Get a Hotspot Shield VPN 30-Day-Free

Stefany AndersonStefany Anderson
Hotspot Shield VPN
Rating 4.2

Our Rate #6 from 39 Of All VPNs

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Summary

Hotspot Shield VPN has been operating since 2005 and is operated by Pango (formerly AnchorFree Inc), USA. Pango also owns Betternet VPN and TouchVPN. All brands have repeatedly received lawsuits connected with user data collection and sale, redirection to partner sites, and sometimes too active surveillance by third-party partners. And yet, millions of people use them.

Most use Hotspot Shield VPN for free: 500 MB of data is available per day, one location in the US, and speeds up to 2 Mbps. And a lot of intrusive ads.

In the paid version of Hotspot VPN, Netflix and P2P are available, 115 locations, including 80+ countries and 35+ cities; it is possible to connect up to 5 devices for $12.99 per month or $7.99 for an annual plan. Money-back - 45 days.

Features Review

Name Hotspot Shield VPN
Hotspot Shield VPN
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General information

Hotspot Shield VPN is a registered company of the United States of America, a country known to be part of the 5, 9, 14 Eyes alliance, promoting strict data retention laws. The service's counter-argument is the publication of an annual transparency report, according to which the provider has never disclosed information about users.

Set up a VPN on a router and connect up to 5 devices at once with a Premium account.

Jurisdiction United States
Dedicated/static IP
Simultaneous Connections 5

Best to use for

China Hotspot Shield VPN users in China gain access to Google services, Viber, WhatsApp, and country-banned apps by connecting to secure servers with obfuscation technology. The connection takes place in one-click, without additional settings.

Works in China (stealth-servers )
Obfuscated servers
Unblocks Netflix US

In addition to accessing US and UK Netflix libraries, freely watch BBC iPlayer, Hulu, or Disney +.

Pricing and Plans

Hotspot Shield VPN develops on a freemium scheme: a free version is available with the demonstration of ads and limited traffic (500 MB per day), the number of servers (1 in the US), and speed (2 Mbps).

min price $5.99
max price $12.99
max discount 53%
Money back days 45
Free Version Available
BitCoin accepted
No Credit Card Trials

Paid subscriptions are divided into three groups: Plus from $6.99 per month, Premium for as little as $7.99 per month, and Family from $11.99 per month. The maximum subscription period is one year, which puts the service on par with ExpressVPN for the price.

Privacy & Security

The provider uses proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol based on Open SSL. It uses 128-bit AES encryption and supports AES-256. Kill Switch, DNS, and WebRTC leak protection is available, although there is no split tunneling.

Integrated Kill Switch
No Log Policy
DNS leak protection
Double VPN servers
256-Bit Strong Encryption
Onion Over VPN
Split Tunneling

Hotspot Shield is a conditional VPN without logs, while it collects information about the duration of sessions, the maximum speed, and domains connected during the session.

Servers and Speed

Access more than 1,800 servers of the provider across 80 countries. Regardless of the connection point, users will be able to use P2P connections by downloading files anonymously via torrents.

Servers Number 500+
Servers in Countries 24
Blocks Ads
Bandwidth Caps
p2p Torrenting

The built-in ad blocker disables banners and tracking trackers in the browser. This feature does not work in the free version - it has ad inserts integrated into the client.

Customer Support

It helps solve problems via voluminous FAQ, which contains links to all kinds of malfunctions and connection problems on different devices. Separately, it answers questions regarding the 45-day money-back for subscriptions, account, and device management are provided.

Chat
Phone
E-mail
24/7

When you need help from a specialist, use an email call or live chat with an operator.

Platforms and Devices

You can download Hotspot Shield as a VPN for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. Since 2020, Smart-TV support has appeared, and instructions for setting up a secure connection on routers with DD-WRT firmware have appeared. There is no connection for game consoles using SmartDNS.

Android
Chrome
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows

Browser Extensions

Hotspot Shield VPN plugin is available for Chrome and Firefox. The extension works autonomously without the need for a client on a PC.

Chrome
Firefox
2
3
VPN for MAC

Compatible with macOS 10.12 or later. After installation, it takes 25 MB of memory.

VPN for Windows

Suitable for all OS versions starting from Windows 7. Automatically selects the fastest server based on the user's location.

VPN for Streaming

Allows access to geo-restricted sites. It plays online video without buffering in HD to 4K quality.

Best VPN for Gambling

Access to any gambling site. It does not allow IP leaks, DNS, blocks pop-up ads.

VPN for Chrome

The browser extension works without the primary client. After installation, it takes 6 MB of memory; the interface is only available in English.

VPN for Netflix

Guaranteed access to the US and UK Netflix library. Launching streaming video through dedicated servers with minimal speed drops.

VPN for Apple TV

You can't set up your Apple TV directly - use a VPN over a router.

VPN for UAE

Internet access occurs through secure obfuscated servers. Local providers will not find out that you used VPN for Viber or WhatsApp.

VPN for China

Free access from China to the World Wide Web. Connect to American streaming libraries Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBOGO.

VPN for Australia

Unblock Websites. Change your IP address to Australian to watch live sports.

VPN for Canada

Use a Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver IP address. Connect to anonymous P2P networks.

VPN for Turkey

Go online with a Turkish IP. Bypass geo-blocks on websites prohibited in the country.

VPN for UK

Two UK cities are available. Connect with minimal speed drops.

VPN for USA

Choose from IP addresses of 27 cities in the USA. Access to streaming sites, including Pandora radio.

Privacy and Anonymity

Kill Switch, IP, DNS, WebRTC leak protection is available while it uses proprietary Catapult Hydra encryption protocol.

VPN for Torrenting

Download or share files anonymously through optimized P2P servers. UTorrent and BitTorrent for support are convenient.

VPN for Sport

Access servers worldwide in more than 80 to stream live broadcasts in HD quality (all without buffering).

30-day VPN Trial

A 7-day trial is available for smartphones. Not happy with Premium or Family plan? Get a refund within 45 days.

VPN for iPhone

Connect in one-tap, support unlimited traffic, although iOS 12.0 or higher is needed.

No Logs VPN

It does not save the user's real IP-address or your search queries. Reserves the right to analyze some of the data: time spent on the network and bandwidth.

VPN for Android

Requires Android 5.0 Lollipop or later.

Free VPN

The free basic version on PC has 500 MB per day speeds up to 2 MB, and connects to one US location. The client contains advertisements from partners.

Best VPN for Gaming

The service does not have DDoS protection, but it is compatible with geo-blocked games.

VPN for Firefox

The plugin is available in the official store and takes up 6MB of hard disk space.

VPN for Safari

Powered by VPN on Mac.

VPN for IE and Edge

No.

VPN for Linux / Ubuntu

Download the configuration file for Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian or Fedora in .deb, .rpm format. Access to 80 countries worldwide for unparalleled streaming.

Best VPN for Chrome OS

Download the client as an optional plugin.

VPN for Router

Compatible with Routers from Linksys, Netgear, models with DD-WRT, or FrashTomato firmware. The site sells routers with a pre-configured connection.

VPN For Germany

Connect to a German IP, watch sports broadcasts or play online games.

VPN for Thailand

Multiple servers in Thailand with dedicated IPs.

Prices and Deals

There are three premium packages available with a 1-month or 1-year subscription. Premium ($7.99/month) on ExpressVPN, and there is a Family package for five for $11.99/month.

Latest Customer Review

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