Hotspot Shield vs OverPlay VPN vs 2019

Item: Hotspot Shield
Rating: 4.4
Author: Ariel Hochstadt

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

303 User Reviews

4.4

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41 User Reviews

4.1

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Which VPN is better?

Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker

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.


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

Features
4.3
Pricing
3.0
Ease of Use
4.5
Reliability & Support
4.5

Rating
Features	4.0	4.3
Pricing	4.5	3.0
Ease of Use	4.5	4.5
Reliability & Support	4.3	4.5

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

5.0

So good Best for BBC Iplayer, channel 4, channel 5, zdf, orf. Everything is better than 2018, the chat service is so nice, I had some problems, they solved the problems for me. The helping center is so kind, I was used to be a member of Astrill VPN and they were very aggressive, very bad one, I must pay more for private IP for an UK country.(exclude from yearly package 99 USD) So impress, The price is reasonable and friendly.

Latest negative user review

Teri D. Springer

1.0

Not Worth the Headaches I tried this. Kept getting blocked d/t usage. Even after paying for the "Elite" service I would be blocked & receive a notice that "You have used up your bandwidth. Please buy more or upgrade" & this CONTINUED after I had paid for 2 YEARS of "Elite" service. It was also telling me my subscription had "expired" even tho I had had the service for less than a month. Repeated emails to support got me canned answers to change my password (??). Even after changing it 6 times in a matter of an hour I STILL could not get my "Elite" account to work. Finally did get an answer from a "live" person (I think) who was able to do nothing except keep telling me to change my password. After a week of trying to get help, I gave up and asked for a refund. ExpressVPN is SO much easier.....don't even waste your time here on a FREE account.

Pricing

Starting price

$2.99/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

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Starting price

$8.33/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

See Plans


Starting price	$2.99/ month	$8.33/ month	121332/
Money Back Guarantee (Days)	30	2	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 provides a large VPN network with numerous advanced features to keep your online activity private. OverPlay also provides a reliable VPN service, with a similarly large network and many servers optimized for streaming.
Best VPNs Overall Hotspot Shield provides a large VPN network with numerous advanced features to keep your online activity private. OverPlay also provides a reliable VPN service, with a similarly large network and many servers optimized for streaming.
Best VPNs for Torrents		OverPlay allows torrenting on its servers, and supports unlimited P2P traffic on all its paid subscription plans. Hotspot Shield forbids torrenting on its servers and restricts all P2P activities on its network.
Best VPNs for Torrents OverPlay allows torrenting on its servers, and supports unlimited P2P traffic on all its paid subscription plans. Hotspot Shield forbids torrenting on its servers and restricts all P2P activities on its network.
Best VPNs for Windows		The provision of an automatic kill switch, a user-friendly app, and access to outstanding live support are some of the key reasons why you can rely on Hotspot Shield’s VPN service for Windows. Meanwhile, OverPlay’s dedicated Windows app can be easily configured and includes unlimited server switching and military-grade encryption.
Best VPNs for Windows The provision of an automatic kill switch, a user-friendly app, and access to outstanding live support are some of the key reasons why you can rely on Hotspot Shield’s VPN service for Windows. Meanwhile, OverPlay’s dedicated Windows app can be easily configured and includes unlimited server switching and military-grade encryption.
Best VPNs for Android		Hotspot Shield has a dedicated Android app with access to the free version of the service, a smooth interface, and malware protection. Meanwhile, OverPlay offers a reliable Android service with a dedicated app that includes wi-fi protection and identity theft prevention measures.
Best VPNs for Android Hotspot Shield has a dedicated Android app with access to the free version of the service, a smooth interface, and malware protection. Meanwhile, OverPlay offers a reliable Android service with a dedicated app that includes wi-fi protection and identity theft prevention measures.
Best VPNs for Mac		By providing malware protection, ISP throttling prevention, and access to ultra-fast servers, Hotspot Shield has put forth a very attractive VPN service for MacOS. OverPlay has its own MacOS app with strong encryption, wi-fi protection, and a built-in SmartDNS feature.
Best VPNs for Mac By providing malware protection, ISP throttling prevention, and access to ultra-fast servers, Hotspot Shield has put forth a very attractive VPN service for MacOS. OverPlay has its own MacOS app with strong encryption, wi-fi protection, and a built-in SmartDNS feature.
Best VPNs for iOS		Hotspot Shield offers a very reliable service for iOS. Its dedicated app features malware and tracking protection, and the provider’s support for up to five simultaneous connections per subscription is ideal for owners of multiple iOS gadgets. OverPlay competes by supporting three simultaneous device connections and offering a dedicated iOS app that supports multiple VPN encryption protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2.
Best VPNs for iOS Hotspot Shield offers a very reliable service for iOS. Its dedicated app features malware and tracking protection, and the provider’s support for up to five simultaneous connections per subscription is ideal for owners of multiple iOS gadgets. OverPlay competes by supporting three simultaneous device connections and offering a dedicated iOS app that supports multiple VPN encryption protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2.
Best VPNs for USA		Hotspot Shield is our recommended VPN for accessing US content from any location worldwide. It reliably unblocks Netflix-US with its dedicated streaming feature, which uses hundreds of US servers optimized for speed and efficiency. OverPlay only unblocks Netflix when you stream from your computer browser; it is unable to bypass Netflix’s restrictions when you attempt to stream directly from Netflix apps.
Best VPNs for USA Hotspot Shield is our recommended VPN for accessing US content from any location worldwide. It reliably unblocks Netflix-US with its dedicated streaming feature, which uses hundreds of US servers optimized for speed and efficiency. OverPlay only unblocks Netflix when you stream from your computer browser; it is unable to bypass Netflix’s restrictions when you attempt to stream directly from Netflix apps.

The Bottom Line

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

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

Winner

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www.hotspotshield.com

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