Hotspot Shield 2022 Review: Is It Fast & Good for Streaming?

Hotspot Shield VPN Review: Quick Expert Summary

Split-Tunneling (Smart VPN)

Split-tunneling is a feature of Hotspot Shield that allows you to exclude websites and apps from the VPN tunnel. Hotspot Shield’s split tunneling feature was tested by me. I connected to a VPN server located in Romania to download a file. I then routed my bank’s website through my network (many banks prohibit VPNs).

Hotspot Shield has split-tunneling only for Android and Windows. However, ExpressVPN as well as Private Internet Access have split-tunneling available for Macs.

Split-tunneling on Android by Hotspot Shield only allows you exclude apps and not IP addresses and websites. Hotspot Shield’s split tunneling tool on Android allows you to select which apps you wish to use instead of choosing which apps to be excluded from the VPN tunnel. This is contrary to how most VPN split tunnelling works. Because there are usually fewer apps, it is easier and takes less time, I would rather choose the apps that I wish to exclude from the VPN tunnel.

Hotspot Shield is a Windows program that allows you to exclude websites and apps. It’s easy to use. You can choose which sites and apps you want to bypass the VPN tunnel, unlike Android.

Hotspot Shield’s split-tunneling is better on Windows (you have the ability to split-tunnel sites and apps) than it does on Android (which you can only exclude apps). The split-tunneling feature of Hotspot Shield on Android and Windows, although it isn’t available for iOS or macOS, is intuitive and works as expected.

Built-in Speed Test

Hotspot Shield includes a speed test that can quickly and accurately determine your VPN speed and ISP speed. The speed test can be run while you are connected to a VPN server, to see how Hotspot Shield reduced your speed.

Hotspot Shield’s speed tests were consistent with the results of my speed tests using Ookla, a third-party speed testing site.

This feature is great. It’s easier to use speed tests within the app than third-party sites. However, Hotspot Shield should rank its fastest servers to help you find a server that’s closest to your location. ExpressVPN’s built in speed test will provide a list of fastest servers for your location. Hotspot Shield’s speed testing is limited to Windows. I would like to see it available in other apps. ExpressVPN’s speed tests are available for Windows and macOS.

Overall, I love Hotspot Shield’s speed test. It’s accurate, simple to use, and very convenient.

Hotspot Shield Streaming & Torrenting

Hotspot shield is great for streaming. It works with Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ as well as less-popular sites such as Crunchyroll and VRV.

Hotspot shield is great for torrenting. It supports P2P traffic on all servers and works with all major torrenting clients like Deluge, qBittorrent and uTorrent. Hotspot Shield does not support port forwarding, which allows you to connect to more peers to get faster speeds. However, it allows seeding which is when you upload a torrent once you have finished downloading it.

Before I downloaded any torrents, I ran leak testing on more than 10+ server locations. I didn’t see any leaks.

Hotspot Shield, in general, is great for streaming. It works with many popular sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime. It works with all major torrenting clients and supports P2P traffic.

Hotspot Shield Privacy & Security

Hotspot Shield does not always bypass VPN blocks in restricted countries. It states that it works occasionally in countries like China and Indonesia.

ExpressVPN is recommended if you are in a restricted country and require a VPN to bypass internet firewalls.

Pricing & Hotspot Shield Plans

Hotspot Shield offers a free plan with a few features and three premium subscription plans.

Hotspot Shield’s Basic plan offers 500MB per day. This is enough for basic browsing. You can’t transfer any data from one day to the next. It allows you to connect one device and limits connection speeds to 2Mbps. However, my speed was only lowered by 45% which is quite good for a free plan.

Hotspot Shield shares Basicusers’ geo-location with advertisers. The free plan allows access to only 1 server location (the US), does not support streaming and doesn’t offer 24/7 live chat. It is only available for Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. There is an extension for Chrome.

ProtonVPN offers the best free VPN plan — unlimited bandwidth, faster speeds and access to servers in three countries (the USA, Japan, and the Netherlands). It also doesn’t store any user data.

Hotspot Shield’s Premium plans are very expensive. However, the 3-year subscription plan is only $2.99/month. Each plan includes 5 connections, unlimited data, access servers in 80+ countries and full streaming support. It also supports Linux routers and smart TVs.

Hotspot Shield allows you to use 6 credit cards as well as PayPal, but not cryptocurrency. Private Internet Access is a low-cost VPN service that accepts crypto.

Hotspot Shield offers a generous 45-day money back guarantee for all plans (most VPNs offer only 30-day refunds). However, this guarantee is only available for long-term plans.

Hotspot Shield offers a good free plan and flexible, paid plans.

Hotspot Shield: Mobile and Desktop Apps

Hotspot Shield offers easy-to use apps for Android, iOS and Windows, macOS Linux, smart TVs and Chrome.

The iOS and Android apps were installed on my smartphone in less than a minute. I was able to install the macOS, Windows and Windows apps on my MacBook Pro in about 1-2 minutes.

Android

Hotspot Shield’s Android app is simple to use. With the Autoquick connect feature, you can automatically connect to a server in 1-2 seconds. It’s also very easy to manually choose a server. Hotspot Shield allows you to search for a location, and it has a Quick Access group that can be used for streaming, gaming, social media, and streaming in the US and UK. It is easy to enable/disable settings and most settings are easily described.

