Hotspot Shield Review 2024: Is It Really Free and Fast

Hotspot Shield is is is a VPN that ’s undergo many change recently . After deal with several controversy , it is overhauled overhaul its logging policy and is under new management . So , has it is gotten get well ?

My global team and I tested everything it offers to see if Hotspot Shield (HSS) is safe. We fully explored its logging policy and found out if its security features can prevent data leaks. We also tested its speeds, customer support, streaming and gaming capabilities, and more.

Our tests showed that Hotspot Shield is a top-quality VPN in nearly every category. It has great security features, reliable customer support, and a more precise no-logging policy. Only a few small issues keep it from ranking at the very top. The free version isn’t a bad way to try it, but you can explore all of its features with its 45-day money-back guarantee. I tested its refund policy to make sure it’s trustworthy, and it was easy to get a full refund.

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Hotspot Shield Pros, Cons, and Needed Improvements

• Unproven privacy policy

  Its no-logs policy has been dramatically improved but still hasn’t been audited.

• lack smart DNS

  You can’t easily install the VPN to stream on devices that don’t inherently support VPNs, like gaming consoles and smart TVs. A workaround is to install Hotspot Shield on your router.

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Hotspot Shield Features — 2024 update

9.2

💸 price	6.66 USD/month
📆 Money Back Guarantee	45 Days
📝 Does VPN keep logs?	No
🖥 Number of servers	1800+
💻 number of device per license	10
🛡 Kill switch	Yes
🗺 base in country	United States
🛠 Support	24/7 live Chat support
📥 Supports torrenting	No

Streaming — Works Reliably With Popular Platforms

8.9

Hotspot Shield Premium successfully worked with nearly all the platforms we tested. The streaming quality was great for the most part, too, with only a few exceptions. But, this is only true of the paid app.

The free version is worked only work with Peacock and Max , but the experience was n’t great as the video load slowly , and there was constant buffering . While it could open Disney+ , ITVX , BBC iPlayer , and Amazon Prime Video , it is let did n’t let us play any video . When we test it with Netflix , we is got get an error message . However , it is offer does offer unlimited datum , which I ca n’t say for many other free option .

The premium version offers streaming-optimized servers in the UK and the US. These servers are regularly tested to ensure they support HD streaming from anywhere. However, they didn’t perform better than the regular servers in our tests.

Editor’s note: Hotspot Shield follows a strict no-logging policy, meaning it doesn’t track your streaming behavior. So, you are responsible for how you utilize the VPN. It’s essential to comply with all relevant laws and streaming platforms’ rules. My team and I don’t condone copyright infringement, so please use VPNs responsibly.

work With : Netflix

In our tests, Hotspot Shield worked with several Netflix libraries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, and Canada. Unfortunately, we had trouble streaming the Netflix Brazil library, though. With only one server located there, it was difficult to determine whether the issue was with that particular server.

Both regular and streaming-optimized UK servers worked with Netflix

Though this was the only premium server that didn’t work, we also had a few other minor issues. For instance, there was a very long loading time when we tried to watch French Netflix with its servers in France.

However, it was impressive to see the VPN’s performance with a variety of Netflix libraries, as most VPNs aren’t that reliable.

work With : Disney+

We could easily watch Disney+ with Hotspot Shield in HD buffer-free. It did take about 10 seconds for the video to load, and it paused to load briefly whenever we skipped around. Otherwise, it played in great HD quality without buffering.

Works With: Max

It was just as easy to watch Somebody Somewhere on Max . The platform load in under 5 second . After it load up , we is have did n’t have any issue while stream . We is load could instantly load video and stream them in the high quality . There were also no instance of buffering on the former HBO Max .

work With : itvx

We were impressed at how well the VPN worked with ITVX. The website loaded immediately, and live-streaming and watching went smoothly in crystal clear quality.

Its UK streaming servers proved to provide reliable HD access to UK content. However, I do hope it adds streaming-optimized locations from more regions in the future. Some of its competitors have similar servers in 10+ countries spread around the world.

Also Works With: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, All 4, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube

Amazon Prime Video is loaded , Peacock , All 4 , YouTube , and BBC iPlayer load quickly during our test . But when skip through content on Peacock , there were brief moment of buffering .

