Hotspot Shield Review in 2025

This Hotspot Shield VPN review looks at this popular VPN service’s main pros and cons and evaluates where it stands among the competition. The provider has a robust toolkit, broad device compatibility, and a solid free version.

Hotspot Shield is fast due to its in-house Hydra tunneling protocol and a sizable server list spanning over 80+ locations. It’s also capable of unblocking several popular streaming platforms and supports torrenting..

But are there any serious issues to be aware of? Well, Hotspot Shield is bare bones feature-wise, logs some user information, and is based in the US, which is part of the Five Eyes alliance. What’s more, it is quite pricey, especially when you consider that it doesn’t bring many perks to the table.

If this doesn’t sound like the VPN for you because of the more limited server network or the overall security, but if you want to get better features, we recommend NordVPN. NordVPN is the best VPN alternative because it’s a Panama-based provider with a vast server fleet and advanced security features!

Hotspot Shield overview

Despite facilitating descent speeds and geo-block bypassing capabilities, Hotspot Shield is just an average VPN. However, limited functionality and data-logging doesn’t make it the best choice in the market, especially since it’s more expensive than most premium VPNs that offer more perks.

Best Hotspot Shield VPN alternatives

Need greater versatility, assured anonymity, and better prices? You can achieve this with our best Hotspot Shield alternatives, NordVPN and Surfshark. You’ll get blazing speeds, high-end security, and more consistent streaming and torrenting capabilities for half of Hotspot Shield’s price.

Hotspot Shield plans and pricing

You can choose two plans – Premium monthly and Premium annually. More precisely, Hotspot Shield costs:

• $12.99/month for the one month subscription
• $7.99/month for the annual subscription

Users can purchase their preferred plan using credit & debit cards or PayPal, but there are no anonymous payment options. This VPN offers one of the most extended refund periods, which is a 45-day money-back guarantee. That’s more than the industry standard of one month, letting you test the service for quite a while.

At the end of the day, these prices may be a bit high for what Hotspot Shield has to offer compared to others, especially its monthly subscriptions. That being said, you can check for discounts and special offers on our Hotspot Shield coupons page.

You can also try the service at no cost with the free 7-day trial. Once they provide their credit card details, users are free to explore everything Hotspot Shield has to offer for a week. There’s an option to cancel it anytime, so you don’t have to commit if you don’t want to.

Hotspot Shield free version

Naturally, Hotspot Shield free VPN comes with understandable limitations compared to the premium subscriptions:

• 1 device
• 3 locations – 2 in the US (LA & NY), Singapore, the UK
• App for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome
• Limited speed
• 500 MB daily data limit
• No streaming or gaming modes
• No 24/7 customer support

What’s notable about it are the ads, which can be intrusive when you’re quickly trying to connect to a server. And if you run out of your allotted daily data limit, you have to watch them to surpass it. Plus, it can only be done on Android and iOS devices.

Apart from the limited server scope, you can utilize the same security features as Premium users. One notable difference is that malware protection here only prevents you from visiting malware-ridden websites.

Speed & performance

A VPN service’s performance heavily relies on the chosen tunneling protocol. Some options may be slower but provide better security, or vice versa, while others offer a balanced combination of both. Hotspot Shield certainly doesn’t lag behind, offering some of the fastest speeds on the market.

Hotspot Shield’s in-house Hydra protocol is the true star of the show as it facilitates fast and stable connections. It’s an improved version of the open-source OpenVPN protocol, which explains the high level of performance.

All in all, various testing results proved that Hotspot Shield has impressive speeds. ​​With it, you’ll be able to stream 4K videos, play online and place VOIP calls without lag, torrent large files in minutes, or simply browse without annoying loading times.

However, you shouldn’t forget that a lot of that depends on your internet connection quality as well. When choosing a distant server on another continent, expect increased latency and slower speed.

Hotspot Shield servers

Hotspot Shield has 1800+ VPN servers in 80+ countries and 35+ cities around the globe. That’s a solid list, with connection point options across all continents. The free version users get to connect to the US, the UK, and Singapore only, though.

There are numerous connection points in Europe and Asia Pacific, while both America continents, the Middle East, and Africa are seemingly and after thought.