Hydra is the Android app. It has split-tunneling and a kill switch. There are also many automation options. You can set up the app to connect to a VPN server whenever you connect to WiFi networks, use mobile data, and auto-disconnect when your phone goes to sleep.

Overall, I love Hotspot Shield’s Android app. It has an intuitive design and is easy to use.

iOS

Hotspot Shield iOS app is simple to use but not as great as the Android app.

Although it’s easy to connect to a server to get Hydra, the app lacks split-tunneling and a kill switch (most iOS apps do not have this).

Although Hotspot Shield’s iOS application lacks important features like split-tunneling and kill switch, it is intuitive and uses Hydra.

Windows/Mac (Desktop)

Hotspot Shield desktop apps look different than its mobile apps. However, I like the fact that they have more settings tabs. The connection screen also shows the server location on a Google map. It’s easy to manually select a server location, just like the mobile apps.

The Windows app has more features, including split-tunneling and kill switch. The Prevent IP Leak option in the Windows app protects against IPv6 leaks and WebRTC leaks. Both the macOS and Windows apps utilize Hydra and IKEv2/IPSec.

Overall, Hotspot Shield’s desktop apps can be used easily, but the Windows app offers more security and features than the macOS version.

Hotspot Shield Apps: Hotspot Shield is easy to use?

Hotspot Shield offers user-friendly apps that work on iOS, Android, Windows and macOS.

My favorite app is the Windows app. It has split-tunneling and kill switches, as well as built-in speed tests and IPv6 leak protection. Both the Android and iOS apps can be used easily, but the Android app offers more features (kill switch or split-tunneling).

Hotspot Shield Customer Support

Hotspot Shield offers a comprehensive and organized support section that includes frequently asked questions (FAQs), troubleshooting guides, setup tutorials and troubleshooting tips.

The support library is a great tool. It has a search function, and it splits FAQs and guides into specific sections for each device. You will also find sections for subscriptions and payments, account management and troubleshooting. Hotspot Shield’s support articles are well-written and include helpful screenshots. However, they do not have videos like IPVanish and ExpressVPN.

Hotspot Shield’s livechat was fast. I was connected in less than 5 seconds to most support representatives when I tried it. I was able to get answers to all my questions from the support agents who were knowledgeable and helpful. The live chat can be used in English but support agents can also use a translation tool in order to help you in any language.

Hotspot Shield also offered email support. I received replies within 4-5 hours. They also answered all my questions thoroughly.

Overall, Hotspot Shield offers excellent customer support. The support library is comprehensive and user-friendly, while the email and live chat support representatives are knowledgeable and responsive.

Hotspot Shield Fast, Good for Streaming and Useful in 2022

Hotspot shield works with streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime and other popular services. It offers fast speeds and intuitive apps for iOS and Android.

Hotspot Shield’s Hydra protocol was lightning fast in my testing. It allowed me to stream, torrent, browse, and play on distant and local servers.

Hotspot Shield offers industry-standard VPN security features, such as 256-bit AES encryption and secure protocols. You can also get Tor support, split-tunneling and obfuscation.

Hotspot shield is a great VPN. However, it is missing some key features. The kill switch and WebRTC leak protection are only available for Windows and Android. There is no WireGuard protocol. Hotspot Shield is not always available in countries such as China. There’s also a quick-connect option, but it only connects to US servers. It’s also one of the most expensive VPNs available in 2022.

Hotspot Shield offers a decent free plan as well as 3 premium plans. All plans come with a 45-day money back guarantee.

Hotspot Shield is it free?

Hotspot Shield offers a free plan. However, you will not be able to carry any data over to the next day. It allows you access to one server (in the US) and lets you connect to 1 device. Hotspot Shield limits your connection speed to 2Mbps. There is no streaming support and 24/7 live chat. Hotspot Shield’s free plan has the unfortunate side effect of sharing your geo-location to advertisers. This means you will see more location-specific ads.

You can get unlimited data, access servers in over 80+ countries, 5 connections and streaming support by upgrading to Hotspot Shield premium plans. These plans come with a 45-day guarantee.

Hotspot Shield is good for torrenting.

Hotspot Shield allows torrenting. I was able to download 49 GB files within 20-30 minutes.

Hotspot Shield comes with a kill switch, and I didn’t experience any leaks during my testing. Hotspot Shield is great for torrenting. ExpressVPN, however, is my preferred VPN for P2P traffic.

Hotspot Shield keeps logs?

Hotspot Shield adheres to a strict no logs policy. It doesn’t log what websites you visit or files you download. If you sign up for the free plan, Hotspot Shield will use your IP address to determine where you are located. This information is shared with advertisers in order to show you location-specific ads. Hotspot Shield’s zero-logs policy was not independently audited. ExpressVPN is a VPN that has an audited policy with no logs.

Hotspot Shield works with Netflix?

Hotspot Shield is compatible with Netflix on paid plans. However, it does not allow uninterrupted streaming. HotSpot Shield can be used to stream Netflix, but ExpressVPN is my preferred VPN. It has great security and speeds that are lightning fast. You can also access all streaming sites 100% of time.

Source : #safetydetectives
Editor by : BEST Antivirus KBS Team