Comparison

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy vs MEGA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy

This app offers a virtual private network (VPN) service to enhance online privacy and security. It encrypts your internet connection, protects your identity, and secures your data on public Wi-Fi. Access a global network of servers for private and secure web browsing.

Highlights
  • Online identity protection
  • Public Wi-Fi security
  • Global VPN server network
  • Secure web browsing
  • Favorite Server feature
  • 24/7 customer support
Features
Read full description

HMA VPN helps protect your personal identity, keep snooping eyes off your online activity, and protect you on public Wi-Fi. Join hundreds of thousands of other people who trust HMA to keep their data more private and secure. HMA VPN is easy to set up, and in no time you’ll enjoy more secure web browsing and the ability to protect sensitive information on your iPhone or iPad. Benefits of HMA VPN: * Surf more privately * Access to the multiple VPN servers network around the world - giving you fast and reliable VPN connection * Help function built into the app * Multi-device compatible - a VPN for iPhone and iPad * In-app account registration and purchase Look what else you get: * 24/7 customer support via email * The "Favourite Server" feature allows you to mark preferred VPN server or country as "favourite" - saving you time searching for your often-used servers * IPSec is the default VPN protocol, and the app manages the VPN connection for you About our subscriptions*: If you’ve already subscribed, you can use HMA VPN for iPhone and iPad at no extra cost. If you’re not a subscriber, you can easily create an account and purchase one of the following subscriptions within the app: What is a VPN? A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is like having a PO box on the Internet – an address that is not publicly available. Instead of giving out its personal IP address when you click on a website, your iPhone or iPad gives one of ours. The result? You are more securely connected wherever our VPN server is located! Plus, your communications are secured and encrypted, even when using untrusted public networks. Why do you need a VPN? Anytime you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot with your device you are putting your security and privacy at risk. HMA offers you an extra level of professional security when surfing the Internet – wherever you are. Support available by: * Handy in-app help feature * Expert customer service team via email * Online tutorials at https://support.hidemyass.com/hc/en-us/sections/200996608-HMA-iOS-App To read about our Privacy Policy, please visit https://www.hidemyass.com/legal/privacy To read about our Terms of Use, please visit https://www.hidemyass.com/legal/vpn-terms *Note about subscriptions: - Payment will be charged to your App Store account at confirmation of purchase - Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate - You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription **HMA VPN is not available for use within India as a result of governmental regulations requiring the logging and saving of user data, but you can still use your HMA VPN when traveling outside of India."

About

MEGA

Securely store, sync, and share your files with end-to-end encryption. Communicate privately with encrypted chat and video calls. Access your data from any device, anywhere.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted cloud storage
  • Secure one-on-one and group chat
  • Encrypted audio and video calls
  • File upload, download, and sharing
  • Real-time folder updates
  • Cross-device access
Features
Read full description

MEGA is one app for everything private. Securely store, back up, share files, and chat, protected by true zero-knowledge encryption. Only you can access your files. Not even us. Store & back up - 20 GB of free encrypted cloud storage, no credit card required - Automatic camera backup for your photos and videos - Access your files from any device, anywhere, anytime - Restore previous versions with file version history Share & collaborate - Share files and folders with secure, password-protected links - Set expiry dates on shared links for time-limited access - Collaborate in real time with folder sharing - Transfer large files to anyone, no MEGA account needed Chat & meet privately - End-to-end encrypted one-on-one and group chats - Encrypted audio and video calls - Chat history synced automatically across all your devices Privacy by design - Zero-knowledge encryption, your data is encrypted and decrypted on your device only - MEGA cannot read your files, messages, or calls - Open-source code, publicly available and independently audited on GitHub - Your account recovery key ensures only you can access your data Start free with 20 GB of private cloud storage. Upgrade anytime for more space at mega.io/pricing Subscriptions renew automatically for successive periods of the same duration at the same price as the initial period chosen. You can cancel the automatic renewal of your MEGA subscription no later than 24 hours before your next subscription payment is due, via your Apple account settings page. All MEGA client-side application code is published on GitHub, for transparency. The code of our iOS mobile app is located at: https://github.com/meganz/ios App permissions (optional): Contacts: MEGA accesses your contacts so you can add them from your device. Microphone: MEGA accesses your microphone when you capture a video, make a call or record voice messages inside the app. Camera: MEGA accesses your camera when you capture a video or photo or make a call inside the app. Face ID: MEGA accesses Face ID to allow you to easily unlock the app's passcode when you enable this option. Local network: MEGA accesses your local network so you can place and receive calls through devices that are on the same Wi-Fi or other local network. Location: MEGA accesses your location when you share it with your contacts in chat. Add photos to photo library: MEGA accesses your photo library to add photos and videos to your device gallery. Photo library usage: MEGA accesses your photos and videos when you upload them, share them through the chat and when camera uploads are enabled. MEGA’s Terms of Service: https://mega.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://mega.io/privacy

