Buffered VPN vs Hotspot Shield vs 2020

Item: Hotspot Shield
Rating: 4.4
Author: Ariel Hochstadt

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

37 User Reviews

4.1

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308 User Reviews

4.4

More Info

Which VPN is better?

Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker

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.


Features
4.3
Pricing
3.0
Ease of Use
4.4
Reliability & Support
4.2

Features
4.0
Pricing
4.5
Ease of Use
4.5
Reliability & Support
4.3

Rating
Features	4.3	4.0
Pricing	3.0	4.5
Ease of Use	4.4	4.5
Reliability & Support	4.2	4.3

Reviews

Review by our expert

Katie Kasunic

Technology Researcher

4.1

Buffered VPN has a lot to offer due to its user-friendly interface, fast connection speeds, and reliable security. One thing it can't do is unblock Netflix, you'll need a premium vendor like NordVPN for that. In addition to dedicated apps available for all major platforms, Buffered VPN also offers router compatibility. There are 40+ servers available in 37 different countries, including three ser

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Latest positive user review

Don Bartlem

5.0

I considered a number of VPN's before going with Buffered which I find excellent. No issues in any aspect, On the rare occasions that I required assistance (in the initial set up stage), the Help Desk was outstanding. Would highly recommend Buffered to anyone considering using a VPN

Latest negative user review

Stephanie Rose

1.0

STAY AWAY!! If I could give zero stars I would. I was a customer for three years overpaying but double the amount. Shortly after I had signed up, they dropped their price in half and never informed me. I only realized this after buying a new computer and having to download the application on my new device. I reached out to their customer service, who told me they did not have to inform me of such and if I wanted the new price I had to cancel my automatic renewal and wait to sign up again. Such poor customer service, these people are true scammers and do not care about their customers. I will be switching vpn and finding another service. I would not give these people any of your money. Aside from their awful customer service, the vpn blocking did not work many times and when I checked my own IP address it still showed up as my own and the connection was extremely slow. So many better services out there!

Pricing

Starting price

$8.33/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

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Starting price

$2.99/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

See Plans


Starting price	$8.33/ month	$2.99/ month	121332/
Money Back Guarantee (Days)	30	30	0
Number of devices per license	5	5	Unlimited
See Plans & Pricing	See Plans	See Plans

Best VPNs by category

Best VPNs Overall		Hotspot Shield provides a reliable service with consistently fast servers, innovative features, and a very responsive live chat support channel. Buffered VPN offers a smaller but effective VPN service, with solid encryption and the ability to bypass tough geoblocks.
Best VPNs Overall Hotspot Shield provides a reliable service with consistently fast servers, innovative features, and a very responsive live chat support channel. Buffered VPN offers a smaller but effective VPN service, with solid encryption and the ability to bypass tough geoblocks.
Best VPNs for Torrents		Buffered allows you to torrent anonymously on some of its servers, while restricting P2P activities on others. Meanwhile, Hotspot Shield does not allow any form of P2P file sharing on its servers.
Best VPNs for Torrents Buffered allows you to torrent anonymously on some of its servers, while restricting P2P activities on others. Meanwhile, Hotspot Shield does not allow any form of P2P file sharing on its servers.
Best VPNs for Windows		Hotspot Shield’s Windows app is easy to set up and includes advanced security features like tracking and malware protection. It also includes a clever kill switch that allows you to specify which applications must disconnect from the internet if the VPN connection drops. With Buffered, you’ll get a dedicated Windows client that features a firewall-based kill switch and wi-fi protection.
Best VPNs for Windows Hotspot Shield’s Windows app is easy to set up and includes advanced security features like tracking and malware protection. It also includes a clever kill switch that allows you to specify which applications must disconnect from the internet if the VPN connection drops. With Buffered, you’ll get a dedicated Windows client that features a firewall-based kill switch and wi-fi protection.
Best VPNs for Android		Hotspot Shield offers a very robust VPN service for Android, with an intuitive app that features protection from tracking, malware, and hacking. Buffered VPN’s dedicated app for Android features a built-in firewall, DoS protection, and direct access to the provider’s 24/7 live chat support channel.
Best VPNs for Android Hotspot Shield offers a very robust VPN service for Android, with an intuitive app that features protection from tracking, malware, and hacking. Buffered VPN’s dedicated app for Android features a built-in firewall, DoS protection, and direct access to the provider’s 24/7 live chat support channel.
Best VPNs for Mac		The key features available in Hotspot Shield’s dedicated MacOS app are wi-fi protection and the provider’s Catapult Hydra technology, which compresses your traffic to improve connection speed. Buffered competes with a simple-looking MacOS app that offers firewall protection and strong encryption.
Best VPNs for Mac The key features available in Hotspot Shield’s dedicated MacOS app are wi-fi protection and the provider’s Catapult Hydra technology, which compresses your traffic to improve connection speed. Buffered competes with a simple-looking MacOS app that offers firewall protection and strong encryption.
Best VPNs for iOS		The availability of a kill switch and access to over 2,500 servers makes Hotspot Shield’s iOS app very appealing. The app also features protection from third-party tracking and malware. Buffered VPN for iOS features AES 256-bit encryption, protection from Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and a built-in bandwidth test.
Best VPNs for iOS The availability of a kill switch and access to over 2,500 servers makes Hotspot Shield’s iOS app very appealing. The app also features protection from third-party tracking and malware. Buffered VPN for iOS features AES 256-bit encryption, protection from Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and a built-in bandwidth test.
Best VPNs for USA		Hotspot Shield is an ideal VPN for bypassing US geoblocks, as it provides hundreds of US servers as well as a dedicated streaming feature that allows you to unblock Netflix and many other American media platforms. In spite of having just one US server, Buffered still manages to reliably unlock Netflix and other similarly geoblocked sites and services.
Best VPNs for USA Hotspot Shield is an ideal VPN for bypassing US geoblocks, as it provides hundreds of US servers as well as a dedicated streaming feature that allows you to unblock Netflix and many other American media platforms. In spite of having just one US server, Buffered still manages to reliably unlock Netflix and other similarly geoblocked sites and services.

The Bottom Line

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

Winner

Visit website »

www.hotspotshield.com

See Plans & Pricing

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

Time to decide which one is best for you

Go with Buffered VPN

Go with Hotspot Shield

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