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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.
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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.

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN vs Hotspot Shield: Which VPN Should You Pick in 2025?

Table of Contents
    Our Score: 9.4/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 9.2/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 9.1/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info

    Is NordVPN or IPVanish VPN or Hotspot Shield better for price, speed, streaming, gaming, and privacy?

    Author Image Daniel Krohn
    Daniel Krohn Cybersecurity Researcher
    First published on August 04, 2017

    All three VPNs provide excellent online protection. Furthermore, they’re easy to use, compatible with all major platforms, and offer helpful 24/7 live chat support. However, each has its unique strengths.

    NordVPN has 7,837 servers worldwide, a solid reputation, and more advanced security features. IPVanish provides unlimited simultaneous device connections, and Hotspot Shield provides an extended 45-day money-back guarantee. Review our comparison below to find out which one comes out on top.

    Our Score

    Features 9.4/10
    Pricing 7.5/10
    Ease of Use 9.5/10
    Reliability & Support 9.5/10
    Features 9.2/10
    Pricing 9.2/10
    Ease of Use 9.0/10
    Reliability & Support 9.3/10
    Features 9.1/10
    Pricing 8.8/10
    Ease of Use 9.2/10
    Reliability & Support 9.4/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Akash Deep
    Akash Deep Cybersecurity Researcher
    Our Score: 9.4/10

    NordVPN is everywhere these days — from YouTube ads to sports sponsorships. Its massive marketing claims it's the most trusted VPN service worldwide. But does this popularity actually translate into superior performance, or is it just clever advertising? The team and I spent several weeks thoroughly testing every aspect of NordVPN. We ran extensive speed tests, tried streaming on multiple pla...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    2
    210493Lu
    10.0/10
    The Best of The Best

    I simply tested all VPNs looking for cutting-edge online security, I tested the most expensive and the...  most talked about virtual anonymity, none made me as happy as NordVPN, it stands out for several reasons that the much more expensive ones it doesn't have, its double encryption, dedicated IPs, onion VPN, makes NordVPN unique, with almost 6,000 servers around the world and 12 million customers like me, you can see that NordVPN is not playing games with its customers and their online security , it always innovates to keep you more secure day after day, for a fair price in the long term and without sacrificing the speed of your connection, recently Nord is developing a new VPN protocol, Nordlynx a version still under construction derived from the Wireguard protocol, if you want to have a VPN of last security that think how it will make you more secure in the next month NordVPN is the right choice, I am completely thankful for being a customer and for finding what to me is the perfect VPN.More

    Latest negative user review
    A
    Andrew
    2.0/10
    NordVPN has become garbage!

    I've had NordVPN for over a decade, and past couple of years, but more so past 6 months it has become ... complete garbage! Contact them, oh try different servers, try different protocols. I have done all and long before they said to! Issue, Connections often just time out though still says connected, can't access any page. Chose different server, works 5 minutes or all day, but eventually it will time out. Best luck I've had was with open UDP but past month even it's been junk! Obfuscated has worked somewhat better, again until recently and crap! Seems they are more about featuritis and getting more users than having a solid product and keeping past/existing customers. Spend your money elsewhere and avoid hack sites giving their glowing review they are just paid shills!More

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image James Everard
    James Everard Senior Writer
    Our Score: 9.2/10

    IPVanish offers high-speed connections and an impressive list of advanced security features at a budget-friendly price. Over the years I’ve been working with this VPN, it’s continued to stand out as a reliable option for several different use cases. My team and I carefully studied its privacy policy and tested its speeds, security features, and streaming capabilities. We also looked into i...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    S
    Stu Taylor
    10.0/10
    Very, very satisfied

    I am into my third year of using IPVanish. I am extremely happy with the speed, reliability, features ... and reliability. The fact that I have used it for this long without trying the competition speaks volumes. I am never going to try anything else because I am completely happy with what I have. Why risk it?More

    Latest negative user review
    B
    Beth Gray
    2.0/10
    Misleading, false advertising, don't honor guarantee. BEWARE

    IP address and region not effectively blocked on most sites. Streaming sites do NOT work with their se... rvices, but they do not disclose that anywhere on their website. The support team had no idea in terms of technical knowledge. They claim that their 30-day guarantee is unconditional and there is no risk, but they have so many exclusions buried in their fine print that the average user would have huge difficulty finding. They advertise on many streaming how-to websites where they KNOW their services do not work. COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY. If I could give less than one star I would. SO unethical.More

    Read the full review
    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

    Pricing

    Starting price $3.39/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices
    Starting price $2.19/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license Unlimited devices
    Starting price $7.99/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 45 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    NordVPN takes the lead with its massive network of servers in 125 countries, incredible speeds, and advanced security features. It even has a built-in adblocker (CyberSec).

    Best VPN for Torrents

    All three VPNs support torrenting. However, NordVPN is the best option, as it has the most privacy-friendly jurisdiction (outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances). NordVPN is also the fastest one I tested, which is ideal for uninterrupted downloading.

    Best VPN for Windows

    Even though the three VPNs have similar-looking Windows apps and they offer different features, NordVPN is the winner for this category. This is because it additionally offers a quick connect feature and various specialty servers, which is quite rare for a VPN.

    Best VPN for Android

    NordVPN is my top choice because of its full suite of reliable features for Android devices (like Double VPN). It also offers different types of specialty servers that the other 2 VPNs don't, including, obfuscated, onion over VPN, and P2P servers.

    Best VPN for Mac

    NordVPN, IPVanish, and Hotspot Shield all have user-friendly apps for Mac. However, NordVPN wins thanks to its high-security levels that won't compromise your speed, plus specialty servers for various online activities, like torrenting.

    Best VPN for iOS

    All 3 VPNs have iOS apps that support the fast IKEv2 protocol. However, NordVPN's NordLynx beats all other options for its super-fast speeds and secure connections.

    Best VPN for USA

    NordVPN takes the lead with the most significant number of US servers in over 17 locations. It also beats its competitors in unblocking US streaming services, including Sling TV, Disney+, and Hulu.

    The Bottom Line

    See Plans & Pricing

    When it comes to finding a great VPN, there are none that can really beat NordVPN. The service is amazing with servers everywhere. Even when it isn’t at its fastest, there isn’t a huge amount of delay. If you find yourself with a slow connection, then you can message their customer support and they’ll be able to help. Compared to Hotspot Shield, which does an excellent job of protecting data as well, their customer service makes NordVPN even better. While NordVPN may be more difficult to use, the protection and support make this service the best you can possibly get.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with NordVPN
    Go with IPVanish VPN
    Go with Hotspot Shield
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is NordVPN better than IPVanish VPN and Hotspot Shield?

    Yes, NordVPN is better overall than IPVanish VPN and Hotspot Shield. It has 7800 servers in 118 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $3.39 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between NordVPN, IPVanish VPN and Hotspot Shield?

    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 NordVPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests.

    Is NordVPN faster than IPVanish VPN and Hotspot Shield?

    Yes, NordVPN is faster than IPVanish VPN and Hotspot Shield. 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 NordVPN, IPVanish VPN or Hotspot Shield offer any deals?

    NordVPN, IPVanish VPN, and Hotspot Shield 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

    Technical writer with a passion for online privacy.