This VPN doesn’t own all of its servers, but the same can be said about most providers. It doesn’t have much impact on performance, anyway – there’s simply less chance that someone might tamper with the servers on their premises.

However, not all of them are physical, so the performance might worsen with the virtual servers. One strange thing about this service is that your server options vary depending on your platform. It means that you may not be able to use a server that worked for you on PC after switching to iPhone.

Specialized servers

Hotspot Shield now offers quick access to hardware in the US best suited for specific online activities. These are:

• Auto – great for general browsing (up to 1 Gbps)
• Streaming – for Netflix, YouTube, and other video platforms
• Gaming – for playing Fortnite, Roblox, and other online games
• Social networks & Chat – for TikTok, WeChat, and other social media websites

Is Hotspot Shield safe?

We can say that, yes, Hotspot Shield is a decent option for those looking for a safe VPN, but only from the technical side. You get robust security features, a kill switch included, the service doesn’t leak neither your IP address nor DNS requests, and your internet is protected by industry-standard encryption.

However, Hotspot Shield raises concerns among people, including our team. The company is based in the US, which is part of the 5-Eyes Alliance. In other words, this VPN may collect your data and share it with the government if requested to do so. And it doesn’t help that Hotspot Shield has had some serious data privacy concerns in the past.

Encryption

Hotspot Shield uses 128-bit AES military-grade encryption with 2048-bit RSA certificates. It offers a great level of protection and speed, and it would take millions of years for outsiders to crack it. That being said, most VPNs today utilize the more secure 256-bit version.

The 2048-bit RSA certificate goes together with the Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman algorithm (ECDHE) for Ephemeral Key Exchange. It means that encryption keys get generated for each new session and then deleted once you kill the connection.

As for authentication, Hotspot Shield employs the SHA-256 hash function. It’s virtually uncrackable, with data getting encrypted with eight 32-bit words. Many other VPNs use it as the standard option.

Tunneling protocols

Hotspot Shield supports the following tunneling protocols:

• Catapult Hydra
• IKEv2/IPSec

The VPN also has the Smart option in its settings, and the provider recommends selecting this option. It picks the best tunneling protocol option for you, ensuring you remain secure no matter what you’re doing online.

Hydra is a proprietary modification of the OpenVPN protocol and TLS (Transport Layer Security). It’s secure and seems to have some performance benefits over other protocols. So, expect great speeds and robust protection to boot.

IKEv2/IPSec is much older, yet it still holds up great and is the preferred choice for those wanting ensured connection stability. This protocol works best on mobiles, as it allows for a seamless transition from Wi-Fi to mobile data.

Kill switch

One of the good things about this VPN is its powerful kill switch. This security feature is a true identity guard. It turns your internet connection off once your VPN connection fails, preventing your IP address from leaking.

Unlike some providers out there, Hotspot Shield’s default settings have the kill switch off on the Android, Windows, and iOS apps. Hence, you’ll need to enable it yourself. To toggle the kill switch on, simply go to Settings > Advanced and press on Kill Switch.

An exception here is the Mac version, with no option for a kill switch in the settings at all. One can assume that it’s integrated into the app, with no option to turn it off.

IP & DNS leak protection

Hotspot Shield doesn’t just encrypt data, it also prevents DNS and IP address leaks of various types, including WebRTC.

The best way to check for leaks is to run a few online DNS leak tests. To do so, we connected to Belgium and were assigned the IP address 185.198.90.173.

Then we checked whether our IP address or DNS queries were leaking:

As you can see, this is our VPN IP address, meaning there are no IP or DNS leaks. Hence, you can stay calm using this provider, knowing that your true IP address is well hidden.

Privacy-unfriendly jurisdiction: the US

Hotspot Shield is based in the US. The country well-known for its privacy-unfriendly climate, as well as being a founding member of the Five Eyes global surveillance alliance.

Knowledge of the NSA’s surveillance capabilities may put off those who are hunting the highest privacy standards. Additionally, The United States has tough copyright laws like the DMCA, making torrenters think twice before giving this VPN a try.