Screenshots

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy4 screens
MEGA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy at none against MEGA's shown. HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). MEGA's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (46% vs 30%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and MEGA sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy against 4.6 for MEGA. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MEGA has 107K ratings behind it against 20K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 30% of HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy's written reviews are positive against 46% of MEGA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy ships an update every 3 months, MEGA every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy versus MEGA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHMA Hotspot VPN & ProxyMEGA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (20K ratings)4.6 (107K ratings)
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews45.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20K107K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#42 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB387 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPrivaxMega Networks LLC

Customer experience

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy

All ratings19,583 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews831 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral6.1%
Negative63.9%

MEGA

All ratings107,054 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews1,101 reviews
Positive45.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative43.2%

User reviews

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and reliable
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Diverse server locations

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections
  • 🐛 Unreliable connections
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 💸 Expensive subscription

MEGA

From 107K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient coding
  • 🔒 Encrypted and decrypted automatically
  • 👍 Easy to organize files into folders
  • 👍 User-friendly interface with flawless functionality
  • 🚀 Generous free storage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Thumbnails take forever to load
  • 🐛 Video playback issues and glitches
  • 🐛 Insufficient transfer quota limits downloads
  • 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
  • 🐛 Unreliable file uploads and downloads

Bugs and requests

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Fails to connect to selected servers
  • Issues with VPN profile installation
  • Subscription renewal problems

Requested features

3 requests
  • Kill switch feature
  • More server locations in Europe
  • Better support for streaming services

MEGA

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login circle with no reaction
  • Inability to view recent file uploads
  • Incorrect file order in offline downloaded folders
  • Inconsistent behavior when opening links in the app
  • Deleted files not actually removed from account

Requested features

8 requests
  • Background downloading support
  • Ability to delete chats and group chats
  • Custom folder icons
  • Separate camera upload folders for each device
  • Better Apple Files integration
Show 3 more
  • Alphabetic sorting for files
  • Video preview thumbnails
  • Offline file access

In-app purchases

11 purchases

HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy

Subscriptions9
  • Recurring Subscription7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Multi-Device Plan7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • HMA VPN 1 Month Subscription$11.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • HMA Apple Subscription_1M$11.991 Month
  • HMA Apple Subscription_6M$47.996 Months
  • Recurring Subscription$49.996 Months
  • Yearly Multi-Device Plan1 Month trial$79.991 Year
  • HMA Apple Subscription_12M7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • HMA Apple Subscription_12M$83.991 Year
One-time2
  • 1 Month$10.99
  • 6 Months$49.99
10 purchases

MEGA

Subscriptions10
  • PRO LITE Monthly$6.491 Month
  • MEGA PRO I$12.491 Month
  • PRO I Monthly$12.491 Month
Show 7 more
  • MEGA PRO II$24.991 Month
  • PRO II Monthly$24.991 Month
  • PRO III Monthly$37.491 Month
  • PRO LITE Yearly$79.991 Year
  • PRO I Yearly$124.991 Year
  • PRO II Yearly$249.991 Year
  • PRO III Yearly$374.991 Year

Questions

Is HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy free?
HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MEGA free?
MEGA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy or MEGA?
HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy and MEGA are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 20K and 107K ratings respectively.
Do HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy or MEGA have ads?
MEGA shows ads; HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy does not.
Which is updated more often, HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy or MEGA?
HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy ships an update every 3 months, and MEGA every 2 weeks. Most recently, HMA Hotspot VPN & Proxy was updated on September 24, 2026 and MEGA on September 24, 2026.

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