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| Specs | Info |
|---|---|
| ⭐ Rating: | 4.2 ★★★★☆ |
| 🥇 Overall rank: | #16 out of #29 |
| 📖 No logs policy: | No logs |
| 💵 Price: | $2.49/month |
| 🖥️ Servers: | 2000+ |
| 🍿 Streaming services: | None |
If you are searching for the best Hotspot Shield review at the internet? No problem, we got you covered at ProXPN. The last couple of years, we saw an enormous growth in the amount of VPN providers at the market, which is quite logical since an estimated 35% of internet users have been using VPN services the past year. Choosing the right one can be quite a task, but don't worry about it because we are here to help you out. Read our in-depth Hotspot Shield guide and learn everything about this service, we are quite sure that once you’re done with reading you will know if this service suits you best.
Ben Grindlow is the founder of ProXPN, a company that provides reviews about VPN products and services. Ben's interest in cybersecurity and privacy led him to start ProXPN, which has become one of the most well-respected VPN providers in the world. Ben is passionate about his work, and he is constantly exploring new ways to improve ProXPN's in-depth guides.
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A Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that is well recognized is called HotSpot Shield. This is because they have a sizable marketing budget, and they also provide a free version of their service. Both of these factors contributed to their success.
HSS is an acronym for the full name of the Virtual Private Network service, which is Hotspot Shield. HSS is a common term for this service. People who aren't particularly savvy with technology but nonetheless wish to utilize a virtual private network (VPN) might benefit from using Hotspot Shield.
For instance, the service is appropriate for users who need an easy method of concealing their IP address. In this review of the VPN service Hotspot Shield, we will go through the most important aspects of this platform and share our own experiences.
There is some ambiguity over the number of servers that Hotspot Shield maintains. It has been shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the servers are currently dispersed throughout a total of 25 nations. There is evidence to suggest that the server capacity is increased on a location-by-location basis in response to user demand.
The software that is included in the free version and the premium version are exactly the same. During our testing of the program, we discovered that it is simple to use on all platforms due to the product's intuitive and uncluttered user interface. Because of this, the program is simple and straightforward to use.
On the internet, we have read many accounts of people's experiences, and some of those accounts describe negative interactions with the program. It appears that a large number of users are having issues with the reliability of the program. In application, this implies that the virtual private network (VPN) connections will occasionally fail because the software is not sufficiently robust.
There are applications available for the majority of the popular operating systems. For instance, there is an application available for iOS that can be downloaded into mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone.
There is additional software available for machines that run the Windows operating system and the Macintosh Operating System (for Apple computers). In addition, there are applications that can be downloaded onto Android smartphones and tablets.
On an Android phone, a VPN connection offered by Hotspot Shield is something that a lot of people will want to utilize. The good news is that there is a useful app accessible for Android users.
The application provides you access to the settings that are most frequently called for. For instance, you have the option of selecting the nation to which you would like to join. You also have the option of programming your phone to automatically begin the connection once it is powered on. The second choice is one that is not available in all of the available Android VPN apps.
There is also user-friendly software available for Windows users. The ability to alter the settings is restricted, similar to how it is in the mobile apps for iOS and Android. It is not feasible, for instance, for you to select the protocol that you want to use. On Windows, the OpenVPN protocol is the one that is utilized by default by Hotspot Shield.
It has been announced that Hotspot Shield would be releasing an extension for the Chrome web browser as well as an addon for the Firefox web browser. It is possible to connect your browser window to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) server of Hotspot Shield's choosing if you have the add-on installed in your browser.
When you need to connect to a VPN for your browsing rapidly, this straightforward and speedy method works perfectly. For instance, if you wish to surf the web incognito or watch NPO uitzending gemist when you are traveling overseas.
We do not suggest Hotspot Shield as a virtual private network, or VPN, service to use if you are interested in protecting your online privacy. As far as we are concerned, the service does not provide sufficient transparency on their logging policies.
In addition, it is a service that is based in the United States of America and operates there. This indicates that they are within a jurisdiction in which the government has the authority to request the data of Hotspot Shield customers whenever they so want.
In addition, research conducted by a university has revealed that Hotspot Shield maintains more data pertaining to its customers beyond what is disclosed in the company's privacy policy. For instance, it is quite possible that they display advertisements depending on the manner in which you surf the web, and they may even map out the one-of-a-kind registration number of your device and the networks that you use.
Using a VPN comes with many benefits. With a reliableVPN service, you can surf the Internet safely because it protects you from online eavesdropping, censorship and cybercrime.
But don't be tempted by free VPN services, as they often collect and sell their users' data. Make sure you choose a service that has a log-free policy, and is trusted by millions of Internet users.
ProXPN Expert Score
When compared to other VPN companies, Hotspot Shield offers a range of protocol options that are distinct from those offered by its competitors. For instance, it makes a conscientious decision to keep up with the speed. In actuality, this indicates that the L2TP and PPTP protocols are put to use in some capacity.
According to Hotspot Shield, the benefit is that connections are established faster, even more quickly, and less data packets are required to be delivered in both directions. Over long-distance connections, this might be up to 2.5 times quicker than the current standard.
A killswitch is a feature that, when used, immediately stops all Internet traffic in the event that the VPN connection is lost. Because of this, information that you would like to keep confidential will not be transferred or received in an unencrypted form. Thankfully, this function is already incorporated into the software that makes up Hotspot Shield Elite.
