C
Hotspot Shield vs Proton VPN
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
H
Choose Hotspot Shield if…
- you're in its core audience: streamers, gamers
P
Choose Proton VPN if…
- you want open source you can self-host or audit
- you work on Linux
- you're in its core audience: privacy-conscious individuals, travelers and streamers
Side by side
Feature Hotspot Shield Proton VPN
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price—$3.49/mo
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome
CompanyAnchorfree, LLCProton AG
Full feature lists
H Hotspot Shield
- Proprietary Hydra VPN protocol
- 115+ virtual locations in 80+ countries
- Up to 10 devices per account
- No logs of data tied to users
- Supports streaming, gaming, downloading and P2P
- Apps for smart TVs and Chrome
- 45-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases
P Proton VPN
- 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries
- NetShield DNS-level ad, tracker and malware blocker
- Secure Core multi-hop routing
- VPN Accelerator for up to 400% faster speeds
- Kill switch and always-on VPN
- WireGuard and OpenVPN with AES-256 or ChaCha20
- P2P/BitTorrent support on paid plans
- Up to 10 simultaneous devices
Their home pages
What each vendor shows first: the pitch, the plans and the sign-up.
Hotspot Shield · hotspotshield.com
Proton VPN · protonvpn.comWhat you'd pay
The cheapest plan that fits, per month, billed yearly where the plan offers it.
Hotspot Shield
Freemium. Plan details aren't published.
Proton VPN
Proton FreeFree
VPN Plus$3.49/mo on 2-year plan ($9.99 monthly)
Proton Unlimited$7.99/mo on 2-year plan ($12.99 monthly)
Strengths and limitations
Hotspot Shield
- 45-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases
- One account covers 10 devices
- Servers in 80+ countries
- Free VPN download offered
- No pricing details on the home page
- Subscriptions renew automatically unless you turn it off
- Linux app not listed
Proton VPN
- Free plan with no ads and no data limits
- Open-source apps and publicly available no-logs audit
- Swiss jurisdiction
- Paid plans cover 10 devices
- Free plan covers 1 device and servers in 10 randomly selected countries
- Free plan excludes streaming, P2P and the ad blocker
- Lowest price requires a 2-year commitment
More comparisons
Other options to consider
C
Paid
E
EE
Paid
N
N
From $2.99/mo
S
SS
Paid
B
BFree VPN app with optional Premium for streaming, gaming and private browsing
Free, from $6/mo
B
Free, from $6/mo
T
TFree and premium VPN for streaming, gaming and private browsing on any device
Free, from $3.33/mo
T
Free, from $3.33/mo
Facts from each vendor's public pages. Editorial policy