Hotspot Shield VPN Reviews

Hotspot Shield VPN

4.3 (78)
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Public virtual private network

Overall rating

4.3 /5
(78)
Value for Money
4.0/5
Features
4.1/5
Ease of Use
4.4/5
Customer Support
4.1/5

87%
recommended this app
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78 Reviews

Samuel
Samuel
Overall rating
  • Industry: Information Technology & Services
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Top quality VPN software

Reviewed on 2023/02/16

Pros

It's affordable and does what it should which is providing you with a virtual private network to browse securely.

Cons

Sometimes it disconnects automatically which is not ideal

Giau
Giau
Overall rating
  • Industry: Restaurants
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for Free Trial
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Fast speed VPN service with easy-to-use interface but concerns with privacy

Reviewed on 2023/01/13

The VPN offers good security and fast speeds. However, users should be aware of the limitations of...

The VPN offers good security and fast speeds. However, users should be aware of the limitations of the free version and some concerns about privacy. We ended up changing our VPN provider because we're a bit paranoid.

Pros

We found Hotspot Shield VPN to have fast connection speeds, which is important for streaming and downloading. It is easy to set up and use, even for those who are not tech-savvy... like us.Hotspot Shield VPN uses advanced encryption to protect users' online activities from being tracked or monitored and provides malware protection.It is available for multiple devices: We used the VPN on Windows, Mac, and iOS.

Cons

The free version of Hotspot Shield VPN has limitations, such as a data limit, and users must upgrade to the paid version to access all features. Some VPN providers like Cyberghost allow you to test the software with all options. There have been some concerns about Hotspot Shield VPN's privacy practices, such as collecting user data, so I find it hard to trust them with my data.We sometimes had connection issues with Hotspot Shield VPN, such as frequent disconnections. We didn't have them that often with Cyberghost.

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Computer Software
  • Company size: 201–500 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Hotspot Shield VPN Review

Reviewed on 2022/07/12

Overall, its is an excellent VPN for everyday users because of its price and features.

Overall, its is an excellent VPN for everyday users because of its price and features.

Pros

I have been using this software since 2018 and I love to use for my future. The best thing in this software is that it is inexpensive with almost every premium feature.

Cons

Sometimes, it gets hang while connecting to far states.

Mohammad Izaz Arefin
Mohammad Izaz Arefin
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

A decent VPN with average speed and feature.

Reviewed on 2022/11/12

Overall, it is a good VPN that can be used for all most all kinds of activities with privacy and...

Overall, it is a good VPN that can be used for all most all kinds of activities with privacy and security, but it has lots of things to improve to come at par with other industry-leading VPNs such as Nord VPN, Express VPN, etc.

Pros

This VPN can be used on multiple platforms and devices such as Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Smart TVs, routers, and more. It has browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. It provides enough speed for most activities over proprietary Hydra protocol, however, speed can be well below most Wireguard VPNs. Hotspot Shield unblocks most streaming services including US Netflix, iPlayer, Prime Video, and Disney Plus; and also supports torrenting over P2P servers. It has server locations across 80 countries meaning that enough servers for geo-restricted content. The Hydra, IKEv2 protocol, Kill Switch, and standard AES-256 encryptions ensure privacy and security. Though it has a no-log policy, it does collect some data that can not be directly connected to your account. Auto Connect and Smart VPN features are available on Windows and some other platforms. However, these features are not consistent over different platforms and apps. Hotspot Shield provides helpful live chat supports when you encounter problems, but the support can be improved further.

Cons

The price of this VPN is at the high end compared to other VPNs while it lacks some advanced features that other VPNs offer.

Lawrent
Lawrent
Overall rating
  • Industry: Education Management
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for Free Trial
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Hotspot Shield Elite is a good choice if you want to protect your privacy and unblock websites

Reviewed on 2022/11/13

Overall, I think Hotspot Shield Elite is a solid choice for a VPN. It's not the fastest, cheapest...

