What is Hotspot Shield used for?

Hotspot Shield is a consumer VPN that uses its own transport protocol and offers a limited free version alongside paid plans, with apps for desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for trying a VPN before paying and streaming region-specific content securely.

Is Hotspot Shield free?

Yes. Hotspot Shield has a free plan, and paid plans start at $6.99 per seat per month.

Is Hotspot Shield open source?

No. Hotspot Shield is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Hotspot Shield include IPsec VPN Server, OpenVPN and wg-easy.

What are some alternatives to Hotspot Shield?

Hotspot Shield competes with ExpressVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Hotspot Shield alternatives.

Hotspot Shield: features, pricing and alternatives

About Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is a consumer VPN service that encrypts your connection, hides your IP address and gives you access to content from other regions. It targets everyday users who want a simple app for streaming, downloading and gaming, as well as protection on public networks.

The service is built around its own transport protocol, and the vendor advertises virtual locations across more than 80 countries, a policy of not logging data tied to users, and apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. A free version with limits is available, and paid tiers add more locations and features.

Hotspot Shield is proprietary and sold by subscription. When bought directly from the vendor, a 45-day money-back guarantee applies according to its site, and it regularly runs timed promotional offers. Current plan details are on its plan selection page.

Key features

VPN with its own transport protocol
Virtual locations across many countries
No-logs privacy policy
Apps for desktop and mobile
Limited free version
Access to region-locked streaming content

Good fit for

→Trying a VPN before paying
→Streaming region-specific content securely

Tags: vpn; privacy; streaming; consumer; free-tier; security

Hotspot Shield: questions and answers

What is Hotspot Shield used for?: Hotspot Shield is a consumer VPN that uses its own transport protocol and offers a limited free version alongside paid plans, with apps for desktop and mobile. It is a good fit for trying a VPN before paying and streaming region-specific content securely.
Is Hotspot Shield free?: Yes. Hotspot Shield has a free plan, and paid plans start at $6.99 per seat per month.
Is Hotspot Shield open source?: No. Hotspot Shield is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Hotspot Shield include IPsec VPN Server, OpenVPN and wg-easy.
What are some alternatives to Hotspot Shield?: Hotspot Shield competes with ExpressVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Hotspot Shield alternatives.