNECTION OPTIONS
HideMyAss Pro VPN offers PPTP, L2TP and OpenVPN protocols, both through the proprietary HideMyAss VPN software or by manual connection. BTGuard offers PPTP and OpenVPN protocols (the two most popular VPN options). Additionally, BTGuard offer the BTGuard proxy service for encrypted anonymous Bittorrent. The proxy option is perfect for people who just want to keep your BItTorrent use private without the need for an elaborate VPN setup. BTGuard offers a free download of a pre-configured uTorrent client with all the BTguard proxy and encryption settings already built in, making setup super easy. They also have manually installation guides for use with any torrent client like Vuze.
Winner: BTGuard
SECURITY AND PRIVACY
Both HideMyAss and BTGuard utilize 256-Bit AES encryption, which is the industry standard for consumer-grade VPN service. The main difference between the two is in their logging policy. HideMyAss makes and keeps temporary connection logs. These consist of a time stamp along with incoming/outgoing IP addresses. Because HideMyAss assigns individual IP addresses to users, this is enough information to identify specific vpn users.
BTguard by contrast, keeps no logs at all, not even temporary connection logs. Moreover, BTGuard utilizes shared IP addresses (which means multiple people will be connected using the same BTGuard IP address) so it is impossible to identify a specific BTguard user based on their VPN IP address. This is the true definition of Totally Anonymous BittorrentUse.
Winner: BTGuard
BTGUARD VS HIDEMYASS: PRICING
Though HideMyAss and BTGuard offer similar pricing options, HideMyAss offers a bit better bang-for-the-buck because of their full-featured software, 40,000+ IP Addresses, and servers in 53 countries. We feel that BTGuard proxy offers a much better value than BTGuard VPN, and is an excellent option for people just looking for safe, anonymous Bittorrent.
Hidemyass Pricing
Hidemyass has a range of subscription lengths. The longer your subscription, the cheaper the effective price. Month-to-month pricing starts at $11.99, whereas a 3-year subscription is a mere $2.99/month.
Refund Policy: Hidemyass will issue a full 100% refund of any plan within the first 30 days as long as you don’t go over 10GB of VPN usage in that period.
BTGuard Pricing:
A monthly BTGuard subscription is slightly cheaper than Hidemyass ($9.95/month for VPN and $6.95 for the proxy). However, there isn’t as much as an incentive to choose a longer term plan.
BTGuard discounts pricing by 25% if you choose a one year subscription, making the effective pricing $7.50/month for the VPN and $5 for proxy service.
Winner: Hidemyass
HIDE MY ASS VS BTGUARD: THE WINNER IS – (DRAW)
In the epic VPN showdown of HideMyAss vs BTguard, the battle was too close to call. The reason is, each is an excellent choice for different users, depending on their needs.
Who should choose HideMyAss?
If you are need to secure your entire internet connection, and not just your torrent traffic, HideMyAss is a great choice. They have some of the most powerful software of any VPN and thousands upon thousands of IP address options in over 50 countries. If you are a power user and need maximum flexibility from your VPN, complete location control, and super-functional software, HideMyAss is a great option.
Who should choose BTGuard?
For people that just need safe anonymous Bittorrent without all the bells and whistles and endless options, you can’t do much better than the BTGuard Proxy Service. While we felt that HideMyAss won the head-to-head VPN battle, BTGuard’s torrent proxy service stands alone as the easiest and cheapest solution for anonymous Bittorrent. Signup and setup takes less than 2 minutes with the Pre-Configured uTorrent client, and all BTGuard needs is an email address, password, and payment method (no address needed)