Automated connection can also be established, in addition to an automatic program launch option. This is a feature that is available on PCs as well as mobile phones. During the course of this assessment of this service, these latter two items came as a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
Malware filtering is one of the features that is exclusive to Hotspot Shield Elite and not offered by other providers. Hotspot Shield Elite maintains a list of websites that are known to contain malware or phishing scams and stops you from connecting to those websites. This is a lovely choice in and of itself, but in our view, it is not really significant.
The download speed is considered to be satisfactory. Throughout this assessment of Hotspot Shield, we experienced connection speeds that were, on the whole, extremely satisfactory.
The download speed, on the other hand, was not very good at all. When we tested the speeds for this service, we discovered that the upload speed was significantly slower than before.
While using Hotspot Shield, I am able to watch American Netflix. If you purchase the premium version of Hotspot Shield, you will be able to access the American Netflix library. The virtual private network (VPN) operator is making strenuous efforts to ensure that consumers may continue to access US Netflix. We have had a very great experience using Hotspot Shield's VPN servers to access the American version of Netflix; throughout our test week, it functioned perfectly every time.
Netflix accessed from other countries, like Japan, will occasionally function as well, although this is not always the case. In addition, Hotspot Shield makes it clear on its website that the service is limited to avoiding the VPN blockade that is placed on the American edition of Netflix.
| Streaming platform | Working |
|---|---|
| Netflix | Yes |
| BBC iPlayer | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes |
| DAZN | No |
When downloading torrents, it is only natural that you would like to remain anonymous while doing so. When using the free version of Hotspot Shield, you will not be able to download files using BitTorrent. However, if you upgrade to the commercial version, you will be able to download files. It is possible that your upload ratio is low, and as a result, you have been allocated a lesser download speed since the upload speed is poor.
It is true that we have concerns about the way Hotspot Shield handles user data and privacy. ExpressVPN is one example of a service that we recommend using if you wish to download torrent files anonymously.
When compared to pricing offered by other VPN companies, those offered by Hotspot Shield are around average. The prices are affordable. The length of your membership will determine the monthly VPN cost, and just as with the vast majority of other VPN services, the longer it is, the lower it will be.
You really have the option to select from one of three distinct subscription packages with Hotspot Shield. You will be charged a fee of €15.99 per month if you decide to sign up for a recurring membership. If you take it out and pay for it all at once over the course of a year, the monthly cost will come to the converted amount of €6.99. The sum is equal to €3.49 per year when spread out over a period of 3 years.
In addition, there is the premium version of Hotspot Shield known as Hotspot Shield Elite. In addition to testing the free version for this review, we also tried out the premium version. If you subscribe to Hotspot Shield Elite for a period of three years, the monthly cost is reduced to €3.99.
If you subscribe for a shorter period of time, for example one month, you will be charged a significant premium. As an illustration, the monthly fee for the membership that you may purchase for a full year is already set at €6.99.
When you upgrade to the premium version, you will not be bothered by advertisements, and you will have access to all of the available servers.
There are restrictions attached to the use of this free version, just like there are with all other free VPN service providers. The following are some of the limitations that come with the free edition of HotSpot Shield:
It is quite simple to use the Hotspot Shield VPN service since the software is very straightforward and user-friendly. Additionally, it works well with the majority of today's operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The software as well as the VPN service in general do not actually provide anything new to the table. People who desire to use a Virtual Private Network connection in a simple and quick manner can easily make do with this.
The cost of the premium version of Hotspot Shield, which requires payment, might be considered fair. It is also convenient that a free version is offered, despite the fact that this variant does come with certain limitations.
We have some concerns about the privacy policy, and it is disappointing that there are so little options for customization in the client. It would appear that they acquire and log a greater quantity of data pertaining to their consumers than what is reported. We consider this to be a very negative aspect of Hotspot Shield, since it creates the impression that your privacy is not being secured in the slightest by the service.
According to our findings, you should have no problem purchasing Hotspot Shield Elite if the primary reason you use a virtual private network is to change your location and additional privacy protection is not a top priority.
There is no VPN kill switch on Mac, Android, or iOS, which is a serious security issue when you consider that this VPN is so popular. EXPERT ADVICE: Hotspot Shield is quick but not as secure as we'd want.
Hotspot Shield is a VPN designed exclusively for individual use, not anti-virus software. To keep your privacy secure, Hotspot Shield encrypts the whole connection from start to finish. However, downloading dangerous files to your computer or device isn't prevented. We recommend investing in a reliable antivirus/anti-malware program.
You can rest easy knowing that Hotspot Shield will not expose your personal information. Both WebRTC and DNS leaks were verified by it. Furthermore, the company claims to keep no browsing data. It does, however, keep track of how long you're connected to a VPN and which servers you visit.
These programs are typically installed on users' computers without their knowledge via a deceptive software distribution technique known as bundling. If you think the Hotspot Shield toolbar was put on your computer against your wishes, be wary of any free software you download or install in the future.
To turn on a mobile device's VPN, go to the settings and enable it. This is what it looks like in iOS. Regardless of where you are in the world, your IP address is now hidden. Unrestricted surfing allows you to surf freely knowing that your personal information is secure while you do so.
