Hotspot Shield and Buffered VPN are both very popular for their ability to break through tough geo-restrictions on providers like Netflix. Both services include wi-fi and ISP tracking protection, but malware protection is only available with Hotspot Shield. On the other hand, Buffered VPN offers a built-in firewall and DoS protection, which are absent in Hotspot Shield. If you’re interested in downloading torrents, you should be aware that while Buffered supports P2P activities on some of its servers, Hotspot Shield completely prohibits torrenting on its entire network. In terms of cost, Hotspot Shield offers more budget-friendly plans. It also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, whereas Buffered offers refunds on new orders only within 30 days. Hotspot Shield also provides a free version of its product, which is very useful for trying out the service. The free version is limited, however, and sometimes displays ads from the provider. We have provided a side-by-side comparison across several categories below to help you determine which VPN is better for you. NOTE: The comparison primarily focuses on Hotspot Shield Elite, the paid version of Hotspot Shield’s service.
Although Buffered offers a very innovative VPN service with some nice features, Hotspot Shield wins this comparison by providing a faster service for the US, a far larger global server network, and better subscription prices. Additional offerings like its 45-day money-back guarantee and exceptionally responsive technical support also help Hotspot Shield stand above all but the very best VPNs. Speaking of the best VPNs, check out our comparisons of Hotspot Shield against elite services like ExpressVPN to see just what it takes for a VPN to earn one of our top rankings.
Interestingly, if you compare Hotspot Shield with NordVPN, which is our top ranked vpn, you'll see that Hotspot Shield can learn a lot from NordVPN. Compare Hotspot Shield with NordVPN
Katie Kasunic
