Hotspot Shield
Free planA VPN built on its own Hydra protocol, with simple apps for phones, computers, Android TV and Fire TV.
Best for people who want an easy VPN for streaming and public Wi-Fi on up to 10 devices, with a free tier to try first
Facts checked November 4, 2026 · First written by Mutuo Mbilla
The short answer
Hotspot Shield runs on Hydra, a protocol its owner built, and its apps cover Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Chrome. Premium connects 10 devices, adds a kill switch, split tunneling and Tor over VPN, and an Aon review in 2023 found no sign that browsing could be tied back to a user. The catch is the price after year one: $29 gets you the first year, then it renews at $95.99. The free Basic plan carries ads and only a handful of locations, so for a free VPN that is easier to live with, look at Proton VPN.
Choose it if
- You want to stream on a TV as well as your phone and laptop: there are apps for Android TV and Fire TV, and Premium covers 10 devices
- You want a cheap first year with time to change your mind: $29 for year one and a 45-day money-back guarantee when you buy direct
- You want to try Premium before paying, through the 7-day free trial
- You want Smart VPN split tunneling to keep chosen apps or sites off the VPN, and a kill switch if the connection drops
- You only need a VPN now and then on one device and can put up with ads on the free Basic plan
Skip it if
- You plan to stay past the first year and care about price: Premium renews at $95.99 a year, and monthly billing is $12.99
- You want a free plan without ads or a single US location: Proton VPN has a free plan with no ads and no data limits
- You need more than 10 devices at once; Surfshark allows unlimited connections
- You need a VPN on Linux, a router or a games console, which Hotspot Shield's help center does not list as supported
- You want a VPN for business use: the terms grant a personal, noncommercial license
Main features
Hydra protocol
Hotspot Shield's own VPN protocol, based on the OpenSSL library, which it says is faster over long distances than standard protocols. You can switch to OpenVPN or IPSec instead, and Aon's 2023 review confirmed the app uses all three.
Virtual locations in 80+ countries
Premium lets you pick from 115+ locations, including cities across the US, Canada and Australia. Hotspot Shield calls them virtual locations, and some route elsewhere: its Windows list shows India served via Singapore.
Smart VPN split tunneling
Choose apps or domains that skip the VPN, so a banking app or local site sees your normal connection while everything else is protected.
Kill switch
Cuts your internet if the VPN drops without warning, so your traffic does not leave your device unprotected.
Malware and phishing blocking
Warns you before you open a site flagged for malware or phishing, and a DNS filter blocks harmful sites. The help center lists phishing blocking on the free plan as well as Premium.
Streaming and gaming modes
Premium has modes tuned for services such as Netflix, YouTube and Disney+, and for games such as Fortnite and Roblox. The free plan shows an upgrade screen when you open streaming sites.
Obfuscation and Tor over VPN
Hydra can disguise VPN traffic as other traffic on networks that block VPNs, and the plan table lists Tor over VPN for reaching Tor sites while connected.
Apps for TVs and Chrome
There are apps for Android TV and Fire TV from Google Play or the Amazon store, plus a Chrome extension that also works on Chromebooks. TV use needs Premium.
IP and DNS leak protection
The plan table lists protection against your real IP address or DNS requests leaking outside the VPN tunnel.
Pricing
Prices checked November 4, 2026, in US dollars, from Hotspot Shield's plan chooser and trial checkout. The $29 and $1.99 prices are introductory and renew at the regular rate. The 45-day money-back guarantee covers purchases made directly from Hotspot Shield; App Store and Google Play purchases are refunded and cancelled through Apple or Google, and plans can differ by country.
Basic
$0
1 device, a US location, military-grade encryption and phishing protection; ad-supported, no streaming, help center support only
Premium (yearly)
$29 / first year
10 devices, 115+ virtual locations, unlimited data, streaming and gaming modes, kill switch, Smart VPN, 24/7 chat; renews at $95.99 a year
Premium (monthly)
$12.99 / month
The same features as yearly Premium; the plan chooser showed an introductory $1.99 a month that auto-renews at $12.99
Premium free trial
$0
Premium features for 7 days, then an automatically renewing subscription unless you cancel before the end of day 7
Reviews
Write a reviewNo reviews yet. If you use Hotspot Shield, yours would be the first.
Alternatives to Hotspot Shield
| Product | Choose it instead if | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | You want the best for people who want one VPN app on up to 10 devices that also scans downloads and warns about scam sites | |
| IPVanish | You want the best for households that want every phone, laptop and streaming stick on one VPN account, with apps for Fire TV, Apple TV and most other TV boxes | $2.19 a month on the 2-y... |
| ExpressVPN | You want 10 to 14 devices depending on plan and a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users | $2.99 a month on the 2-y... |
| Unlocator | You want the best for watching region-locked streaming services on TVs and consoles that cannot run a VPN app | $2.88 a month on the two... |
| Surfshark VPN | You need unlimited devices on one account, with 30 days to ask for a refund | $2.49 a month on the 2-y... |
| VyprVPN | You want the best for people on networks that block or throttle VPNs who want Chameleon alongside WireGuard in mainstream apps |
Questions people ask
Is Hotspot Shield free?
Yes, there is a free plan called Basic, and you do not need a card for it. It covers 1 device, carries ads and limits you to a US location on the pricing page (the help center lists five free locations). Streaming sites show an upgrade screen, and support is limited to the help center.
Does Hotspot Shield have a free trial?
Yes. The trial checkout offers 7 days of Premium; you are not charged that day, and you must cancel before the end of day 7 to avoid being billed. If you buy Premium directly instead, you have 45 days to ask for a full refund.
How much does Hotspot Shield cost?
As of November 4, 2026, Premium is $29 for the first year and then $95.99 a year, or $12.99 a month on monthly billing after an introductory $1.99 price. Hotspot Shield says plans and prices differ by country, and app-store prices may not match.
