Hotspot Shield VPN Review offers high-quality services and has a tremendous range of benefits for regular users. It is useful for unblocking Netflix or multiple alternative streaming platforms and supports torrenting. Users will enjoy the free version of VPN and install it on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices or maybe get an avid browser extension.
Furthermore, this VPN employs a proprietary protocol, Catapult Hydra, to succeed in the simplest of performance results. the company even earned the Ookla speed test badge, indicating that Hotspot Protect VPN will bring speed to its users.
Apart from the good quality of basic VPN services, it is worth mentioning that users also get other useful benefits. The premium subscription plan includes 1Password manager, Aura antivirus, and a scam blocker for maximum IT security.
Are you interested in searching for more? Read on as this comprehensive Hotspot protect VPN review can review speed tests, rating plans, security, and everything else this VPN has to offer.
Table of Contents
Hotspot Shield VPN Review
| Rating: | 3.5★★★★☆ |
| Overall Rank: | #22 out of #31 |
| No Logs Policy: | Keeps Logs |
| Price: | From $7.99/month |
| Servers: | 3200+ Servers in 80 Countries |
| Streaming Services: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube |
| Coupons: | Hotspot Shield coupon 40% OFF |
Hotspot Shield Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very good speeds
- Free version
- First-level security measures
- Unblocks most streaming services as well as Netflix
- 24/7 live chat customer support
- Good international coverage
- P2P-compatible
Cons
- Limited protocol choice
- Lacks transparency
- Does not add China
Speed Performance: Is Hotspot Shield Fast?
Hotspot Shield VPN speeds drive area honestly spectacular. We may always need to stream the Catapult Hydra protocol, but there’s no question why this VPN earned the Ookla speed badge: Transfer speed ranges range from I Chronicles to 28 drops with a median drop from August 15, 2019. 1945.
Although the transfer speed is a bit slower, the number of area units is still spectacular. they range from 1/3 to ninety-five with a mean reduction of approximately eighty.
- Baseline: 300 Mbps download/300 Mbps upload
| Location | Download Speed | Upload Speed |
| US (NY) | 293 | 39 |
| UK | 295 | 77 |
| Germany | 297 | 99 |
| Japan | 216 | 20 |
| Australia | 206 | 15 |
Also, Hotspot Shield offers ONE option to choose and use the IKEv2 tunneling protocol. According to our tests, its transfer speed reaches an average of 262.2 Mbps, while uploads are 45.4 Mbps.
Additionally, transfer speed drops ranged from a couple to thirty seconds, the average golf shot at two hundredths, while transfer speeds performed slightly worse. They ranged from three to ninety-eight, with an average of eighty-six falls.
One other issue worth mentioning: even assuming the IKEv2 protocol is known for its power, we tend to run into some minor proprietary issues when connecting to the server located in u. S, Florida. Therefore, users must take this into account when selecting between protocols.
Other than that, Hotspot Shield VPN provides high speed even without WireGuard protocol. For the simplest performance results, we recommend choosing Catapult Hydra, rather than IKEv2.
Streaming: Does Hotspot Shield Work with Netflix?
Hotspot Protect can be a good VPN to help you access geo-blocked content on major streaming platforms. there are more than 3200 servers in more than eighty completely different countries. Thus, you will be able to choose any of the streaming servers to watch the movies or TV shows you want, despite their location-based restrictions.
For example, we had no problem unlocking the America Netflix library. During the trial, the latest movies and TV series load instantly with no loss of image quality. Observing the overall Netflix experience was so slick that it would be pretty hard for anyone to tell if one is using a VPN at all.
Hotspot Protect VPN also easily unblocked YouTube, so you’ll be able to access trending videos from around the world. Just be aware that by entering your word, Google may step up to corroborate your identity – the service generally tends to urge sensitive touch to unknown IPs.
However, we do tend to run into some issues once we access alternative streaming platforms. Unlocked BBC iPlayer however there was some buffering at first. Otherwise, the streaming quality was good, and we didn’t experience any stutter.
But like many others before it, Hotspot protect couldn’t access DAZN. Although it is a distinct segment streaming service, they are tough measures against VPNs that only a few providers will circumvent.
Is Hotspot Shield Good For Torrenting?
Hotspot Shield VPN is used for torrenting because it does not blacklist P2P connections. Even assuming there are no dedicated servers strictly for torrenting, its 3,200+ servers offer a relatively hefty amount of options for finding a quick and secure partner for P2P downloads.
We tested the transfer speed and it hit a couple of 3 MB/s (18 Mbps). Keep in mind that there are several factors per unit area that influence how quickly you’ll be able to transfer numerous files, such as rank and seed site. So while the speed test score isn’t as spectacular as you’d expect, it’s likely that we just got unlucky.
Is Hotspot Shield Safe & Secure?
