C
Hotspot Shield vs PureVPN
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
H
Choose Hotspot Shield if…
- you want a free plan to start with
- you're in its core audience: streamers, gamers
P
Choose PureVPN if…
- you need an API to build on
- you work on Linux
- you're in its core audience: privacy-minded individuals, streamers
Side by side
Feature Hotspot Shield PureVPN
Pricing modelFreemiumPaid
Starting price—$1.69/mo
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome
CompanyAnchorfree, LLC—
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 PureVPN
- 6,000+ servers in 65+ countries
- WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocols
- Split tunneling and internet kill switch
- Obfuscated servers for restricted networks
- P2P-optimized servers
- Bundled password manager and dark web monitoring
- Tracker and ad blocker plus data broker removal
- Up to 10 simultaneous logins
Their home pages
What each vendor shows first: the pitch, the plans and the sign-up.
Hotspot Shield · hotspotshield.com
PureVPN · purevpn.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.
PureVPN
PureVPN (Black Friday deal)$1.69/mo (regular $12.95/mo)
Dedicated IP add-onFrom $2.49/mo
Port Forwarding add-onFrom $1.49/mo
Multi-login add-onFrom $1.49/mo
Dedicated Server add-onFrom $14.99/mo
Residential Network add-onFrom $12.49/mo
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
PureVPN
- 31-day money-back guarantee
- Apps for desktop, mobile, browsers, TVs and routers
- Privacy tools such as a password manager and data removal included
- Independently audited no-log policy, according to the site
- P2P not supported on US, UK, Canada, Australia and some other servers
- Dedicated IP, port forwarding and residential IPs cost extra
- Regular monthly price is $12.95 without promotion
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