Overall, I think Hotspot Shield Elite is a solid choice for a VPN. It's not the fastest, cheapest or best option out there, but it's not bad either.

Pros

The Hotspot Shield software is an easy-to-use program with good features such as malware protection, ad blocking, and DNS leak protection built right in.Hotspot Shield has been the most popular VPN service for over a decade. The free version of Hotspot Shield offers basic features like ad blocking, malware protection and some privacy settings. However, it also comes with a monthly cap on bandwidth usage, which is understandable given that it's a free product.Other pros that are worth mentioning:-Very good speeds-Free version-Top-notch security features-Unblocks most streaming services including Netflix-24/7 live chat customer support-Good global coverage-P2P-compatible

Cons

There are cheaper VPN services that offer similar features at a lower price point. If you're looking to stream or torrent, the free version isn't going to cut it—and if you've got the cash, I'd recommend Private Internet Access instead. That said, if you're looking for basic security while browsing the web and sending emails (and don't mind getting some ads in exchange), then Hotspot Shield is probably more than enough for your needs. If you're looking for a VPN to use in China and want to be able to visit sites like Google, Facebook and YouTube, then I would recommend getting ExpressVPN instead.

Anwar
Anwar
Overall rating
  • Industry: Hospitality
  • Company size: 201–500 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Simple To Use With Certainty

Reviewed on 2021/07/31

It has benefited me a lot personally and officially, I have also told my friends to install it and...

It has benefited me a lot personally and officially, I have also told my friends to install it and they are still using the hotspot shield.

Pros

First of All, Thank you for giving it away for FREE
No problem while using it. I searched a lot and finally got a good VPN like this

Cons

Promotion problematic: Hotspot Shield Free incidentally appears as a spring up or header on the highest point of your program. While this window might be shut, it turns out to be fairly dreary to close some without fail

Nhan
Nhan
Overall rating
  • Industry: Financial Services
  • Company size: 501–1,000 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 6.0 /10

Free and fast VPN solution

Reviewed on 2022/09/22

Pros

Hotspot Shield is one of the fastest VPN solution, I noticed little to no difference between browsing with and without VPN. User can user Hotspot Shield to access websites blocked by the ISP with minimal configuration.

The installation project is quite simple, UI is also simple and very to use.

Cons

Since all the traffic flows through the application, users should be careful when using Hotspot Shield. Hotspot Shield should not be used when accessing mission-critical accounts/websites.

Fabian
Fabian
Overall rating
  • Industry: Internet
  • Company size: 51–200 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Frontier less restrictions and data in secure.

Reviewed on 2019/06/21

I love it because I can listen to my music with other IP while I'm working, studying or doing other...

I love it because I can listen to my music with other IP while I'm working, studying or doing other things in the same browser and I don't even make sure that my IP is from anywhere else but where I currently am. Just one tab, a couple of saved websites are in the list to be protected.

Pros

I can have it On mode for just a tab in the browser and It allows me to be unreachable for these pages that spamming you with publicity and some annoying ads. Also, you can choose where to be and see things restricted to just and only a certain local area, like documents, videos, and songs in media websites.

Cons

Almost you must turn On every time you close the browser or other applications and you open them again. It doesn't always on unless, it includes when you shut down your computer -for desktop version case- and later when you start it, you must activate it manually.

Kush
Kush
Overall rating
  • Industry: Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
  • Company size: 1,001–5,000 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Works like a charm, high speeds, costly

Reviewed on 2020/04/08

It was a good experience, I would recommend for a trial basis.

It was a good experience, I would recommend for a trial basis.

Pros

In some situations when I needed to do torrent Hotspot Shield VPN was the one which bypassed all firewalls.

Cons

It's costly if they offer more bandwidth that will be good.
Also, they update it a lot!

Joshua
Joshua
Overall rating
  • Industry: Real Estate
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for Free Trial
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Best Free VPN, Not Sure On Paid Version

Reviewed on 2021/02/09

Overall, this is the best free VPN service we've ever used.