Hotspot protection can be a secure VPN service from a technical point of view. No DNS leaks, strong cryptography, and proprietary tunneling protocols ensure your security.
However, after verifying the location of your business and homeowners, there are many queries left unanswered by the area unit. All of this makes it difficult to assess whether or not your online activity can remain anonymous.
Encryption
Hotspot Protect will not only hide your scientific address, but it will also record the connection between your device and thus the VPN server. For that, it uses AES-128-CBC encryption, widely considered uncrackable. various government and monetary establishments adopted it for classified documents. There are too many variables for even modern computers to work with, so figuring it out can take an indefinite amount of your time.
With that in mind, most VPNs choose the more secure AES-256 encryption. Since Hotspot Protect has speed as a top priority, faster AES-128 is possible.
Hotspot Protect uses the SHA-256 secure hash function for authentication. this is often the standard within the VPN business, although some take it a notch higher with SHA-512.
In general, this is usually a robust crypto suite, however, it does not perform as well as others.
Tunneling Protocols
Your association is encrypted no matter what tunneling protocol you choose. However, {different|completely different|completely different} tunneling protocols have different strengths and use cases. However, with Hotspot protection, you will be restricted to 2 selectable protocols in advanced settings.
Catapult Hydra – The proprietary tunneling protocol developed by Hotspot Protect is based on OpenSSL, which is used by HTTPS websites, but as the current OpenVPN protocol. This is probably its secret ingredient, which is why its speeds are so fast, although not abundant.
IKEv2 – Although it is a much older protocol, it is still widely used when you need to maintain a stable connection. This makes it ideal for mobile devices because it allows you to switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data seamlessly.
Knowing how many antivirus services with VPN options Catapult Hydra trusts adds a touch of credibility. It is in the best interest of companies like McAfee or Bitdefender to partner only with services that meet their stringent needs. However, a clear public audit or working ASCII text file would make it much easier.
Kill Switch
Hotspot protect has a kill switch security feature to prevent all your traffic if you are suddenly disconnected from a VPN server due to poor web association. It’s not on by default, so you’ll need to remember to show it.
During my tests, the kill switch worked fine once I removed the VPN association method. The app showed that the kill switch is on and it would start to reconnect.
When the app’s background method was killed, the app would discover that there is a problem. He then initiated a reboot, breaking their association. Therefore, in no case was my scientific discipline exposed throughout the check.
Logging
Hotspot Shield’s location is one of the worst places in the world for a service that relies on privacy. he knows could be an early member of the 5 Eyes alliance. This, coupled with the country’s powerful intelligence agencies, makes it suboptimal for VPNs that cater to the most privacy-conscious users thanks to their overwork.
The VPN promises no logs of your activity, but there are area unit exceptions when you abuse the free version. Since the free app has ads, they reserve the right thing to indicate your approximate location at the city level. It jointly includes your device’s advertising ID, IMEI, Mackintosh address, and even wireless carrier. In short, if your privacy is worth it, you shouldn’t bite your free buyer.
Unfortunately, its paid version is also not a problem. They claim that they take steps to remove their scientific discipline address right as their session ends. However, if they are required by law to keep this data for an extended period, they will comply. So the principle of how these VPN works is that removal of the associated scientific discipline address appears to be a privilege, which could be revoked if the requirement arises.
The fact that the service does not accept anonymous payments makes it worse. So if you are thinking that paying with cryptocurrencies can act as a necessary shadow veil, this is not the case.
Transparency
Last year, Hotspot championed switched homeowners and was not inherited by a cyber security company called Aura. This business entity was created when the identity risk management service subscribed to the Iraqi National Congress. and incorporated with credit and fraud management solutions company Intersections Iraqi National Congress.
Although the owner area unit is modern, the Hotspot fully defends itself from being an intruder to scandals. In 2017, the Center for Democracy and Technology issued a complaint to an independent agency expressing concerns regarding deceptive data retention practices. Since then, they need to update their privacy policy, clarifying that one piece of information is saved and the other is not.
AV-TEST GmbH, an independent malware analysis partner laboratory in a European country, tested the service and sent a full report to the general public. Hotspot defend was praised for its performance and compatibility options; however, AV-TEST did not investigate compliance with the privacy policy. It was a product review that didn’t go into detail, which could be investigated during the audit.
The company publishes annual transparency reports, i.e. the right direction for a cybersecurity company. That said, it’s worth mentioning that an intensive third-party security or privacy audit wouldn’t hurt.
Hotspot Shield Features
Apart from good speed and strong security, Hotspot defender offers some additional options for its users. Even assuming that the additional borders significantly improve the overall VPN user experience, you should be aware that some of them are only available with premium subscription plans.