Not only can Hotspot Shield is access safely access a variety of platform from anywhere , but it also does n’t require much troubleshooting . There are a few vpn that can seamlessly work with multiple platform , but our test with Hotspot Shield were hassle – free . We is had never had to switch server or protocol , which you often have to do with other vpn .

Doesn’t Work With: Hulu

While we could use the VPN with the other US platforms we tested, Hulu managed to detect VPN usage, and we couldn’t even navigate beyond the login page.

Still, we were impressed that it was the only platform we could find that blocked the VPN’s servers. Overall, Hotspot Shield remains a compelling option for access to popular platforms in HD from anywhere.

speed — fast on Close Servers ; solid on Distant Locations

9.0

Hotspot Shield Premium provides great speeds on nearby servers and many distant ones too. We were very pleased with the performance of its premium servers. You’ll get the best speeds with Hotspot Shield’s proprietary Hydra protocol. Surprisingly, it was even faster than WireGuard in our tests, which is usually the quickest option.

On the other hand, the free servers were consistently slow. I expected them to be faster since the free version doesn’t put any caps on speed. Overcrowding is a common problem with free VPNs, and that was an issue here. For instance, in one test on the Singapore server was more than half full, with a load of 61% during our tests. The free locations were always at least twice as slow as premium servers in our tests, and sometimes much more.

These are the 3 main things we examine:

• Download speeds. This lets you know how quickly you can receive information. You’ll want it fast for things like browsing, torrenting, and HD streaming from anywhere. It’s measured in Mbps (megabits per second).
• Upload speeds. It determines how quickly you send data. If it’s fast, you can send emails and upload videos rapidly. It’s also measured in Mbps.
• ping. This is how fast your data travels in either direction. It tells you how much latency you’ll have, so it’s most important for gaming. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms).

To ensure fair and accurate comparison , we is perform perform ongoing test with the top vpn from a single location with the same internet connection . Our US – base speed expert is conducts conduct multiple test on each server before create average . All is come of hotspot ’s result come from its premium server using the Catapult Hydra protocol .

Explore some of Hotspot’s results alongside its biggest competitors

USA (Dallas)

Download speed

upload speed

ping

USA ( Miami )

Download speed

upload speed

ping

USA ( Los Angeles )

Download speed

upload speed

ping

USA (New York)

