hide.me VPN vs Hotspot Shield vs 2020

Item: Hotspot Shield
Rating: 4.4
Author: Ariel Hochstadt

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

39 User Reviews

4.1

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306 User Reviews

4.4

More Info

Which VPN is better?

Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker

Hotspot Shield (HSS) and Hide.me are trusted by millions of users worldwide for the speed and security they provide with their VPN services. Both providers offer a free limited version, which is handy if you’re an occasional VPN user. Hotspot Shield and Hide.me also both offer strong 256-bit encryption, although HSS also offers 128-bit as an option. Hide.me offers dedicated IP addresses on its topmost subscription tier, which is essential for bypassing geoblocks that detect shared IPs. It also supports torrenting and provides dynamic port forwarding for complete anonymity. Hotspot Shield does not support P2P activities, but does offer advanced features like malware protection and a dedicated streaming service. Hotspot Shield offers a pretty large network of 2,500+ servers in 25+ countries, whereas Hide.me has 150+ servers in more than 34 countries. HSS also has a 45-day money-back guarantee, while Hide.me only offers a 15-day refund option. Furthermore, while Hotspot Shield allows up to five simultaneous connections on all its paid plans, only Hide.me’s topmost paid plan allows that many. See below for all the details of this comparison to find out which VPN emerges as our winner.


Features
4.0
Pricing
3.8
Ease of Use
4.2
Reliability & Support
4.2

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

Rating
Features	4.0	4.0
Pricing	3.8	4.5
Ease of Use	4.2	4.5
Reliability & Support	4.2	4.3

Reviews

Review by our expert

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

4.1

Hide.me is known for speed, security, and transparency. They do not keep logs, which their privacy policy reasonably reliable. Also, with apps for almost all major platforms, they remain a favorite among millions of users. I'll dive into this more further into the review, but Hide.me does have some unfortunate limits, namely that it doesn't bypass Netflix's geoblocks. For that, go with a service we've

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Latest positive user review

Anonymously

5.0

Been using it for 5 years now. The windows and android apps are really easy to use. I've hardly ever had issues with it. It's very reasonably priced as well. It does everything i want it to and more for a minor amount of money.

Latest negative user review

Jim Hamilton

1.0

Watch out for the auto-renewal All the language about customer satisfaction doesn't apply to a "renewal". There is no refund for the auto-renewal. I received notice that my credit card had been charged. I immediately requested a refund (same day). they rejected the request and referred me to an extremely vague clause in their agreement. Too hard to fight so they just basically took my money. It feels like a scam and a setup.

Pricing

Starting price

$4.16/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

See Plans

Starting price

$2.99/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

See Plans


Starting price	$4.16/ month	$2.99/ month	121332/
Money Back Guarantee (Days)	14	30	0
Number of devices per license	10	5	Unlimited
See Plans & Pricing	See Plans	See Plans

Best VPNs by category

Best VPNs Overall		Hotspot Shield offers a very attractive service that includes many strong security features, budget-friendly subscription prices, and outstanding 24/7 live support. Hide.me is also a trusted VPN that provides an unrestricted service on its paid plans, with an emphasis on security features.
Best VPNs Overall Hotspot Shield offers a very attractive service that includes many strong security features, budget-friendly subscription prices, and outstanding 24/7 live support. Hide.me is also a trusted VPN that provides an unrestricted service on its paid plans, with an emphasis on security features.
Best VPNs for Torrents		Hide.me’s support for P2P file sharing on its network and provision of a dynamic port forwarding feature makes it the better VPN for downloading torrents anonymously. We do not recommend Hotspot Shield for any P2P-related activity, as the provider forbids torrenting on its servers.
Best VPNs for Torrents Hide.me’s support for P2P file sharing on its network and provision of a dynamic port forwarding feature makes it the better VPN for downloading torrents anonymously. We do not recommend Hotspot Shield for any P2P-related activity, as the provider forbids torrenting on its servers.
Best VPNs for Windows		Hotspot Shield offers a dedicated Windows app that provides access to features like malware and tracking protection. Meanwhile, Hide.me offers a very intuitive Windows app that includes features like IPv6 leak protection and strong encryption.
Best VPNs for Windows Hotspot Shield offers a dedicated Windows app that provides access to features like malware and tracking protection. Meanwhile, Hide.me offers a very intuitive Windows app that includes features like IPv6 leak protection and strong encryption.
Best VPNs for Android		If you need an Android VPN app with a smooth interface and features like an automatic kill switch and tracking protection, HSS will serve you well. On the other hand, Hide.me’s Android app includes all the essential VPN features you’d expect from a top provider, along with a unique VoIP unblocker and automatic server selection.
Best VPNs for Android If you need an Android VPN app with a smooth interface and features like an automatic kill switch and tracking protection, HSS will serve you well. On the other hand, Hide.me’s Android app includes all the essential VPN features you’d expect from a top provider, along with a unique VoIP unblocker and automatic server selection.
Best VPNs for Mac		One of the standout features of Hotspot Shield’s MacOS app is its proprietary Catapult Hydra technology that intelligently compresses your traffic for improved connection speed. It also includes malware protection and solid 256-bit encryption. Hide.me also has a secure service for MacOS, with a dedicated app that includes IPv6 leak protection.
Best VPNs for Mac One of the standout features of Hotspot Shield’s MacOS app is its proprietary Catapult Hydra technology that intelligently compresses your traffic for improved connection speed. It also includes malware protection and solid 256-bit encryption. Hide.me also has a secure service for MacOS, with a dedicated app that includes IPv6 leak protection.
Best VPNs for iOS		Hotspot Shield has a smooth and intuitive iOS app, and all of the provider’s paid plans include support for up to five simultaneous device connections, which is great if you own several iOS gadgets. Hide.me also provides a feature-rich service for iOS with a dedicated app. The main drawback is that the provider only supports multiple simultaneous connections on the most expensive paid plan.
Best VPNs for iOS Hotspot Shield has a smooth and intuitive iOS app, and all of the provider’s paid plans include support for up to five simultaneous device connections, which is great if you own several iOS gadgets. Hide.me also provides a feature-rich service for iOS with a dedicated app. The main drawback is that the provider only supports multiple simultaneous connections on the most expensive paid plan.
Best VPNs for USA		Hotspot Shield provides a very attractive VPN service for the USA, including a dedicated streaming feature on all its apps that seamlessly unblocks Netflix-US and other geoblocked US websites. Hide.me also offers dedicated US servers, but they do not unblock US Netflix. However, they do allow you to access other US websites with geo-restrictions that are easier to bypass.
Best VPNs for USA Hotspot Shield provides a very attractive VPN service for the USA, including a dedicated streaming feature on all its apps that seamlessly unblocks Netflix-US and other geoblocked US websites. Hide.me also offers dedicated US servers, but they do not unblock US Netflix. However, they do allow you to access other US websites with geo-restrictions that are easier to bypass.

The Bottom Line

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

Winner

Visit website »

www.hotspotshield.com

See Plans & Pricing

While both Hotspot Shield and Hide.me appear to offer real value for your money, its provision of more security features and a larger network makes HSS the winner of this comparison. Hotspot Shield’s ability to unblock Netflix-US, support for more simultaneous connections, and more generous refund policy for paid plans also contribute to a decisive HSS victory in this contest. However, Hotspot Shield does not fare nearly as well when matched up against the most elite providers, such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

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

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