Overall, this is the best free VPN service we've ever used.

Pros

The best part of this software is an alternative way of obtaining decent service speeds than paying a monthly fee. We don't have to use VPNs all the time, but only occasionally. Thanks to Hotspot Shield's feature that allows you to watch an ad to earn VPN time, it accomplishes what we need without the need to commit to a monthly fee for limited use. Not only that, it gives you USABLE speeds, which is not common with free VPN options.

Cons

Not really a complaint, but an observation. The ads are not very relevant. They are almost all for mobile games.

Alternatives Considered

TunnelBear

Reasons for Switching to Hotspot Shield VPN

Usable speeds with a free option.
Nathan
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Easy to use - Beginner friendly

Reviewed on 2023/08/09

Really good, easy to use, I can connect on multiple devices and offers good value for the price

Really good, easy to use, I can connect on multiple devices and offers good value for the price

Pros

Super easy to use, also you can use the VPN on 10 different devices with the same premium plan

Cons

Could have more servers in different countries, most of the countries they offer just one server connection

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Computer Networking
  • Company size: 51–200 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Key player in the market

Reviewed on 2021/12/30

I used Hotpsot shield to access steaming service world wide, it does the job as it is expected,...

I used Hotpsot shield to access steaming service world wide, it does the job as it is expected, they don't reduce your speed

Pros

their interface is very friendly and easy to figure out. they offer server in many countries.

Cons

their protocols is very limited, they have hydra and one other protocol which is very limited for nowadays.

Alper
Overall rating
  • Industry: Financial Services
  • Company size: 10,000+ Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Best vpn app

Reviewed on 2022/12/02

Vpn hides my personal datas and protects me.

Vpn hides my personal datas and protects me.

Pros

You can access every internet site with this vpn, and also it protects you from syber attacks. You can surf on the internet safely.

Cons

You can not use the app easily if you don't buy premium membership. You have to watch ads for every 15 mins of connection. Also it limits your speed of connection.

Tariq
Overall rating
  • Industry: E-Learning
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Best VPN as aa chrome extension

Reviewed on 2022/10/18

Pros

Generally most of the VPN not works in chrome extension but hotspot shield VPN is amazing it allows us to select desire country as a extension.

Cons

Sometimes it automatically disconnected while working.

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
  • Company size: 51–200 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Hotspot shield vpn looks like our friend

Reviewed on 2019/10/20

I am using this software from class 12 till today and still using having good speed and I suggest...

I am using this software from class 12 till today and still using having good speed and I suggest this to my all friends

Pros

Hotspot shield vpn is free vpn and speed is much more better

Cons

Like this software because this now my friend

nibaruta
Overall rating
  • Industry: Information Technology & Services
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Highly recommended

Reviewed on 2021/02/09

I am still using it so yes happily user

I am still using it so yes happily user

Pros

Thou the free version is bombarded with ads, I have not found a VPN that is rich in features like hotspot shield. Speed is good and doesn't have crashes

Cons

Should increase trial version to one month.

Sanel
Overall rating
  • Industry: Information Technology & Services
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 5.0 /10

Hotspot Shield

Reviewed on 2019/12/31

You get what you pay for. Buy a quality VPN and do research looking for data leaks and country that...

You get what you pay for. Buy a quality VPN and do research looking for data leaks and country that company resides in.

Pros

It is easy to use. Did have a history of better service for clients. Can be bundled with other products.

Cons

It can be gotten for free. Many free VPN's typically sell data. Has had a data leak of user information.

Ramiz
Overall rating
  • Industry: Farming
  • Company size: 201–500 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Excellent Software for VPN Services

Reviewed on 2021/08/28

Overall Experience with this software is Great. I recommend this software to all my friends and...

Overall Experience with this software is Great. I recommend this software to all my friends and relatives to use. Very Easy to Use, Good Speed of Connectivity.