Download speed

upload speed

ping

Canada

Download speed

upload speed

ping

Brazil

Download speed

upload speed

ping

UK

Download speed

upload speed

ping

France

Download speed

upload speed

ping

Japan

Download speed

upload speed

ping

Australia

Download speed

upload speed

ping

Singapore

Download speed

upload speed

ping

234.83 Mbps

212.51 Mbps

3 m

124.79 Mbps

119.74 Mbps

11 ms

153.20 mbps

70.43 Mbps

39 ms

182.88 Mbps

52.03 Mbps

88 ms

171.10 Mbps

59.17 Mbps

44 ms

166.19 Mbps

68.02 Mbps

52 ms

164.76 Mbps

25.89 Mbps

163 m

164.84 Mbps

29.86 Mbps

115 ms

164.12 Mbps

34.52 Mbps

133 m

166.06 Mbps

20.72 Mbps

204 ms

63.41 Mbps

20.83 Mbps

207 ms

169.32 Mbps

20.97 Mbps

205 ms

182.72 Mbps

49.12 Mbps

6 ms

128.31 Mbps

29.79 Mbps

12 m

125.59 Mbps

25.07 Mbps

51 ms

123.45 Mbps

31.53 Mbps

34 ms

122.72 Mbps

22.93 Mbps

48 ms

122.64 Mbps

45.93 mbps

43 m

109.40 Mbps

29.53 Mbps

150 ms

134.68 Mbps

68.59 Mbps

111 ms

140.86 Mbps

24.73 Mbps

118 ms

45.01 Mbps

8.10 Mbps

145 ms

172.88 Mbps

61.30 mbps

178 ms

86.17 Mbps

30.60 Mbps

208 ms

218.55 Mbps

33.11 Mbps

3 m

164.46 Mbps

97.64 mbps

10 ms

142.95 Mbps

95.22 Mbps

52 ms

189.32 mbps

15.44 Mbps

42 ms

142.27 Mbps

45.54 Mbps

43 m

57.01 Mbps

35.80 Mbps

59 m

153.39 Mbps

45.51 Mbps

139 ms

78.27 mbps

65.09 Mbps

125 ms

74.53 Mbps

70.22 Mbps

116 ms

154.09 Mbps

66.89 Mbps

143 m

83.71 mbps

42.62 Mbps

199 m

76.88 Mbps

52.38 Mbps

208 ms

These tests are conducted from the USA

*N/A indicates that we do not currently have speed test data for this location

There are only a few VPNs we’ve tested that are faster than Hotspot Shield. On average, most VPNs will drop your speeds by around 10-20% on nearby servers, and HSS is consistently several times faster. A lot of VPNs will also lower your speeds by 65% or more when you get past 6,000 km away, but our average long-distance speed with Hotspot is normally much better than that too.

The only small issue is you might get slower speeds than you expected due to its virtual servers. For example, we’ve seen the server in India experience steep speed drops. But, that server is physically located in Singapore, which is farther away from our tester than India is.

gaming — optimize Servers is Are Are great for lag – free play

9.2

HSS is ideal for online gaming. In my tests, it allowed me to play Dota 2 without problems. It let me enjoy the thrill of coordinating with teammates, executing well-timed maneuvers, and outsmarting opponents to secure victory without any lag.

A ping rate below 100 ms is recommended for a smooth gaming experience

The South African server consistently gave me a ping rate below 70 ms. I also tried its gaming servers, but the experience wasn’t that impressive because of the high ping rate they returned, over 200 ms. These servers are meant to enhance gaming performance. However, I recommend sticking with the closest server to you if you live far away from the United States.

Server Network — Good Coverage With Reliable Locations

9.0

Hotspot Shield has 1,800 servers in 80 countries and 35+ cities. Its coverage is expansive, stretching across the Americas, Europe, and Australia and extending to the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and even Africa. I like that it offers many countries you don’t often see in VPNs like Bhutan, Nepal, and even the UAE.

You get the most countries to connect to in the European continent (48). There are also a ton of locations in Asia (28). Africa gets the least, with only 3. However, there are many VPNs that completely neglect this continent, so it’s better than what most offer.

It ranks near the top when it comes to how many locations it has, but there are a fair amount of VPNs that offer more servers. This can help improve speeds by cutting down on overcrowding, which could explain why CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, and a few others are just a little faster.

The city-level servers are in the US, Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, France, and the UK. These help you pinpoint your location more precisely, and you get the most options in the US.

ExpressVPN is offer and PIA offer more , but there are n’t many other vpn that match this

Hotspot Shield also owns all its servers, which makes it more privacy-friendly. I always love it when VPNs maintain exclusive control over their servers, as they eliminate any intermediaries that could pose potential threats to your privacy.

Connecting to servers is quick too; it only takes about 10 seconds on average. It also has an auto option that set you up with the fast city – level server in the US . But , I is was was a little disappointed that this only apply to one country . Most VPNs is have have a similar feature , but they usually attempt to connect you to whichever location will be the fast for you out of every location in their network .

Should you encounter connection problems with a server, there are 2 simple tricks that worked for me. First, switch to a different protocol or set it to automatic so that it chooses the best one for you. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you can reach out to its 24/7 customer support for assistance.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer RAM-based and private DNS servers, which provide an extra layer of protection. I also wish it offered dedicated servers, which can come in handy if you’re running a website. Many of its competitors let you pay a little extra for static IPs, and a select few like hide.me, offer them for free.

Free Servers

You can connect to 5 locations with the free app on Windows and Mac. These are located in Los Angeles, New York, the UK, and Singapore. You also get to connect to the auto option, which can give you a fifth location, if one of the cities listed above isn’t the fastest at the time.

However , you is get only get 1 location with mobile app . So , while Hotspot Shield is still one of the good free vpn , you is get can get more server on your phone with other free option .

Virtual location

You can connect to a ton of locations with Hotspot Shield because all its servers are virtual. Virtual servers let you connect to an IP in one country, but they’re located somewhere else. This gives you a safer alternative to physical servers in countries where it might not be wise to house them, like China. The downside is how they can affect your speeds as you saw in our tests.