It’s also important to mention that at the beginning of July 2020, Pango (the company behind Hotspot Shield) was acquired by a digital security company Aura. The company aims to expand its security offerings and protect its users with data-driven products.

Does Hotspot Shield keep logs?

This provider does minimal logging. It becomes clear after taking a look at their Privacy Policy. Naturally, it collects information provided by the users themselves in order to be able to use the services.

Then there’s usage data, which includes device info, session time, settings, timestamps, location, etc.

And finally, regarding what’s collected while you’re using Hotspot Shield.

The provider clearly states that any IP data is erased immediately after VPN sessions, and it keeps zero logs of online activity. Hotspot Shield admits it must collect some personal information when computers or mobile phones connect to the VPN, but this is limited to information such as the type of device and OS being used or the unique Mobile-ID. It doesn’t help that Hotspot Shield has an unaudited no-logs policy.

Free version logging

The free version of Hotspot Shield notably has advertisements, and some of them are even personalized. In the VPN’s Privacy Notice, the company states that neither it nor any third party advertising service has access to VPN browsing information. Advertisers only have access to data required to deliver the ads.

“In order to display ads in our apps, we may utilize third party software development kits (SDKs), which consists of software code provided by a third party and embedded into our apps. These SDKs may collect the following information from your device or use;

• Device or mobile advertising identifiers (controlled by your mobile operating system)


• Internet Protocol (IP) Address, which may reveal your approximate geographic location as determined by your carrier or ISP. However, when using the VPN service, this may replace your actual location with an alternative geographic location.


• Device-specific information such as make, model, OS version, language, time zone and other information.


• The name of the app or website serving the ad.”

Regarding personalized advertisements, users can opt out of them with the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) AppChoices app. You will still see non-personalized ads, though, unless you choose to use an ad blocker.

Privacy concerns

In 2017, Hotspot Shield faced some serious data privacy issues. The Center for Democracy & Technology filed a report accusing the company of “logging connections and using third-party tracking to serve targeted advertising.” The company denied the allegations claiming they are unfounded.

And in 2018, security researcher Paulos Yibelo claimed to have found a significant security bug that could leak generic information like the user’s country. He was able to find out the physical locations of users based on the data he retrieved.

He also said that he could occasionally retrieve true IP addresses, which AnchorFree claimed was impossible since their programmers also investigated the security bug and patched it.

Other technical features

Here’s the list of other features you get with Hotspot Shield:

• Split tunneling
• Malware protection

Subscribers (and free users) don’t get many perks, especially compared to other premium providers like NordVPN or Surfshark. If you only need the essentials, the service is quite good, but those looking for versatility will find Hotspot Shield lacking.

Split tunneling lets you customize the VPN connection by selecting which apps work only when you’re connected to a server. Useful when you want to secure only part of your internet traffic, like when you’re streaming or torrenting.

Hotspot Shield also protects you from malicious software with a built-in antivirus. It prevents users from entering malware sites, illegal or phishing pages, infected websites, spam sites, and content farms. While it doesn’t replace antivirus solutions, it works great alongside them.

Is Hotspot Shield good for streaming?

When it comes to streaming, it matters whether you have a paid plan. If you don’t, the stakes of accessing content platforms are low. If you do, you can enjoy a seamless viewing experience.

Hotspot Shield does not disappoint when it comes to bypassing streaming platform geo-blocks. Moreover, the videos were HD in quality, loaded almost instantly, and didn’t stutter. The fresh Streaming servers are a nice touch, ensuring streams are as smooth as butter.

Our research team managed to stream Netflix US, UK, and Australian libraries from worldwide content without any issues. But the VPN couldn’t bypass the detection measures with servers in Canada and Japan. If you fail to access Netflix, at least you can find information on the Hotspot Shield website to help you out.

Furthermore, Hotspot Shield managed to unblock Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video. But that’s about it – we couldn’t access Disney+ or Max. As such, while the service works with some streaming platforms, it’s not a guarantee it will work with others.

Is Hotspot Shield safe for torrenting?

Hotspot Shield provides anonymous torrenting. What’s more, the Hydra protocol is excellent for those with slower or more unstable connections. There are plenty of servers and countries to choose from, but I missed port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy. If those are something you need, consider checking out the best torrenting VPNs.