Does Hotspot Shield keep logs?
Its privacy policy says it does not collect or keep data about your browsing while you are connected, though it does collect account, payment, device and approximate location data. In a summary dated August 25, 2023, Aon reported finding no sign that browsing could be tied to a user and no plaintext IP logging. The free apps also include advertising SDKs that can collect your advertising ID and IP address.
Who owns Hotspot Shield?
Hotspot Shield is provided by Anchorfree, LLC, based in Boston, Massachusetts, or by Pango GmbH in Switzerland, depending on where you buy. Both are part of Pango Group.
How many devices can I use with Hotspot Shield?
Premium allows 10 devices on one account and Basic allows 1. Supported devices include Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.12 or later, iOS 14 or later, and Android and Android TV 5.0 or later. Games consoles, Kodi and smart TVs that do not run Android TV are not supported.
Does Hotspot Shield work with Netflix?
Hotspot Shield says Premium is tuned for Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and Disney+, and its help center tells you to connect to the country where the content is available. We have not tested it, and streaming services change their VPN blocks often. The free plan shows an upgrade screen on streaming sites.
Read the full Hotspot Shield review
Hotspot Shield suits people who want a VPN that is easy to set up on phones, computers and Android or Fire TVs, with 10 devices on one Premium account. It runs on Hydra, its own protocol, and a 2023 Aon review backed its...
Read the full reviewSources we checked 30
- hotspotshield.com/select-plan for current plan chooser: Basic and Premium, $29 first year renewing at $95.99 a year, $1.99 introductory monthly price renewing at $12.99, 45-day money-back guarantee, plan feature table (devices, locations, 800+ servers, protocols, kill switch, Smart VPN, leak protection, Tor over VPN, obfuscation), free-plan ad note checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/js/select-plan/js/select-plan.js for which pricing table the page shows, and the monthly toggle prices and renewal text checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/js/select-plan/js/currency.js for default US-dollar price set ($12.99 monthly, $7.99 a month billed yearly) and confirmation that no separate US entry overrides it checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com for 115+ virtual locations, 80+ countries, 35+ cities, 10 devices, Hydra protocol, speed claims, 45-day guarantee, Anchorfree, LLC copyright checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/free-vpn for free Basic plan description, no credit card needed, ad-supported, $1.99 a month Premium offer renewing at $12.99 checked November 4, 2026
- get.hotspotshield.com/trial for 7-day free trial terms in the trial checkout: no charge on the day, cancel before the end of day 7, then auto-renews; 1-month, 1-year and 3-year subscriptions at checkout checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/security-audit for independent security audit page and download link checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/reports/Pango_HotSpot%20Shield_VPN_Privacy_Policy_Review_Summary_Report.pdf for Aon summary report dated August 25, 2023: scope, three protocols, conclusions on browsing activity and IP logging checked November 4, 2026
- legal.hotspotshield.com/documents/privacy_policy for logging statements, ad SDKs in free VPN apps, Anchorfree, LLC and Pango GmbH, Boston address, last updated October 31, 2024 checked November 4, 2026
- legal.hotspotshield.com/documents/terms_of_service for company and Boston office, personal noncommercial license, refunds and reseller purchases, New York governing law checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en for help center size (288 articles) and topics checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en/manage-account-devices/add-or-remove-devices-on-your-account/how-many-devices-can-be-connected-to-hotspot-shield-vpn-simultaneously for 1 device on Basic, 10 on Premium, supported operating systems and unsupported devices checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en/manage-account-devices/managing-your-premium-subscription/what-virtual-locations-are-offered-by-hotspot-shield for the 5 free locations listed in the help center checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en/windows-hotspot-shield/getting-started/what-are-the-current-virtual-locations-on-windows for Windows location list (85 countries, 37 named cities, India routed via Singapore) checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en/payments-subscriptions/manage-your-subscription/what-are-the-difference-s-between-being-hotspot-shield-basic-or-premium for Basic versus Premium: streaming payment wall, Android banner ads, support levels checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en/payments-subscriptions/purchase-and-activate-premium-subscription/what-are-the-benefits-of-a-premium-subscription for Premium benefits, 24/7 chat or email support, plans differ by country, auto-renewal checked November 4, 2026
- support.hotspotshield.com/en/payments-subscriptions/manage-your-subscription/how-do-i-cancel-my-hotspot-shield-subscription for App Store and Google Play cancellations handled by Apple and Google checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/vpn/vpn-for-tv for Android TV, Fire TV and Google Play TV app, Premium needed on TV checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/vpn/vpn-for-chrome for Chrome extension and Chromebook support checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/vpn/vpn-for-windows for 1800+ servers claim, malware and phishing blocking claim, Top10VPN and Speedtest claims checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/vpn-service/streaming/netflix-vpn for streaming claims and Netflix guidance checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/what-is-a-vpn/fastest-vpn for Hydra protocol description and Top10VPN speed claims checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/vpn/vpn-for-linux for Linux page loads with no content checked November 4, 2026
- hotspotshield.com/vpn/vpn-for-router for router page loads with no content checked November 4, 2026
- pango.co/about-us for Pango Group background and its investors checked November 4, 2026
- expressvpn.com/pricing for ExpressVPN device counts per plan, 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, no free trial checked November 4, 2026
- surfshark.com/pricing for Surfshark unlimited devices and 30-day money-back guarantee checked November 4, 2026
- protonvpn.com/pricing for Proton VPN Free plan limits and 30-day money-back guarantee checked November 4, 2026
- windscribe.com for Windscribe free plan data allowance checked November 4, 2026
- windscribe.com/upgrade for Windscribe Pro prices checked November 4, 2026