Hotspot Shield vs ibVPN vs 2020

Item: Hotspot Shield
Rating: 4.4
Author: Ariel Hochstadt

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

307 User Reviews

4.4

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195 User Reviews

3.7

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Which VPN is better?

Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker

Hotspot Shield and ibVPN have established track records of delivering reliable, budget-friendly VPN services. Both providers offer apps for all major mobile and desktop platforms, with similar security features that include a kill switch and military-grade encryption. These two VPNs also offer support for multiple encryption protocols, such as OpenVPN and IPSec. However, when it comes to other key offerings, these two providers are not so similar. A 45-day money-back guarantee from Hotspot Shield, compared to 15 days from ibVPN, is one of the most notable difference between these VPNs. Hotspot Shield also offers a very large network of more than 2,500 servers in 25+ countries, whereas ibVPN has over 100 in 47 countries. On the other hand, ibVPN supports torrenting, while the activity is prohibited on Hotspot Shield’s service. Hotspot Shield has an edge when it comes to bypassing geoblocks, however, as all of its apps unblock Netflix effectively. By contrast, ibVPN can only unblock the service when you access it from your computer’s browser. Continue reading to find out which of these VPNs is a better service provider across several important categories. NOTE: This comparison is for the paid Hotspot Shield service, Hotspot Shield Elite.


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

Features
2.8
Pricing
3.9
Ease of Use
4.2
Reliability & Support
4.1

Rating
Features	4.0	2.8
Pricing	4.5	3.9
Ease of Use	4.5	4.2
Reliability & Support	4.3	4.1

Reviews

Review by our expert

Katie Kasunic

Technology Researcher

4.4

Hotspot Shield is a popular VPN service with over 650 million users and multiple servers in 55+ countries. In fact, the website claims it is the #1 grossing app for productivity in the US App Store. (When we checked the App Store source, it actually indicated #8, which is still an impressive ranking.) One of the features that make Hotspot Shield special is its unique Catapult Hydra protocol,

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Latest positive user review

JoeR

5.0

Fast VPN! Based on my trial tests, I am very pleased with the speed and access to streaming sites like Hulu and Amazon Prime. I knew I will get good speed in the US. I am impressed with the speed internationally. I haven’t tried additional services yet.

Latest negative user review

Anonymously

1.0

Now worthless They have gotten rid of cities, cutting down their servers, my speed went from 136mbps to 38 - 82.5 mbps. their support is either dishonest or does not know what they are doing. They kept sending me emails to go to their site and sign in, even gave me a new password, because mine no longer worked, and the new password would not let me log into answer. Now they have closed the dispute. I am cancelling and moving to ExpressVPN or Surfshark, my friends have switched over also. Once the best out there, now the worst.....I would give -5 stars if I could.

Pricing

Starting price

$2.99/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

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Starting price

$4.84/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

See Plans


Starting price	$2.99/ month	$4.84/ month	121332/
Money Back Guarantee (Days)	30	15	0
Number of devices per license	5	1	Unlimited
See Plans & Pricing	See Plans	See Plans