Luckily, the provider at least has the split tunneling feature. Available on all platforms, it allows excluding apps that will work only when you’re connected to the VPN. P2P file-sharing is also enabled on the free Hotspot Shield version. It doesn’t limit data, but the speeds are understandably slower, so downloads might take a while to finish.

But Hotspot Shield wouldn’t be our first choice for torrenting. And it mostly boils down to the fact the service logs data and that we don’t know what actually happens with it. The US jurisdiction also doesn’t do it any favors.

Hotspot Shield device support

Hotspot Shield has applications for a wide range of operating systems. You can use it without any hassle on:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• Android
• iOS
• Android TV

Currently, the provider doesn’t support gaming consoles (Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation), Kindle tablets, Kodi, Smart TVs that are not Android TV, and Windows phones. And while Hotspot Shield is working on this, you can still technically secure these devices by connecting to a router configured with the VPN.

Thankfully, the service supports a bunch of routers (Asus-WRT, Merlin, GL.iNet, DD-WRT, FreshTomato). Finally, you can also download a Chrome browser extension.

Desktop apps: Windows

The client looks good on Windows, especially after the latest redesign. The home screen is intuitive and easy to navigate. Therefore, even novice VPN users should feel at home quickly because all you have to do is choose your virtual location and press the big button.

Once the connection is established, you’ll see a little map with the server flashing on it, server information (IP, load, connection duration), daily data usage, peak speeds, and the network.

When the time comes to tweak some settings, click the three lines to see the names of each icon on the left sidebar. Here you can run a speed test, check your Account, see general information about Hotspot Shield, access the support section, and go to Settings.

Under Settings, you’ll find five tabs to choose from. Here, you can:

• Toggle how the app works in General
• Turn on split tunneling (Smart VPN) for select websites and applications
• Cycle through the available tunneling protocols (Hydra and IKEv2)
• Tweak the Advanced settings (kill switch, Auto protect for public Wi-Fi, and IP leak protection)
• Create Shortcuts

Desktop apps: macOS

The interface of Windows and macOS desktop clients is similar. You’ll find the main differences between the two apps in the Settings menu. That’s because the macOS version allows less customization than the Windows counterpart.

Your options are limited to only switching between the available tunneling protocols and turning on split tunneling. The latter differs from the Windows version, though, letting you select which websites bypass the VPN connection and which need it to work. Notably, there is no option to use it with applications. There’s also no option to toggle the kill switch.

If we overlook the minimal Settings and the missing speed test tab, Hotspot Shield for Mac provides virtually the same protection as the Windows app. Still, we’d like more customization options for macOS devices.

Desktop apps: Linux

Currently, Hotspot Shield works with Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, and Fedora OS Linux distributions. The app offers a simple command-line interface, and it’s only available for the Premium tier.

The Hotspot Shield Linux application includes:

• Access to the full server list
• The Catapult Hydra tunneling protocol
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Military-grade encryption

It’s fairly lackluster and lacks features like split tunneling, auto-connect, and such. But if all you need is to protect your internet connection, it does the job just fine.

Mobile apps: Android

The Android version has a similar interface to the desktop apps. It’s very clean and easy to follow, and the client setup is as smooth as polished wood.

Users can toggle the app’s appearance, see their account information, and tweak the settings. The former includes:

• VPN protocols. What’s interesting is that apart from the proprietary tunneling protocol, the Android app has WireGuard instead of IKEv2.
• The Connection Center. Here you can pick when Hotspot Shield connects – on startup, app launch, or disconnects on sleep. Another notable section concerns networks. The VPN will also connect when you join unsecured or secured Wi-Fi, alongside cellular networks, depending on what you turn on.
• Trusted WiFi networks. Hotspot Shield will disconnect the VPN connection whenever you switch to your added secure networks.
• Split tunneling. Allows select websites and apps to work only with the VPN on or bypass it altogether.
• Always-on VPN. If the VPN connection ever fails, the app automatically reestablishes it.Internet Kill Switch. Kills your internet connection if the VPN ever stops working, preventing leaks.

