
HiroVPN markets itself to users in countries where the open internet is throttled, blocked, or selectively slowed. The free seven-day trial gets you going without signup, the connection on a restrictive network is usually faster than the generic free competitors, and the company has stayed visibly active with regular updates. The friction starts when the trial ends. Instead of a flat monthly subscription, HiroVPN sells traffic packages and the math gets fiddly for heavy users.
If you want HiroVPN alternatives with a real free tier, a flat subscription, an audited no-logs policy, or simply more transparency about who runs the company, the seven below cover those gaps. We focused on apps that work on restrictive networks because that is the use case HiroVPN was built around.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price/mo | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Unlimited free traffic | Unlimited bandwidth, 5 free countries | Plus $4.99/mo annual | Audited no-logs, Swiss-based |
| Mullvad VPN | Anonymous flat pricing | None | €5/mo flat | Account numbers, no email |
| Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP | Always-on encrypted | Unlimited, no account | WARP+ $4.99/mo annual | Cloudflare backbone |
| Psiphon Pro | Heavy censorship | Unlimited with ads | Premium $3.99/mo | Multi-protocol bypass |
| hide.me VPN | No-account free tier | 10 GB/mo, 8 countries | Premium $4.99/mo annual | Audited, no signup |
| AdGuard VPN | Selective tunneling | 3 GB/mo, 5 locations | Premium $2.99/mo annual | Per-app rules |
| Hiddify | BYO server stack | Free (open-source client) | Free | Multi-core auto-routing |
Why people leave HiroVPN
The traffic-package pricing rewards light users and punishes heavy ones. Buying a whitelist traffic bundle is convenient if you only need a few gigabytes a week. For users who keep the VPN on all day, the math turns into a worse deal than a flat subscription from Proton VPN or Mullvad.
The free trial expires and there is no continuing free tier. Hiro’s pitch is “try us for a week.” After that, every connection requires a paid bundle. Proton VPN, Cloudflare WARP, hide.me, and AdGuard VPN all keep a free tier running indefinitely.
The privacy claims are not independently audited. The product copy mentions encryption and a no-logs policy. That is the standard claim. Without a published audit, the claim is at the same evidence level as every other unaudited VPN, including the free ones.
The single-vendor infrastructure model is opaque. HiroVPN runs its own servers. That is normal for a managed VPN. What is missing is public information about which providers host the back-end, where the company is registered, and how data requests would be handled. For users in restrictive jurisdictions choosing a VPN is itself a privacy decision; transparency reduces the risk.
Multi-device support is limited. HiroVPN advertises Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac, but the user reports we read suggest the per-device traffic accounting is fiddly. Mullvad, Proton, and hide.me handle multi-device cleanly under a single account.
The alternatives
Proton VPN, best for unlimited free traffic
Proton VPN has the strongest free tier on Android. Unlimited bandwidth, five free server countries, an audited no-logs policy, an open-source Android client, and a Swiss jurisdiction with strong privacy law. The paid tier adds Secure Core, Tor over VPN, and a streaming-friendly server pool.
Where it falls short: the free server list is small and evening peak hours are slow. Restrictive networks sometimes block the standard servers; Proton’s Stealth protocol on the paid tier addresses this.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited bandwidth, five countries, one device.
- Paid: VPN Plus $4.99 a month annual, Proton Unlimited $9.99 a month annual.
- vs HiroVPN: a real free tier, flat annual pricing instead of traffic bundles, and an audit on the no-logs claim.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install Proton VPN, register a free account with an email, uninstall HiroVPN. The paid Stealth protocol is the right setting for restrictive networks.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this as the default replacement. It costs the same as a HiroVPN traffic bundle and removes the bandwidth math.
Mullvad VPN, best for anonymous flat pricing
Mullvad VPN does not use email accounts. You generate an anonymous account number, pay €5 a month (no annual discount, no marketing trickery), and connect. The no-logs policy has been independently audited and the company publishes regular transparency reports.
Where it falls short: no free tier and no streaming optimisation. The server list is curated, not sprawling.
Pricing:
- Free: none.
- Paid: €5 a month flat, payable by card, crypto, or even cash by mail.
- vs HiroVPN: flat pricing, the strongest anonymity story in this list, and a published audit. No traffic packages to track.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install Mullvad, generate an account number in the app, top it up, connect. Save the account number. It is the only way to log back in.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this if anonymity matters and you want predictable monthly pricing.
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP, best for always-on encryption
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP is the lowest-friction encrypted tunnel on Android. Install, accept the VPN profile, and you are routed through Cloudflare’s network. Free, no account, no cap.
Where it falls short: WARP does not change your apparent country, so it does not unblock geo-locked content. The Zero Trust dashboard the enterprise version uses is not exposed here.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited bandwidth, no account.
- Paid: WARP+ $4.99 a month for prioritised routing.
- vs HiroVPN: free with no trial expiry, faster on most everyday browsing.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install, allow the VPN profile, leave WARP toggled on. No further setup.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this if you want privacy on by default and you do not need a country picker.
Psiphon Pro, best for heavy censorship
Psiphon Pro was built for users in countries that aggressively block VPNs. It rotates through SSH, HTTP, and custom obfuscation protocols when one is blocked, which is the behaviour HiroVPN’s IPRose protocol is reaching for.