SmartVPN
Many VPN providers have pretty similar options but decide otherwise. SmartVPN is just your old split tunnel. Therefore, it will exclude some applications or web pages from the VPN tunnel and connect them directly.
Unfortunately, the only customization option for this feature is to pause – it will quickly suspend the tunnel. It’s also not possible to use split tunneling in reverse mode, so you won’t be able to use the VPN with just a few apps. So keep in mind if you want to use a VPN with just a few key apps or websites.
The feature is only reserved for Windows users and humanoids (the latter has a weird implementation). So if you’re mistreating iOS or macOS, you won’t notice it in your app.
Cybersecurity Suite
With the Premium Hotspot protection subscription, you can also get 3 separate products: 1Password, Hiya, and Aura antivirus. Thus, it greatly expands the usage eventualities on the other side’s VPN usage.
1Password
If you have been a CyberNews reader for a while, you can even browse our review. It’s one of the most effective password managers on the market, so getting it as an add-on to your subscription might be a good buy.
Not only will it code your vault with military-grade encryption, making your passwords secure, but it also includes a scanner to see if your data lands on the dark web. To learn more about this password manager, check out our 1Password review.
Spam-call Blocker
Hotspot defender includes a spam call blocking feature that mechanically scans for scam calls and blocks suspicious numbers. is available for iOS and humanoid users to stop potentially dangerous calls from scammers and help you avoid those annoying telemarketers.
The scam blocker uses crowdsourced knowledge to see if the caller was blacklisted or not. If the amount is marked as spam, you will see it on the screen while the phone is still ringing.
However, this feature requires access associated with your contacts. Therefore, privacy-oriented users should keep this in mind.
Aura Antivirus
This antivirus includes additions like personal data watching, Wi-Fi security, and malware detection. Thus, you will be ready to remove the accumulated junk files or malicious programs with the push of a button.
However, Aura might be a recent addition to the antivirus market, so the area unit has virtually no reviews or reports on how it performs. because it is currently, I hope independent malware labs will check them first before I install them on my device.
Does Hotspot Shield VPN Work in China?
A while ago, Hotspot defense used to be an honest option for China, but they haven’t held up well with the days. Even assuming your Catapult Hydra tunneling protocol offers obfuscation and is fairly fast, this won’t help you if you want to bypass the Great Firewall of China.
Another tunneling protocol they need: IKEv2 is not of the caliber that will be required to bypass this block. the website itself is blocked and most users on online forums make sure Hotspot is not working. particularly since the month of the Gregorian calendar, once restrictions were tightened to suppress human rights marches in the urban center.
If you are looking for a good VPN for this task, check out a list of the best VPNs for China.
Plans & Pricing
Hotspot Protect breaks the mold once it involves VPN evaluation. Unlike most providers on the market, not all of their evaluation plans provide constant options. Also, they even have a free version, which is a bit restrictive, but it will give the service a look.
| Version | 1-month Plan | 1-year Plan |
| Premium | $12.99 | $95.88 or $7.99/month |
| Premium Family | $19.99 | $143.88 or $11.99/month |
The shortest subscription period is one month. It’s also the most expensive and can set you back $12.99 for Premium and $19.99 for the Family configuration. Please note that the Premium and Family options have a 45-day money-back guarantee.
The second possibility may be a set year. Similarly, the price will be $95.88 for the Premium subscription and $143.88 for the Family subscription. If you count the costs rounded up per month, it will look cheaper: $7.99 and $11.99 per month, separately.
The Premium setup (or I’m passionate about that illustrious Elite Premium) can be a package that has a Probation Manager, an Associate in Nursing antivirus, and a spam blocker. It’s not a dirty deal. However, the alternative subscription options do not offer a very low range of options considering the price.
Another downside is that the service only accepts credit cards and PayPal. There are no options to pay with cryptocurrencies, so it’s another blow to your obscurity.
Free Version
Hotspot protect includes a free version, so you can try the service without adding payment details. With it, you will be able to connect with many servers in North American countries.
Although, this comes with strict restrictions. You’ll be capped at 500 MB per day, a membership, and your speed will be throttled down to a couple of Mbps. So you won’t be able to take advantage of the great speeds with the free version.
The final problem is that this version has ads and collects usage logs. This is not spectacular, considering that alternative VPNs have free versions that are very respectful of your privacy.
Hotspot Servers & Locations
According to their page, Hotspot Protect currently has around 3,200 servers in more than eighty countries and more than 35 cities. Although not all of their servers are physical, some of them are located in a very virtual location.
This means that they are not physically located within the indicated countries. Instead, they are simply designed to inherently resemble anti-geoblocking features.
Its fleet is not the most important, but it will cover many states. Here it is, though, your network breaks down:
| Regions | Number of Countries |
| Americas | 16 Countries |
| Europe | 48 Countries |
| Asia Pacific | 28 Countries |
| Middle East & Africa | 7 Countries |
Whether you’re connecting to Europe, Asia Pacific, or land, you’ll have plenty of server locations to choose from.