Mobile apps: iOS

Once again, the Hotspot Shield iOS client looks exactly like its desktop brothers. Thus, if you’re familiar with those versions, navigating this one will be extra easy.

As with Android, you get the same three tabs – one for connecting to the VPN server, another detailing Premium tier perks, and a tab with settings and account info. Still, it’s more limited, as there’s no option to toggle the general settings. You don’t get WireGuard either, with IKEv2 taking its place.

While split tunneling, Always-on VPN, and the kill switch are identical to Android, some options are exclusive to the iOS app. One is the option to re-install a VPN profile. The other is the Privacy settings, which lets you opt out of personal data collection.

Browser extensions

Hotspot Shield offers a VPN add-on only for the Chrome browser. You can download it from the Chrome Store or the provider’s website, and it’s available for both Premium and Free users.

With the extension, you’ll be able to use the following features:

• Sword. Feed web trackers fake web activity to keep your real web activity private.
• Tracker blocker. Enable or disable analytic trackers.
• Ad blocker. Enable or disable ad blocking.
• Malware blocker. Enable or disable ad malware blocker.
• Cookie blocker. Enable or disable web cookies.
• Bypass local network. Bypass local resources, such as internal network, localhost, etc.
• WebRTC blocker. Prevent IP leaks.

Picking the Browser settings option lets you select which websites remain secured while the add-on is turned off. You can also pick which pages bypass the extension and work as usual.

Overall, the Chrome add-on offers more customizability than most extensions provided by other VPN services. However, the server scope is quite limited, with only 9 country options.

Hotspot Shield customer support

Support options include:

• FAQ
• Knowledgebase
• Support ticket
• 24/7 live chat support

When writing this review, our research team had to use live chat support to figure out several issues. We found the support not only friendly and helpful but also quite fast. Of course, a few of the replies were templates, but, on the whole, we were satisfied with the answers.

One thing to mention – to access 24/7 live chat support, you’ll need to get a Hotspot Shield account. We found that to be quite frustrating as, more often than not, you want to get the answers before committing to a particular product.

You can also try to use the Support menu to open the FAQ section or send a direct question to the support team.

Hotspot Shield review: should you get it?

One of the main advantages of Hotspot Shield is the free version, even if it’s limited. But should you get the premium option? If you call yourself an average internet user, we’d say that you should upgrade to the paid version. It offers fast connections, thanks to its proprietary Hydra protocol, and has a solid server fleet. Furthermore, it unblocks not only Netflix but other streaming services as well.

What this service still lacks is additional features and better pricing. We believe they’re asking a bit too much. The US jurisdiction and past scandals might also make privacy-wary folks hesitant to choose this service. Political activists and whistleblowers can pick better options from the market.

Still, Hotspot Shield is a pretty solid VPN. There will always be room for improvement, but at least it seems the provider is working hard to make it better for both Premium and Free users. However, if you’re looking for a safer, cheaper alternative, consider NordVPN.

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You may also like to read:
Best VPN services
Most secure VPN providers
Hotspot Shield vs NordVPN
Hotspot Shield vs ExpressVPN
Hotspot Shield vs CyberGhost
NordVPN vs Surfshark vs ExpressVPN

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FAQ

Is Hotspot Shield trustworthy?

Hotspot Shield is secure but not completely trustworthy. The company is based in the US, a core member of the Five Eyes alliance, and logs some user data, as stated in its privacy policy. Furthermore, Hotspot Shield has had some data privacy issues in the past and it’s unclear whether its no-logs policy is true since it wasn’t even audited by a trusted third party.

Does Hotspot Shield have a free trial?

Yes, Hotspot Shield has a free 7-day trial. Alternatively, you can use the free Hotspot Shield version. Just keep in mind that it’s fairly limited, allowing only 1 device, 3 locations, and up to 500 MB of data a day.

Does Hotspot Shield hide browsing history?

Yes, Hotspot Shield hides your browsing activity. It’s achieved by encrypting your internet traffic with AES-128 bit encryption. While this encryption key is robust, it’s not as bulletproof as AES-256 encryption.

How many devices can be connected to Hotspot Shield?

You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously with Hotspot Shield. This is great for securing multiple devices at once.