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NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN vs Hotspot Shield 2021

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

Rated: 9.8/10
%s User Reviews
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Rated: 9/10
%s User Reviews
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Rated: 8.8/10
%s User Reviews
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Which VPN is better?

Author Image Daniel Krohn
Daniel Krohn

Cybersecurity Researcher

Picking out a great VPN from this group isn’t hard because all three of them are fantastic services. All three of these services are some of the best currently available. Both NordVPN and Hotspot Shield are well known for having great data protection which is why you’re probably getting a VPN for anyways. IPVanish is no slouch with thousands of IP addresses available to make streaming Netflix and Hulu even easier. This will be a bonus to people that aren’t just interested in data protection, but getting access to content from around the world. Both Hotspot Shield and IPVanish have partial logs, which may be a turn off for some people that want to make sure that the data is really and truly protected. But every one of these VPN provides protection with IPVanish even having apps to help protect your router. With these three services, it is extremely difficult to pick because all of them have great points.

Rating

Features 9.8/10
Pricing 9.6/10
Ease of Use 10/10
Reliability & Support 10/10
Features 9/10
Pricing 9.2/10
Ease of Use 9.4/10
Reliability & Support 9.4/10
Features 8.8/10
Pricing 9/10
Ease of Use 9/10
Reliability & Support 8.6/10

Reviews

Review by our expert
Author Image Kristina Perunicic
Kristina Perunicic

Cybersecurity Researcher

10/10

It’s not often that a VPN has cheap prices coupled with an excellent set of features. Yet, when my team and I looked at what NordVPN has to offer, this is exactly what we found. It offers a huge global network of servers, unblocks hundreds of streaming platforms, and has iron-clad security and privacy features — and you can get it all for just $3.30/month. I had to wonder what the catch was. ...

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Latest positive user review
M
Marc
10.0/10
For NordVPN-Android – NordVPN cannot

There is no Caveat Emptor here, nothing like that at all. Nothing to worry about because NordVPN has ... a top-notch of KillSwitch. It has never faltered in my case. Some instances that NordVPN connection is lost for like 10 seconds while I'm "incognito" in a streaming site, I immediately check with the site with regards to my interrupted connection and my real location did not register ;-) This happened a handful of times in fact. NordVPN will not leave you out in the cold so to speak ;-) Just that since this is a review, it must be noted since features are being enumerated that Split Tunneling and KillSwitch cannot be enabled at the same time. It's either you use one or the other. KillSwitch is not possible if you need to exclude an app from using VPN which means to Split Tunneling. Crypto wallet apps and apps that refuse to use VPN tunnel are such examples. "Block Connections Without VPN" being 1 of 2 conditions that must be met to be able to utilize KillSwitch, and KillSwitch will not work if Split Tunneling is enabled. Ergo, - It's either All apps are Blocked without VPN or No Apps are Blocked at all. I thought pausing the VPN from its Notification will take care of this but in all my Android devices that have NordVPN the pausing from the notification does not work which makes me wonder if pausing/disconnecting from notification is a feature that works in Android.More

Latest negative user review
A
Anonymously
2.0/10
Skip it.

Skip Nord! They make you disable the kill switch to log in. Which was not always the case. So you have...  to be careful every time you log in. You do not want to have a leak just because you forgot the kill switch was off.More

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Review by our expert
Author Image Kate Veale
Kate Veale

Cybersecurity Researcher

9.4/10

IPVanish offers high-speed connections and an impressive list of advanced security features at a budget-friendly price. For this review, we put IPVanish through its paces. We thoroughly tested its speed, performance, ease of use, and ability to access popular streaming services like Netflix. The short answer? Yes, IPVanish is able to unblock Netflix. It can also unblock popular services like V...

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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

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Review by our expert
Author Image Katie Kasunic
Katie Kasunic

Technology Researcher

8/10

Hotspot Shield is a popular VPN service with over 650 million users and multiple servers in 80+ 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
G
George
8.0/10
Great Interface, easy to use and smooth/zippy.

It just feels well put together. Turns on automatically, which is no bad thing (if you don't like that... , turn the damn thing off with a click). The speed is consistently above average, and on a couple of inadvertent occasions, the Kill Switch operated as it should. I especially like the GUI, which is really simple, solid, yet has a refined/slick feel - far superior to a few I've tried but won't name here. I see no issues with it, although the security issues pointed out in the article are a bit alarming. I'm using the 'Business' version. Nice VPN, IMO.More

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

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Pricing

Starting price $3.3/month
Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
Number of devices per license 6 devices
See Plans
Starting price $2.92/month
Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
Number of devices per license 0 devices
See Plans
Starting price $2.99/month
Money Back Guarantee (Days) 45 Days
Number of devices per license 5 devices
See Plans

Best VPNs by category

Best VPNs Overall

NordVPN takes the first place with its incredible speeds, advanced security features, and unblocking capabilities. It also exclusively offers the best deals and coupons.

Best VPNs for Torrents

All three VPN providers support torrenting. However, NordVPN guarantees full privacy, as no logs are kept at all. At the same time, it allows you to connect to certain servers which are optimized for high download speeds.

Best VPNs for Windows

All three VPNs offer user-friendly and attractive Windows applications. However, when it comes to features and security, NordVPN excels with its custom DNS and access to obfuscated servers.

Best VPNs for Android

Getting a VPN for your Android device means securing your device while on the move. Even though all three VPNs have dedicated apps for Android, NordVPN covers all bases with a full suite of reliable features for your Android devices, including the Double VPN feature. It will also secure your data over untrusted wi-fi networks.

Best VPNs for Mac

NordVPN, IPVanish, and Hotspot Shield all sport reliable apps for Mac users. All three apps are easy to install and use, but each has its perks. However, NordVPN has got it all, thanks to its high security levels, variety of servers to choose from, and separate modes for all kinds of internet activity.

Best VPNs for iOS

IPVanish, Hotspot Shield, and NordVPN all have iOS apps with IKEv2 support, and you can manually configure OpenVPN if you want. However, NordVPN is easier and more convenient to use, and also more secure and private. You can also run NordVPN on 6 iOS devices at the same time.

Best VPNs for USA

Both IPVanish and NordVPN have much to offer in terms of the remarkable size of their server networks within the US. IPVanish operates 520 servers within the US, while NordVPN operates 1961 servers. However, NordVPN is the winner, thanks to its fast servers that are optimized specifically for smooth streaming on all devices for all those fantastic American streaming services, such as Netflix and HBO.

The Bottom Line

Author Image Daniel Krohn
Daniel Krohn

Cybersecurity Researcher

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 5100 servers in 60 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $3.3 a month.

Which are the most important factors in this comparison?

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 before making a long-term commitment. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

Which VPNs offer the best deals?

ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get it with a 49% discount and up to 3 months for free with its long-term subscriptions. If you’d like to stay up to date with the latest VPN deals, you can bookmark our coupons page and be the first to know when your favorite VPN is on sale.