What the Critics Are Saying...
- Nick G., TechJuryHotspot Shield is an OK option. It is reasonably cheaper than other top VPN solutions, but then again, the speed could be lacking. It does the job it’s designed for without any significant hiccups and it’s easy on the eye. If you are looking for something simple and effective and you don’t watch Net...
- TOP10BEST VPNDespite Hotspot Shield’s base of operations—which is the US—it stands apart as a reliable and fast VPN. The VPN offers a great balance of speed, efficiency, and anonymity. We’re confident that Hotspot Shield is an excellent service for streaming videos in HD and works exceptionally well with torrent...
- Anthony Spadafora, ITProPortalHotspot Shield Premium is a well-rounded VPN provider that is somewhat limited in platform support but has a long list of qualities providing a complete experience.
- Mike Williams, TechRadarThere's a lot to like about Hotspot Shield, especially its ease of use and raw speed, but logging concerns and the inability to manually set up devices like routers will be an issue for some.
- Ian Paul, Good Gear GuidePango’s privacy policy is probably fine if your only interested in securing your connection for those times you’re on public Wi-Fi connections. If, however, your primary concern is privacy or gaining as much anonymity as you can realistically get online, there are other VPN services that log far les...
Details
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | USA |
| Pricing/Sign Up | |
| Starting Price (per Month) | $7.99 |
| Plans and Pricing | Visit Site |
| Free Trial | 7 days |
| Money Back Guarantee | 45 Days |
| Payment Options | Credit Cards, PayPal |
| ID Required | Valid email address |
| Features | |
| Server Locations (# of Countries) | 25 |
| Number of Servers | 2600 + |
| Devices Per License | 5 |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 |
| Unlimited Bandwidth | Yes |
| Double-Hop / Double VPN | No |
| Accesses Netflix | Yes |
| P2P / Torrenting Allowed | Yes |
| Accepts Bitcoin | No |
| Non-US Company | No |
| Protected | |
| Protocols | Catapult Hydra |
| Encryption | AES-256 |
| No Logs / No Tracking | Yes |
| Dedicated IP Available | No |
| VPN Over Tor | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Leak Protection | Yes |
| Private DNS Server | No |
| DNS Leak Protection | Yes |
| IP Leak Protection | Yes |
| WebRTC Leak Protection | Yes |
| IPv6 Leak Protection | Yes |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Supported Platforms | |
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac OSX, iOS, Android |
| Mobile App | Yes |
| Router | No |
| Browser Extension | Yes |
| Customer Support | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes |
| Live Chat Support | Yes |
| Telephone Support | No |
| Email Support | Yes |
| More | |
| Additional comments |
Other Names (AKA): Hot Spot Shield |
| Terms & Conditions | Official Terms & Conditions |
| Suggest a correction |
Use this VPN?
Help inform others by sharing your experience with Hotspot Shield
Rate It:
Critic Reviews
Simple and effective
Hotspot Shield is an OK option. It is reasonably cheaper than other top VPN solutions, but then again, the speed could be lacking. It does the job it’s designed for without any significant hiccups and it’s easy on the eye. If you are looking for something simple and effective and you don’t watch Netflix, you can give Hotspot Shield a try.
Read full reviewHotspot Shield is an OK option. It is reasonably cheaper than other top VPN solutions, but then again, the speed could be lacking. It does the job it’s designed for without any significant hiccups and it’s easy on the eye. If you are looking for something simple and effective and you don’t watch Netflix, you can give Hotspot Shield a try.
Read full review
Blazing-fast speeds, best-in-class security, and overall reliability
Despite Hotspot Shield’s base of operations—which is the US—it stands apart as a reliable and fast VPN. The VPN offers a great balance of speed, efficiency, and anonymity. We’re confident that Hotspot Shield is an excellent service for streaming videos in HD and works exceptionally well w...More
Despite Hotspot Shield’s base of operations—which is the US—it stands apart as a reliable and fast VPN. The VPN offers a great balance of speed, efficiency, and anonymity. We’re confident that Hotspot Shield is an excellent service for streaming videos in HD and works exceptionally well with torrents. Thankfully, Hotspot Shield has recently updated its price rates and they’re now offering relatively affordable plans—something we think is a great marketing strategy. Consequently, if you’re out looking for a VPN that can unlock all major streaming outlets, and can download torrents under high speeds, then Hotspot Shield is your solution.