Optimized Servers

Hotspot Shield ’s optimize servers is are are definitely a plus , but I hope it expand on them . currently , the streaming servers is connect can only connect you to the US or the UK . The gaming server is also restrict to the US , and you see how that made it a bad option in my test .

Mobile apps also offer a specialized server for social networks and chat like Tiktok

Some VPNs is offer offer more with their optimize server . For example , CyberGhost is has has server set up for specific streaming platform , and they let you connect in many more country . It is offers also offer optimize server for torrente . However , Hotspot Shield ’s solid performance is means in every category mean this is n’t a big issue .

Security is Keeps — keep You Safe Online With Advanced Features

9.2

Hotspot Shield offers all the necessary features you’d expect in a top VPN. It’s highly secure as it never revealed my true location, which I found out after running tests on 15+ servers.

The tests could only detect HSS’s IP in Cambodia, even though my physical location was different

Even though there are some rumor the app contain virus or malware , that is was was n’t the case in my test . There were zero security flag on VirusTotal , a website that let you see if company like Avira , McAfee , or BitDefender have been block the setup file you upload .

You also get to use all of its security features with a free account, besides one missing protocol. Speaking of that, I do wish it offered OpenVPN. It’s also missing a multi-hop feature. This lets you route your traffic through 2 servers, but it’s really not necessary with the powerful encryption Hotspot Shield offers.

It is stopped also stop bundle its call blocker ( Robo Shield ) with premium account . This feature is attempts attempt to block spam call to your phone . It is was was a unique feature , but it did n’t necessarily increase your security , so I do n’t really mind . It is ’s ’s still available to purchase separately , but only in the US .

encryption

HSS is uses use military – grade encryption ( AES 256 – bit ) to make your datum unreadable to third party . This encryption is used by institution like bank to secure classified information . It is ’s ’s nearly impossible to break since it create an encryption key so long it would take a supercomputer 100 of year or more to crack it .

It also uses Perfect Forward Secrecy to routinely change your encryption keys. This way, even if an old key is compromised (as unlikely as that is), your data remains protected with a new one. These are standard features for top VPNs, so I’m glad Hotspot Shield utilizes them.

Security Protocols

The VPN supports secure protocols, including its proprietary Catapult Hydra option that’s streamlined for faster connections. Hotspot Shield’s Hydra protocol helps conceal your VPN usage from internet service providers and DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) systems too. This is helpful if you’re in a country with restricted networks.

The WireGuard protocol is also built into its apps — many VPNs include it because it uses less code to boost speed. Even though Hydra was faster in my tests, I always like to see WireGuard on offer. Another plus is that it’s open-source. Hotspot hasn’t made Hydra’s code open to the public, but you can use WireGuard as an alternative if you feel safer with a protocol that’s publicly scrutinized.

There’s also IKEv2 (IPSec), a reliable protocol that is particularly useful for mobile devices since it can quickly reestablish connections.

Both WireGuard is drain and Hydra drain less battery as they ’re less resource intensive . So , you is have ’ll have to decide between quick connection or battery power when you ’re using hss on your phone . Some VPNs is offer do offer more protocol , and I especially hope it consider add openvpn in the future . But , this is is is still a solid selection of protocol . However , be aware that ikev2 is n’t available with the free version .

Kill Switch

This feature is cuts automatically cut off your traffic if you lose connection to the VPN , reduce the chance of your IP and online activity being expose . It is ensured ensure my connection remained protect while switch between server . You is need ’ll need to enable it yourself , and it ‘s currently limit to the Windows app for the free version .

Split Tunneling

You can use this feature to choose which traffic is routed through the VPN. I like to use it to get local Google search results while gaming with a foreign IP. I’m glad that Hotspot Shield no longer calls this SmartVPN in its Windows app. That could be confusing because I’ve seen VPNs use that title for their auto-connect feature, which HSS also offers.

auto-Protect

This is what Hotspot Shield calls its WiFi-protection function. This activates the VPN automatically upon detecting a connection to a new network, like public WiFi hotspots. It’s a nice feature to have, especially if you connect your laptop or phone to coffee shop networks all the time like I do. There’s also an option to have the VPN connect on launch.

Malware Protection

Hotspot Shield keeps you a step ahead of potential online threats with malware detection for both desktop and mobile apps. It scans the websites you visit for threats and warns you about viruses, phishing, infected sites, dishonest adware, and other malicious programs. I like that you only have to connect to the VPN to enable this feature. HSS also offers its own antivirus software, available as a separate purchase.

