Hoxx VPN is not exactly a full VPN service, but it can help you to access websites that are subject to geographical restrictions. It also allows you to mask your real IP address and it helps to protect your privacy by adding encryption to your online traffic. There is a free version, as well as a paid one and both of them promise to boost the security of your personal information when you are using public WiFi hotspots. Hoxx VPN was launched in 2014 and it is based in the United States. Apart from offering a solution to get around blocks that stop you from enjoying your favorite websites and media content, Hoxx VPN also promises to protect your privacy and to keep your data secure. In this review, we will find out if Hoxx VPN lives up to its claims and if it truly delivers the online freedom and security that you need.
Privacy and security
One of the main reasons why people get a VPN service is to add security to their connection and to prevent third parties from monitoring their online activities. Unfortunately, Hoxx VPN is not an solution that can be trusted with your data. They admit that they keep logs of you online activities to ensure that you are not doing anything illegal. While their transparency and commitment to prevent illegal activities deserve recognition, their policy goes against the purpose of a VPN, which is to protect privacy. Just because you don’t want others to see what you are doing online, it doesn’t mean that you are doing anything wrong. The right to privacy is crucial and in many countries, people are prevented from accessing websites just because they criticize the government’s policies. For many activists, online privacy is a matter of life and death, and it is an important aspect, even for those who simply don’t want to be monitored.
It is disappointing to find out that Hoxx VPN collects some information automatically. The provider logs information about the websites you visit, the browser you use, your access times, your IP address and more. It is very likely that this information is shared with third parties and in fact, Hoxx VPN doesn’t guarantee that your personal data is secure when you are using its apps. They even reserve the right to record and keep your information. If they consider it necessary, they will hand over your data to government agencies. To make matters worse, the company behind Hoxx VPN is based in the United States, which is one of the worst locations for privacy. The United States is part of the Five Eyes spying alliance. Known privacy enemies like the NSA are more likely to access your information and not only that, they will also share it with the other members of the alliance: Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
Privacy is not the only area in which Hoxx VPN will let you down. Uses 4096-bit RSA encryption, which used to be considered as a highly secure algorithm. However, nowadays, this encryption is outdated and it has been already cracked. The current standard to ensure that your data is protected is 256-bit AES. This algorithm hasn’t been compromised and it offers better protection than an algorithm that was easily cracked years ago. In addition, Hoxx VPN is still using HTTP tunneling for browser add-on services and Shadowsocks protocol (which is actually a proxy with limited functionality) for its desktop software and Android app. This is way behind OpenVPN, which many see as the most reliable and secure protocol available. The bad news don’t end up there. Unfortunately, Hoxx VPN is not capable of protecting you effectively from DNS and WebRTC leaks. This can leave your real IP address exposed and it shows that Hoxx VPN is not the right choice if you want high security to protect your privacy and the security of your online data.
Features
Hoxx VPN is set to offer you anonymity by disguising your IP address and allowing to appear as if you were in a different location. Hozz VPN promises that you will be able to access content that is blocked due to censorship or geographical restrictions. Hoxx VPN offers a varied selection of servers and unlimited connections, which means that you can enjoy security when you use your desktop and your mobile devices. If you opt for the Premium service, you get access to over 600 servers distributed across more than 30 countries. This gives you enough choices to change your IP address and bypass the restrictions that prevent you from accessing the content that you want.
Hoxx VPN is mainly aimed at browser users, but it also works with different platforms including Android, iOS, Mac and popular browsers like Opera, Google Chrome and Firefox. Routers, gaming consoles and smart TVs are not currently supported. Unfortunately, you won’t find any advanced features that can bring your privacy to the next level such as kill switch, which is a solution that could prevent your IP address from being exposed. Hoxx VPN doesn’t support the TOR Network, unlike many other VPNs that offer that option, which can add an extra layer of anonymity to your connection. Using Tor along with a VPN offers powerful protection and it can be particularly useful for people who want to bring their privacy to the next level.
Another issue with Hoxx VPN is that you may experience some connection issues. The installation process is simple, but when it comes to signing on and trying to connect to a server, the experience is not so smooth. Your IP address can be exposed through WebRTC leak and you will need to log out and back in several time to see if it finally works. The service is not stable and even after trying many times, you may still have to deal with connection problems and error messages. That is not all. Your internet speeds may slow down significantly when you use Hoxx VPN. While it is normal to get a speed drop when using a VPN, due to the encryption used, Hoxx VPN’s performance is so disappointing that you will be lucky if you are even able to watch a video.
Needless to say that Hoxx VPN is not an effective solution to stream content or bypass the blocks that Netflix has implemented. It doesn’t even allow torrenting and while this technology is often associated to online piracy, there are many legitimate reasons to use it. Torrenting can leave your information exposed, which is why many people prefer to use VPNs to boost their privacy and anonymity while downloading or sharing content.
Pricing
The price of the plans depends on the length of the subscription and the options start form one week to a whole year. If you don’t want to tie yourself to a lengthy subscription, you can opt for one week, which costs $3. One year costs $40, which means that the monthly cost is just $3.33. If you opt for the two year plan, the monthly price goes down to $2. In addition, there is a free plan that comes with some limits in functionality and performance. For instance, free accounts have daily bandwidth limits and premium accounts have no limits at all. Hoxx VPN only guarantees speeds for premium users. The free plan also offers poorer encryption and there is no dedicated support available. In contrast, premium users get malware protection, ad blocks and 24/7 customer support. It is possible to pay with credit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin.
Customer Support
You can reach out their customer support via email and as previously mentioned, the premium plan offers dedicated assistance every day, at any time. After you enter the information required via the contact form, you can expect a response via email in only a few hours. Although they reply quickly, the responses are not always detailed or helpful.
Conclusion
Hoxx VPN tries to appeal to customers by offering a solution that is meant to be simple and effective, but unfortunately, it doesn’t meet the standards needed to be considered as a good VPN service. They keep logs of your internet traffic and provide weak protection for your data. The speeds are painfully slow and you are likely to experience connection issues. The prices may seem low, but why would you pay for a service that doesn’t really work? Hoxx VPN lacks security, it doesn’t really protect your privacy and doesn’t allow you to get around restrictions seamlessly. Overall, it is a VPN that should be avoided.