Best VPNs by category

Best VPNs Overall		Hotspot Shield supports more simultaneous connections, has more servers, and overall offers more value for your money than ibVPN. That said, with ibVPN, you can also expect a budget-friendly service with essential security features and very responsive customer support.
Best VPNs Overall Hotspot Shield supports more simultaneous connections, has more servers, and overall offers more value for your money than ibVPN. That said, with ibVPN, you can also expect a budget-friendly service with essential security features and very responsive customer support.
Best VPNs for Torrents		With ibVPN, you can torrent anonymously by connecting to any of its dedicated P2P servers. Hotspot Shield does not allow any P2P file-sharing activities on its network.
Best VPNs for Torrents With ibVPN, you can torrent anonymously by connecting to any of its dedicated P2P servers. Hotspot Shield does not allow any P2P file-sharing activities on its network.
Best VPNs for Windows		The provision of a kill switch and malware protection are two of the many positives of Hotspot Shield’s reliable VPN service for Windows. The dedicated Windows app has a neatly designed user interface that’s easy to adapt to, even for VPN beginners. With ibVPN, you can expect to find a straightforward Windows app that includes built-in DNS and tracking protection.
Best VPNs for Windows The provision of a kill switch and malware protection are two of the many positives of Hotspot Shield’s reliable VPN service for Windows. The dedicated Windows app has a neatly designed user interface that’s easy to adapt to, even for VPN beginners. With ibVPN, you can expect to find a straightforward Windows app that includes built-in DNS and tracking protection.
Best VPNs for Android		With Hotspot Shield’s dedicated Android app, you get an automatic kill switch, malware protection, and access to servers optimized for speed and streaming. Meanwhile, ibVPN supports Android 4.0 or later versions, uses OpenVPN as its default protocol, and includes a UDP/TCP Customizable Port.
Best VPNs for Android With Hotspot Shield’s dedicated Android app, you get an automatic kill switch, malware protection, and access to servers optimized for speed and streaming. Meanwhile, ibVPN supports Android 4.0 or later versions, uses OpenVPN as its default protocol, and includes a UDP/TCP Customizable Port.
Best VPNs for Mac		Hotspot Shield’s Catapult Hydra technology, which compresses data for improved server speed, is available in its dedicated MacOS app. The app also offers a user-friendly interface and strong encryption. With ibVPN’s dedicated MacOS client, you can rely on a built-in DNS, protection from third-party tracking, and support for multiple VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, and SSTP.
Best VPNs for Mac Hotspot Shield’s Catapult Hydra technology, which compresses data for improved server speed, is available in its dedicated MacOS app. The app also offers a user-friendly interface and strong encryption. With ibVPN’s dedicated MacOS client, you can rely on a built-in DNS, protection from third-party tracking, and support for multiple VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, and SSTP.
Best VPNs for iOS		If you own many iOS devices, you’ll find Hotspot Shield’s dedicated iOS app and support for up to five simultaneous connections very useful. The intuitive app includes access to a dedicated streaming feature to bypass tough geoblocks from your mobile device. The best thing about ibVPN’s iOS service is a dedicated app with strong encryption and a built-in DNS feature. However, the provider only supports a single iOS connection per account, which would not be ideal if you own multiple devices.
Best VPNs for iOS If you own many iOS devices, you’ll find Hotspot Shield’s dedicated iOS app and support for up to five simultaneous connections very useful. The intuitive app includes access to a dedicated streaming feature to bypass tough geoblocks from your mobile device. The best thing about ibVPN’s iOS service is a dedicated app with strong encryption and a built-in DNS feature. However, the provider only supports a single iOS connection per account, which would not be ideal if you own multiple devices.
Best VPNs for USA		Hotspot Shield’s dedicated streaming feature allows you unblock Netflix-US and other American streaming platforms with ease. In fact, its US servers have been proven effective for bypassing almost all US geoblocks from any location worldwide. Meanwhile, ibVPN only unblocks Netflix US from Windows and MacOS browsers, and is currently unable to bypass the blocks when you access the service through Netflix’s apps.
Best VPNs for USA Hotspot Shield’s dedicated streaming feature allows you unblock Netflix-US and other American streaming platforms with ease. In fact, its US servers have been proven effective for bypassing almost all US geoblocks from any location worldwide. Meanwhile, ibVPN only unblocks Netflix US from Windows and MacOS browsers, and is currently unable to bypass the blocks when you access the service through Netflix’s apps.

The Bottom Line

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

Winner

Visit website »

www.hotspotshield.com

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By supporting multiple simultaneous connections per subscription and providing more seamless bypassing of geoblocks on providers like US Netflix, Hotspot Shield wins this comparison fairly easily in the end. Innovative features like malware protection and its exclusive Catapult Hydra technology are the icing on the cake for Hotspot Shield. Nevertheless, ibVPN is a reliable service, and clearly the better choice between these two VPNs if your purposes include torrenting.

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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Go with ibVPN

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