Hoxx VPN is advertised as a VPN but is more like a proxy solution, not a very good one though. It accomplishes the primary mission of a proxy, which is unblocking content and bypassing censorships and restrictions.
But its privacy practices are highly invasive, the speed is poor, the encryption and content protection methods are outdated, and it does not allow torrenting or the use of Tor.
VPN1 LLC is the company that owns Hoxx VPN service, which has American jurisdiction (under the “Five Eyes” surveillance pact.) The service can provide anonymous browsing to some degree, tunneling your traffic to remote servers, but it logs too much information about your connection.
They say that they do it “to fight criminal activity”, but logging data and connection details on purpose goes against what VPNs represent.
They log device and browser information, local information, access times, visited pages, IP address, and more. It also admits using third-party tracking pixels offered by their partners, including Google Analytics and Google Advertising.
It uses the obsolete 4096-bit RSA encryption and is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Android, Mac, Opera. and iOS. There are unlimited connections, while they claim to have servers in 50+ locations.
Keep in mind that this is not a real VPN application and it won’t encrypt completely your bandwidth (e.g. BitTorrent, games, FTP client) to do so you have to download Free VPN client or buy a VPN service or check at least our comparison of best VPNs for Chrome.
Pricing & Discounts – How much does Hoxx VPN Premium Account cost?
Hoxx VPN comes both for free and by paying a subscription. It is, therefore, a “freemium” service.
The premium version costs only $1.99, which makes Hoxx VPN a very attractive option, at least price-wise.
Both free accounts and the premium come with unlimited bandwidth. The latter also comes with guaranteed speeds, although they are surely nothing to write home about according to our tests.
The free plan comes with 1024-bit encryption, and the premium implements the 4096-bit type. The paid mode also has “better” customer support, no ads, and advanced malware filtering.
User Interface – Is Hoxx VPN easy to use?
Downloading the Hoxx VPN client, specifically the one for Google Chrome, is a piece of cake, except the need for creating new user's account. Users can simply visit the Chrome store and add the extension.
The installation was also a smooth process. Upon installing the add-on, users are required to choose one of 15 languages. Next, they need to register and activate their account via the email link.
The user interface is simple and quite straight forward. What we don't like is the look, because the application is quite outdated and the design is far from being spot on.
Usability, though, can be a pain. Some users have reported having difficulties to log into their account, and the “Authentication failed” warning has appeared.
The speed is slow and there are plenty of DNS, IP, and WebRTC leak issues, and there are connection problems as well, as some login attempts are timed out. They are also known for disabling the user’s Internet connection from time to time.
Does Hoxx VPN for Chrome Unblock YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Amazon Prime, & BBC iPlayer?
During our testing, Hoxx VPN~ worked well with YouTube, Google, and Facebook. Unfortunately, we have not been able to connect to Netflix and Hulu.
The same problem we had with BBC iPlayer but that wasn't a big surprise since BBC iPlayer blocks nearly all VPN services, except HideMyAss VPN which recently even announced new feature IP Stickinees for Improved Netflix and BBC iPlayer streaming.
How to add Hoxx VPN to Chrome Browser?
Adding Hoxx VPN to your Google Chrome Browser is easy, all you need to do is follow these 4 simple steps below
- Go to Hoxx Chrome Web Store Page.
- Click the button “Add to Chrome” in the right upper corner of the overlay window.
- Create an account (email validation is needed).
- All done! Enjoy Hoxx VPN for Chrome ?
Conclusion
While Hoxx VPN is compatible with most widely used browsers, it is not among the best free VPNs for Chrome users. It has leakage issues, privacy concerns, slow speed, and is under American jurisdiction. It doesn’t work with Netflix, it doesn’t allow torrenting activity, and it is not particularly easy to use. At least it has a broad network and a free version.
In case you are seeking for more privacy and encryption of all your internet connection, including other apps than your browser. You should rather check our comparison of Best VPN solutions out there.
- Free version
- Compatible with several browsers
- 600 servers in over 50 locations
- Affordable premium plan
- No torrenting allowed
- Keeps logs
- Highly intrusive to privacy
- DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks
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Overall7