Hotspot Shield and OverPlay are both very popular VPN providers, known for their emphasis on helping users bypass geoblocks worldwide and their reliable performance for streaming media. These VPNs can both unblock Netflix, and both provide 256-bit encryption, with Hotspot Shield offering a 128-bit option in addition. While OverPlay provides access for unlimited Peer-to-Peer (P2P) traffic, Hotspot Shield does not allow any P2P-related activities on its servers. In terms of tunneling protocols, OverPlay only offers PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN, whereas Hotspot Shield offers those and more, including IKEv2. With regard to network size, Hotspot Shield offers over 2,500 servers in 25+ countries, while OverPlay has 650+ servers strategically distributed across more than 50 countries. Although both VPNs allow multiple simultaneous connections, Hotspot Shield allows five per subscription, whereas OverPlay allows only three. Hotspot Shield also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, compared to OverPlay’s 5-day policy refund policy. Keep on reading to see which of these providers wins this contest. NOTE: This comparison is for Hotspot Shield’s paid plan, Hotspot Shield Elite.
Hotspot Shield wins this contest by providing a larger network and a much faster service. Its ability to unblock geo-restricted providers like Netflix and Hulu regardless of whether you’re accessing them from their apps or your browser also make Hotspot Shield an easier VPN to use overall. Finally, by offering support for more device connections per account and a 45-day money-back guarantee, Hotspot Shield provides more value for your money.
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
Katie Kasunic
Ariel Hochstadt