Pros

Very Easy to Use and Covers the VPN for Many Popular Countries. I have used this software many times in my daily routine work. It works fine. Speed is Good. Great

Cons

Many of its features are paid and users have to pay for accessing its features. Most Advance and Great features are paid. It's not fair. All Services should be free.

Hakob
Overall rating
  • Industry: Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
  • Company size: 5,001–10,000 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

A fast and reliable VPN service

Reviewed on 2022/12/20

I used Hotspot Shield VPN for nearly a year and I was extremely satisfied with its reliability. I...

I used Hotspot Shield VPN for nearly a year and I was extremely satisfied with its reliability. I always had a stable and fast connection, no matter where I was setting my connection location. It has a user friendly interface and an advanced encryption for safe browsing.

Pros

1. Quick and secure connection to the servers and fast browsing.2. Simple and clean interface.3. Support of multiple devices

Cons

1. To unlock all the features, a subscription is required, which is more expensive compared to other VPN services.2. Some countries do not allow it so it simply doesn't work there (of course this is not the issue of the service but rather the specific government issue)

karen
Overall rating
  • Industry: Cosmetics
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Easy and Fast

Reviewed on 2020/05/02

Pros

This app is always one of my #1 apps to go to when i need hotspot VPN especially at school when you use their WiFi it blocked off some of the social apps but with this app on your phone turned on there's nothing that's being blocked.

Cons

There's nothing bad to say about this app but besides that sometimes its kind of slow but it just a lottle lag and then it gets going faster.

Md
Overall rating
  • Industry: Higher Education
  • Company size: 10,000+ Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Hotspot shield review

Reviewed on 2022/03/22

Overall Hotspot shield is a good free VPN with good speeds. There main con is that I am unsure...

Overall Hotspot shield is a good free VPN with good speeds. There main con is that I am unsure giving them my personal data due to their track record.

Pros

It is one of the best free VPNs. It provides good coverage and even better speeds. I have found that for myself this is the fasted VPN that is free of charge. It is also very user freindly.

Cons

I do not feel one hundred percent safe giving my data to hotspot shield. They have had data breaches before along with the fact they most likely sell data.

Annelies
Overall rating
  • Industry: Writing & Editing
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Works great!

Reviewed on 2021/01/05

I couldn't access a site that I needed for research purposes, but could access it just fine with...

I couldn't access a site that I needed for research purposes, but could access it just fine with Hotspot Shield VPN.

Pros

I use the free version of VPN and it contains all of the features I need. It's very easy to use and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for free or cheap VPN software but still has good quality.

Cons

Only one location to choose from when you use the free version. I wish there would be several other locations available.

Murad
Overall rating
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for Free Trial
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Watch ads, Enjoy the internet

Reviewed on 2020/11/23

I used this app for 44 days. It was a good experience.

I used this app for 44 days. It was a good experience.

Pros

With watching ads, you can earn 10 minutes to use the software. You can think it is much, but no it is not. You can use it without any problem.

Cons

When I started using this software, every time you watched the ad you could use the VPN for 15 minutes, but after it decreased to 10.

OMAR
Overall rating
  • Industry: Program Development
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for Free Trial
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

God impression over all

Reviewed on 2021/08/12

I need to be safe on the internet and Hotspot shield VPN gives me that comfortably

I need to be safe on the internet and Hotspot shield VPN gives me that comfortably

Pros

It really perfect experience
Fast connect and protect rhe data very well
i only wish if the prices lower

Cons

I think it perfect for me
No need for any modifications except the prices

Andre
Overall rating
  • Industry: Real Estate
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for Free Trial
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

The best VPN

Reviewed on 2021/04/18

It allows making my queries and accesses in a safe and efficient way with a very fast connection.

It allows making my queries and accesses in a safe and efficient way with a very fast connection.

Pros

Fast and secure connection are attributes that I value in this software. I keep it available in my browser and I can connect it as easily as with a click.

Cons

I would love it if they had more options for plans to upgrade my version.