Interface & Ease Of Use
Hotspot Shield VPN is compatible with all desktop and mobile devices. You can easily install it on Windows, macOS, and more operating systems like iOS and golem smartphones. It even has a great browser extension for Chrome.
While the VPN interface is easy on all devices, several of its options work only on linked operating systems.
Desktop Versions
Both Windows and macOS apps have a consistent elegant style. the colors and therefore the positioning of the parts of the user interface make the buyer look modern and simple to the eye. I didn’t realize that the animations would stutter. His wife’s team did a good job.
Server connections are resolved in the blink of an eye, whether or not you’re on Windows or macOS. It also shows you latency, your connection speed spikes, server load, your “new” scientific address, and a graph of how much data you’ve sent and received.
It’s worth noting that feature-wise, there are some variations between the two apps. It seems that macOS is missing split tunneling. And even if you choose the Premium setting, you won’t be able to transfer Aura antivirus from the Hotspot protect app (something you can do if you’re a Windows user). I have looked for alternative ways to transfer it, but with no luck.
There is support for UNIX, but only for Red Hat and Debian-based systems. So the compatibility is not spectacular, just like the application is not spectacular. You can log in and check available servers, but there are no adjustable app interval options. Unfortunately, there is also no kill switch or automatic connection.
Hotspot Shield Mobile Apps
The Android and iOS apps look like a copy-paste version of their desktop shopper with changes for smaller screen devices. Therefore, it will not only look good, but it is relatively easy to choose even for novice users.
Even on iOS, you get identity scanning, probation manager, and spam call blocker. Although, you would need to install them individually. All in all, its addition of premium capabilities is a good fit for iOS, which is sometimes neglected in terms of options.
The same applies to the golem, which receives the standard additions like the split tunnel. However, the golem version of this feature connects you to a VPN server once you open a particular app, which is not split tunneling because it works for your entire membership. There have also been alternative options such as “Disconnect when sleeping” and “Show personalized ads”, which are disabled by default. While it’s a convenient feature, it’s different from its desktop equivalent.
Browser Extensions
If you’re a frequent user of Proxy plugins, you’ll feel welcome with Hotspot Shield’s Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. although it uses an unspecified tunneling protocol from Associate in Nursing, the plugin as a whole gives you a ton of control over what you want to block.
The most spectacular feature was the ability to select specific websites that can be continuously protected by the proxy, even though proxy membership is not enabled. It also allows you to present websites that you simply don’t need to travel through the proxy. Although I was frustrated with the choice of server, you can only choose between nine different countries.
Customer Support
Like any alternative VPN service on the market, Hotspot Protect includes a customer support website, where you’ll find plenty of guides and answers to the most frequently asked questions. So this could be your opening once you try to solve a problem. By the way, it is also the only possibility of free customer support for users. while I’m not a disciple of paywalls, several services with free versions limit customer service.
So to access your live chat, you would like a paid account. Suppose your question turns out to be too problematic for a customer service agent to resolve on the spot. in that case, it will be reborn in a price tag and you will receive a response by mail.
I didn’t experience any issues with the apps, so I contacted them with more questions about their service. Wait times were short and so the customer service agent did his best to help Pine Tree State, even though, because he was dressed, he wasn’t very UNIX savvy.
Is Hotspot Shield Any Good & Worth Getting?
Hotspot Protect is not a bad VPN service. Its speeds rival even competitors with ultra-fast WireGuard or Lightway protocols. This is usually a good thing because Hotspot is also good for streaming Netflix and downloading torrents, both of which are speed-demanding activities.
You also get an additional product with your Premium subscription, and all users can have access to a large worldwide network of servers.
Hotspot Protect is undoubtedly wise for amusement and easier jobs, but there is still potential for development. For more privacy-conscious consumers, this may not be the ideal solution given the company’s US jurisdiction, the absence of anonymous payment methods, and the lack of security and privacy disclosure.
So if you are a political activist or a source, this is not going to be the best option on the market for you. the very fact that they use virtual locations doesn’t make it any easier.
FAQs
How Much Does Hotspot Shield Cost Monthly?
Hotspot protect’s shortest and cheapest monthly setup can cost you $12.99. It will be much more profitable if you get an established annual associate’s degree.
Is Hotspot Shield Completely Free?
Yes. Hotspot protect will have a free version. However, its capabilities area unit is restricted, and you {may| |may} be paying along with your privacy (the app will show you ads and collect information about you).
Can I Trust Hotspot Shield?
Hotspot Protect has had some perceived privacy issues in the past, however, these are resolved. It remains to be seen what changes the new owners of the set may create in the future.
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