Where it falls short: the free tier shows ads, country selection is paid, and there is no flashy server map.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited traffic with ads.
- Paid: Premium from $3.99 a month, removes ads and unlocks country selection.
- vs HiroVPN: free with no time limit, and the protocol cycling matches HiroVPN’s bypass focus.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install, connect, that is it. The premium upgrade is in-app.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this when bypass is the entire job. It works in places where commercial VPNs do not.
hide.me VPN, best for a no-account free tier
hide.me VPN runs a free tier with no signup, 10 GB a month, and access to eight server countries. The no-logs policy is independently audited, the company is based in Malaysia, and WireGuard is available out of the box.
Where it falls short: 10 GB a month caps fast on video, and the free servers exclude the fastest US and EU routes.
Pricing:
- Free: 10 GB a month, no account.
- Paid: Premium from $4.99 a month annual.
- vs HiroVPN: no trial expiry on the free tier, an audit on the no-logs claim, and the same WireGuard performance HiroVPN aims for.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install, tap Connect, you are online. Upgrade in-app if 10 GB is too tight.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this if the HiroVPN trial expired and you want a free option with audited claims.
AdGuard VPN, best for selective tunneling
AdGuard VPN comes from the team behind the AdGuard ad blocker. Its differentiator is selective tunneling: pick which apps and which sites route through the VPN and leave the rest direct. That makes it the right tool when you only need a tunnel for one or two apps.
Where it falls short: the 3 GB monthly free cap is tight, and the server count is smaller than Proton’s paid network.
Pricing:
- Free: 3 GB a month, five locations.
- Paid: Premium from $2.99 a month on the two-year plan.
- vs HiroVPN: a real free tier, lower paid pricing, and the AdGuard brand’s reputation gives the no-logs claim more weight than an unaudited unknown.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install, sign up, connect. AdGuard ad-blocker users can reuse the same account.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this if you want selective tunneling and a known brand instead of a single-vendor unknown.
Hiddify, best for users who run their own servers
Hiddify is an open-source proxy client that speaks Xray, sing-box, and Clash. It is not a VPN service. You bring your own server (rent one for a few dollars a month, or use a community subscription) and Hiddify handles the routing. The result is total control of the back-end, which is the opposite end of the spectrum from HiroVPN’s managed model.
Where it falls short: there is a learning curve. You need to be comfortable with subscription URLs and protocol terminology.
Pricing:
- Free: the client is free and open source.
- Paid: only the server you rent (typically $3 to $6 a month from a regular VPS provider).
- vs HiroVPN: total transparency on the back-end and significantly cheaper at scale, but the setup is not one-click.
Migrating from HiroVPN: install Hiddify, paste in a subscription URL or scan a server config QR code, connect. The tradeoff is real but the freedom is also real.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: pick this if you want full control and you can spend an evening learning the protocol terminology.
How to choose
Pick Proton VPN if you want a flat monthly subscription with an audited no-logs claim. It is the obvious upgrade from HiroVPN’s traffic packages.
Pick Mullvad VPN if anonymity is the priority. No email, flat €5 a month, audited.
Pick Cloudflare WARP if you want privacy on by default and you do not need to change your apparent country.
Pick Psiphon Pro when the network is actively hostile and other VPNs simply do not connect.
Pick hide.me if you want a free tier with no signup and an audit on the privacy claim.
Pick AdGuard VPN if you only need to tunnel a few apps and you already trust the AdGuard brand.
Pick Hiddify if you want to run your own server and stop paying a managed VPN entirely.
Stay on HiroVPN if you only use the VPN for short, infrequent sessions and the traffic-bundle pricing works out cheaper than a flat subscription for your use case.
FAQ
Does HiroVPN have a permanent free tier?
No. HiroVPN offers a seven-day free trial and after that the service runs on paid traffic packages. If a permanent free tier matters, Proton VPN, Cloudflare WARP, hide.me, AdGuard VPN, and Psiphon Pro all keep a free plan running indefinitely.
Which HiroVPN alternative is cheapest for heavy use?
Mullvad VPN at €5 a month flat is one of the cheapest predictable VPNs for users who keep the tunnel on all day. Proton VPN Plus at $4.99 a month annual is comparable. For users who can run their own server, Hiddify plus a $3 VPS is the absolute cheapest option.
Is HiroVPN audited?
HiroVPN advertises a no-logs policy and encryption but we did not find a published independent audit. Proton VPN, Mullvad VPN, TunnelBear, and hide.me have all published independent audits in the last few years.
What is the best VPN for restrictive networks?
Psiphon Pro is built specifically for restrictive networks and cycles through multiple bypass protocols automatically. Proton VPN’s Stealth protocol on the paid tier is also designed for this scenario. Hiddify with a self-hosted Xray or sing-box server gives the most flexibility if you are willing to set it up.
Can I keep my HiroVPN subscription and try alternatives at the same time?
Yes. Android allows installing multiple VPN apps; only one can hold the system VPN slot at a time, but you can switch between them in seconds. Most of the free alternatives in this list (Proton VPN, Cloudflare WARP, hide.me) require no payment to test alongside HiroVPN.