We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: Holiday.com, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
Advertising Disclosure

vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: Holiday.com, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

Hotspot Shield vs hide.me VPN: Which VPN Should You Pick in 2025?

Table of Contents
    Our Score: 9.1/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 9.0/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info

    Is Hotspot Shield or hide.me VPN better for price, speed, streaming, gaming, and privacy?

    Author Image Kate Richards
    Kate Richards Former Managing Editor
    First published on December 18, 2018

    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. HSS's free plan even comes with unlimited bandwidth, although the server selection and features are limited.

    Hotspot Shield and hide.me also both feature strong 256-bit encryption, although HSS also has 128-bit as an option. hide.me offers dedicated IP addresses on its topmost subscription tier. While both providers support torrenting, hide.me uses dynamic port forwarding for better speeds.

    On the other hand, Hotspot Shield offers advanced features like malware protection and dedicated streaming and gaming modes. Hotspot Shield comes with a pretty large network of 1,800 servers in 20 countries, but hide.me has a slight edge with 2,600 servers in more than 91 countries. HSS also offers an extended 45-day money-back guarantee, while hide.me only offers a standard 30-day one. But that comes with the caveat that HSS is also generally more expensive.

    Either provider allows up to 10 simultaneous connections with their paid plans, but HSS has a 25-device Family plan as well. See below for all the details of this comparison to find out which VPN emerges as our winner.

    Our Score

    Features 9.1/10
    Pricing 8.8/10
    Ease of Use 9.2/10
    Reliability & Support 9.4/10
    Features 9.0/10
    Pricing 9.6/10
    Ease of Use 9.2/10
    Reliability & Support 9.2/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Lawrence Wachira
    Lawrence Wachira Editor
    Our Score: 9.1/10

    Hotspot Shield is a VPN that’s undergone many changes recently. After dealing with several controversies, it overhauled its logging policy and is under new management. So, has it gotten better? My global team and I tested everything it offers to see if Hotspot Shield (HSS) is safe. We fully explored its logging policy and found out if its security features can prevent data leaks. We also tes...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    H
    Howard Rosenbrook
    10.0/10
    Had for 3 years no problem

    Kept cable providers off my ass just dont like that you cant pay a week or so early and dont like the ... auto renewal i should beable to pay my bill on my own when i want as long as im not late it shouldnt be a problem with your companyMore

    Latest negative user review
    A
    Alt
    2.0/10
    Blocked by Real-Debrid on just about every us city and nearly all countries

    Easy to connect speed pretty good multiple platforms not great from streaming.. which is where you nee... d the speed. Nord vpn and Express are both cooperative providers with real-debrid meaning no connection problems. Even if you do find a server that connects frequently this is blocked during streaming.More

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image Lawrence Wachira
    Lawrence Wachira Editor
    Our Score: 9.0/10

    Offering a popular free version and cheap premium plans, hide.me claims to be one of the best value VPNs in the world. But will the free version keep you safe online, and how do its paid plans stack up to other premium VPNs? To find out, I performed extensive tests on every feature that hide.me offers. I explored speeds, streaming capabilities, and safety with the free and paid versions. In ad...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Anonymous Reviewer
    10.0/10
    Best VPN for free

    It works perfectly fine, the speeds are good, and there are a lot of different locations. I have had ... no problems with this VPN, and I like that it has a 10GB data limit monthly (more than most competitors). I tried every other free VPN, but all of them are slow and aren't as fast as this one. In my opinion, download this VPN and you will be happy.More

    Latest negative user review
    P
    Penki
    2.0/10
    Not working with my Asus RT-AX88U

    Will not work with Asus routers - Hide.me Service has no Interest in compatibility with Routers. I ha... d to change the Provider from Hide.me to NordVPN and its all OK now. I had a Bad Time and now the sun shines on the VPN Sky - thanks NordVPN.More

    Read the full review

    Pricing

    Starting price $7.99/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 45 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices
    Starting price $3.84/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    Hotspot Shield offers a very attractive service that includes many strong security features, budget-friendly subscription prices, and responsive 24/7 live support. So it's the overall winner. Though hide.me put up a good fight and only narrowly lost some categories to HSS. It’s also a trusted VPN that provides an unrestricted service on its paid plans, with an emphasis on security features and private P2P.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    hide.me’s support for P2P file-sharing on its network and the provision of a dynamic port forwarding feature makes it the better VPN for downloading torrents. Although Hotspot Shield supports torrenting, we don’t recommend it for any P2P-related activity, as we found some concerning wording in its privacy policies.

    Best VPN for Windows

    Hotspot Shield wins this category. It offers a sleek and modern Windows app that provides access to its patented Hydra protocol. Meanwhile, hide.me offers a very intuitive Windows app that offers a wide variety of protocols, including WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN, and SoftEther. However, with split tunneling, IP leak protection, and a kill switch, either one provides a dependable level of security and privacy.

    Best VPN for Android

    It’s another close round, as both VPNs offer excellent Android apps, but HSS takes the win according to Google Play Store user reviews and our hands-on testing. If you need an Android VPN app with a smooth interface and features like an automatic kill switch and advanced Wi-Fi connection settings, HSS will serve you well. While the lack of a kill switch is a letdown, hide.me’s Android app includes most of the essential VPN features you’d expect from a top provider, along with a unique VoIP unblocker and a number of secure protocols.

    Best VPN for Mac

    Neither VPN’s macOS app differs significantly from the Windows version, which means it’s another close win for HSS. Both have all the basics, with a wide selection of protocols. However, we still prefer HSS’ sleek dashboard with useful information on your VPN connection.

    Best VPN for iOS

    It’s easy to see why both VPNs’ apps have the same excellent App Store rating. Hotspot Shield has a smooth and intuitive iOS app, which also comes with something not all VPN apps do — a kill switch. hide.me also provides a feature-rich service for iOS with a dedicated app. But, without a kill switch, we have to give the win to HSS. The good news is that you can protect all your gadgets with either provider, as both allow up to 10 simultaneous connections.

    Best VPN for USA

    Hotspot Shield wins by a small margin. It provides a very attractive VPN service for the USA, including a dedicated streaming feature on all its apps to help you access US platforms even when traveling abroad. With servers in 27 US cities, you’ll easily find a fast and low-latency one. hide.me also offers a number of dedicated US servers that are capable of bypassing tough geo-restrictions. It might even be the better choice if you value your privacy as it’s not based in the US, like HSS.

    The Bottom Line

    See Plans & Pricing

    While both Hotspot Shield and hide.me appear to offer real value for your money, its provision of more user-friendly apps and convenient mobile security features 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.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with Hotspot Shield
    Go with hide.me VPN
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is Hotspot Shield better than hide.me VPN?

    Yes, Hotspot Shield is better overall than hide.me VPN. It has 1800 servers in 80 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $7.99 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between Hotspot Shield and hide.me VPN?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then Hotspot Shield may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests .

    Is Hotspot Shield faster than hide.me VPN?

    Yes, Hotspot Shield is faster than hide.me VPN. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free. It’s backed by a 30*-day money-back guarantee*, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do Hotspot Shield or hide.me VPN offer any deals?

    Both Hotspot Shield and hide.me VPN offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 61% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    [*] Please note that ExpressVPN's generous money-back guarantee applies to first-time customers only.
    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: Holiday.com, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

    About the Author

    Kate is a former Managing Editor at vpnMentor. Kate promoted the use of VPNs as a means to achieve unhindered access to the internet, as she strongly believes in online freedom for everyone.