Top speeds and access to geo-restricted content
Hotspot Shield Premium is a well-rounded VPN provider that is somewhat limited in platform support but has a long list of qualities providing a complete experience.
Hotspot Shield Premium is a well-rounded VPN provider that is somewhat limited in platform support but has a long list of qualities providing a complete experience.
A premium VPN for users who value speed
There's a lot to like about Hotspot Shield, especially its ease of use and raw speed, but logging concerns and the inability to manually set up devices like routers will be an issue for some.
There's a lot to like about Hotspot Shield, especially its ease of use and raw speed, but logging concerns and the inability to manually set up devices like routers will be an issue for some.
New owners, fantastic speeds, slightly better privacy
Pango’s privacy policy is probably fine if your only interested in securing your connection for those times you’re on public Wi-Fi connections. If, however, your primary concern is privacy or gaining as much anonymity as you can realistically get online, there are other VPN services that log...More
Pango’s privacy policy is probably fine if your only interested in securing your connection for those times you’re on public Wi-Fi connections. If, however, your primary concern is privacy or gaining as much anonymity as you can realistically get online, there are other VPN services that log far less data. It’s hard to argue with those speed results, however. If your only concern is getting the fastest VPN possible then you should test Hotspot Shield for yourself.
Read full review
New owners, fantastic speeds, slightly better privacy
Hotspot Shield is a high-quality VPN with a great desktop app, solid speeds, and 82 country choices, with more than 3,000 servers. We still don't like the privacy policy. Even though it's improved, the company is still tracking a lot of information. The company says the information is not tied to...More
Hotspot Shield is a high-quality VPN with a great desktop app, solid speeds, and 82 country choices, with more than 3,000 servers. We still don't like the privacy policy. Even though it's improved, the company is still tracking a lot of information. The company says the information is not tied to your personal activity, but this is still not the VPN that privacy-conscious users are looking for.
A supremely easy-to-use VPN
Hotspot Shield is best known for its free VPN service, but the paid-for Premium version is a lot better. It’s US headquarters and logging policy may put you off, but if you want a supremely easy-to-use VPN for securing public Wi-Fi and browsing the web anonymously, it’s a fine choice.
Hotspot Shield is best known for its free VPN service, but the paid-for Premium version is a lot better. It’s US headquarters and logging policy may put you off, but if you want a supremely easy-to-use VPN for securing public Wi-Fi and browsing the web anonymously, it’s a fine choice.
Easy to use with incredible speed performance
Hotspot Shield isn’t the most feature-packed VPN, but it covers most normal requirements and is very easy to use. Combine that with the incredible performance, and it’s a high-class VPN. The concerns around privacy and the US location may put off privacy advocates, but Hotspot Shield makes sense as a powerful VPN for mainstream users.
Hotspot Shield isn’t the most feature-packed VPN, but it covers most normal requirements and is very easy to use. Combine that with the incredible performance, and it’s a high-class VPN. The concerns around privacy and the US location may put off privacy advocates, but Hotspot Shield makes sense as a powerful VPN for mainstream users.
The fastest and most used VPN in the world
Hotspot shield is, with some distance, the fastest VPN we have ever tested. It's the most used VPN in the world: trusted by over 650 million users. Hotspot Shield has a very clear zero-log policy and does not track anything you do online. It also uses its own Hydra Catapult protocol, which is muc...More
Hotspot shield is, with some distance, the fastest VPN we have ever tested. It's the most used VPN in the world: trusted by over 650 million users. Hotspot Shield has a very clear zero-log policy and does not track anything you do online. It also uses its own Hydra Catapult protocol, which is much faster than OpenVPN. Moreover, it applies the highly secure AES-256 encryption, and features a kill switch.
Read full review
No-frills VPN offering decent privacy & very fast server speeds
Hotspot Shield is a super-fast, reliable VPN that has worked hard to regain its users’ trust following recent controversies. It’s very reasonably priced if you opt for one of the longer plans, and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee means that you have some time to think before you comple...More
Hotspot Shield is a super-fast, reliable VPN that has worked hard to regain its users’ trust following recent controversies. It’s very reasonably priced if you opt for one of the longer plans, and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee means that you have some time to think before you completely make up your mind. Performance is outstanding on both local and international connections, and access to Netflix or BBC iPlayer is an added bonus.