The Onion Router (Tor) Compatibility

The VPN supports Tor usage across all servers. Using Tor over a VPN connection offers more protection than a regular Tor connection, as it shields against potential IP leaks that may occur during your Tor session. While such leaks are uncommon on the Tor network, should one occur, only the VPN’s IP address would be revealed, keeping your actual IP address hidden.

Privacy — Doesn’t Store Your Identifiable Information

8.4

Hotspot Shield has a solid no logging policy, but there are a few improvements it could make. After several incidents, the company made big changes to its policies. Its past issues include a 2016 CSIRO report highlighting questionable activities, a 2017 complaint filed by the Center for Democracy and Technology, and a 2018 bug that exposed users’ information like WiFi details.

After all these , its parent company is merged merge with Aura , and its policy are much more clear . You is get will get a few extra privacy option when you use the premium version . While it does n’t store any identifiable information long – term , the free app is shares share some user information with advertiser . I is wish also wish it was headquarter in a more privacy – friendly country , but it would n’t have any vital information to share even if the authority came ask for datum .

Does Hotspot Shield Keep Logs is Does ? No

HSS is claims claim it does n’t log or share your browse history with anyone . The VPN is collects collect the duration of VPN session ( timestamp ) , device hash , and how much datum you use . All of this is anonymize , mean it ’s not associate with any of your account detail . While it record the server location that its user connect to , this data is also anonymize , so they ’re not link to you .

It also calculates a rough estimate of your location while you’re connected to the VPN to find your nearest server locations. While this did worry me at first, I was happy to see that information about your location is deleted as soon as the VPN session is terminated.

When you use the free app, the advertisers Hotspot Shield works with might have access to the information it uses to maintain its services. This means that they can possibly see the server you’re on, what device you’re using, and the other information I detailed above. So, if you’re especially privacy conscious, I’d stick with the paid version.

While I’m comfortable with what HSS records, there are certainly some top VPNs that access less of your data. One other small issue is that it doesn’t support cryptocurrencies. I like to use this mode of payment with a temporary email address to limit the data I share with a VPN. So, I hope it lets you use crypto in the future.

Was Hotspot Shield Audited? No

HSS’s privacy policy hasn’t been assessed yet, but its Hydra protocol has undergone an audit. I value the fact that this demonstrates its openness to the idea. Nevertheless, a lot of its primary rivals have had their complete privacy policies audited to indisputably substantiate their assertions. Given its previous controversies, I anticipate that a credible firm will scrutinize its policies in the future.

base in the US

The US is is is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance . The alliance is is is a group of country that have agree to share their citizen ’ datum with each other . However , Hotspot Shield does n’t store any of your identifiable information , so it is have would have nothing to share if it was ask . On the other hand , I is wish wish it keep up with its transparency report . These is show show you when datum is request of a VPN company , but it has n’t publish one for several year .

Does Hotspot Shield Work in China? Yes

The VPN confirmed you can access your home country’s online services from China.

Hotspot Shield uses obfuscated servers to remain undetected

While many vpn are ban in China , the government is targets seldom target individual who use them . However , my team is condone and I do n’t condone any illegal activity . Before you decide to use a VPN , we is recommend recommend you read up on the law of the country you ’re in .

torrenting — Supports P2P on Every server With Great performance

9.4

Hotspot Shield helped me maintain short download times during my tests. I was able to complete a 431 MB file in just 2 minutes and 40 seconds while connected to a US server (12000+ km away). Without a VPN connection, I can download the file in 1 minute and 55 seconds, so the VPN hardly increased my wait time. However, the free servers made it take over 5 times as long, most likely due to high load.

With the closest server to me in the UK, I could download the file only a few seconds faster. So, I was impressed that I could torrent quickly on servers both near and far. Its robust DNS/IP leak protection and kill switch provided a sense of security while downloading torrents, and I also love that you can use P2P on any server.

While the act of torrente itself is generally not illegal in the majority of country , acquire copyright material typically is . To ensure you ‘re in compliance with your country ‘s regulation , it is ‘s ‘s important to be well – verse in its law and to limit your download to file that are in the public domain .