Hotspot Shield and PureVPN – At a Glance
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield delivers fast, well-protected connections that keep your online activities incognito. The provider’s large global server network provides reliable access to geo-fenced content around the world for popular devices.
PureVPN
PureVPN’s comprehensive online security and privacy protection, comprehensive app support, and impressive global server network all add up to excellent VPN services. The provider offers fast, well-encrypted connections to geo-blocked content.
How to Choose a VPN
Never purchase VPN protection without taking the time to carefully research VPNs, just as you’d do when mulling over any important purchase.
In this article, I’ll take a look at the services offered by two well-known VPN providers, Hotspot Shield and PureVPN. I’ll compare both VPNs in several service categories, name a winner for each category, then tally the overall scores and declare an overall champion.
By the end of this article, you should have plenty of knowledge, allowing you to make an informed decision about which VPN best fits your needs.
Features of Hotspot Shield and PureVPN
In the following sections, I’ll take a look at both VPNs and their performance in several important VPN categories. Let’s begin.
Connection Speeds
What is your favorite online activity? No matter if you enjoy streaming video and music, playing games, or sharing large files – a fast connection makes everything better.
I perform my VPN connection speed tests on a regular basis and use the industry-standard Speedtest.net app.
I conduct my connections speed tests in the following manner:
- All tests are performed on a Windows server with a gigabit Ethernet connection, located in North America.
- I connect to VPN servers in three separate locations (New York, London, and Hong Kong), at three times of day over three days.
- I use the Windows version of the providers’ apps, connecting via the OpenVPN protocol over UDP when available.
- Once I’ve connected to one of the VPN server locations, I run the Speedtest app, shutting the app down between each test.
My testing showed that both providers delivered impressively fast connection speeds.
PureVPN average protected download speeds measured in at 151 Mbps.
As for Hotspot Shield, its download speeds measured at 128.1 Mbps.
Both VPN providers delivered plenty of bandwidth, making them both more than fast enough for streaming, online gaming, and file sharing. In day-to-day usage, you’ll likely not notice a difference in the two provider’s connections.
Your connection speeds will differ from what I experienced, depending on your usual ISP-provided connection speeds, your location, and the VPN server’s location.
Average Connection Speed Winner: PureVPN
| Provider | Avg. Connection Speed | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 128.1 Mbps | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 151 Mbps | Visit Site |
Pricing
It seems as if the price of everything is high and getting higher these days. We’re all looking for ways to save a buck here and there. However, I strongly urge you to not make a VPN buying decision based solely on price.
If you purchase a bargain basement-priced VPN or opt for a free VPN, you may think that you’re getting a good deal. However, both types of VPNs skimp on protective features, throttle your connection speeds, impose data usage caps, and have even been known to sell your VPN usage data to nosy third-parties.
Hotspot Shield’s monthly fee is just about the same as what you’d pay for a medium burger combo at your favorite fast food joint when you pay for a one-year subscription. The provider offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Hotspot Shield also offers a free tier of VPN service, which is limited to connecting one device at a time and one server location, and doesn’t offer a streaming or gaming mode.
PureVPN’s annual subscription rate averages in at a monthly average price of a medium regular coffee at your favorite coffee shop. PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee.
I do not tell you exact pricing in my articles, because VPN providers regularly change their pricing and offer special deals on a regular basis. Visit a provider’s website for their current pricing.
Pricing Winner: PureVPN
| Provider | Money-Back Guarantee Period | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 45 Days | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 31 Days | Visit Site |
Privacy
If you’ve been online, there are plenty of nosy types interested in getting a peek at the logs of your online travels. Everyone, from your own ISP to advertisers and law enforcement, is interested in your online travels. This is why a VPN provider’s privacy protections are an important consideration.
Always look for answers to the following questions:
- Is the provider located in a privacy-respecting country?
- Does the provider save user activity logs on their servers?
- Does the provider accept private payment like Bitcoin?
Hotspot Shield is owned by a U.S. company, Pango. While the provider is allowed to collect and log user activity, it does not do so. No cryptocurrency payment option to be found here.
Hong Kong-based provider PureVPN currently saves no logs related to users’ online travels. Unfortunately, since Hong Kong is a Chinese possession once again, that could change at any time. While the provider accepts cryptocurrency, there are no refunds to be had on subscriptions purchased this way.
PureVPN owns and operates all of its servers, meaning outside contractors are kept well away from your personal information.
Privacy Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Privacy Ranking | Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 4.5 | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 4.5 | Visit Site |
Security
There are Nosy Nellies all over the internet and they would all love to be able to follow you around in real-time while you’re online. Luckily, a VPN’s protective measures can prevent outsiders from following you around on the internet.
PureVPN uses banking-grade encryption, kill switch protection, and IPv6 and DNS leak prevention to keep your online travels incognito. Connection protocols include Wireguard, OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, L2TP, PPTP, and IKEv2.
Hotspot Shield users online security is taken care of by its military-grade encryption. Available connection protocols include OpenVPN, Wireguard, and IKEv2 (IPSec). Protocol availability varies, depending on the device. A kill switch protection feature is available on Hotspot’s Windows app.
Security Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Overall Security Score | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 5.0 | Visit Site |
Simultaneous Connections
Do you have more than one connected device? If you do, I’ll bet you use many of your devices at the same time. This makes a VPN’s simultaneous connections allowance an important consideration.
PureVPN allows its customers to make up to 10 simultaneous connections to its servers.
Hotspot Shield users are allowed to concurrently connect up to five devices to its servers. (Or, up to 25 devices, five for each family member, with a Premium Family subscription.)
Simultaneous Connections Winner: PureVPN
| Provider | Simultaneous Connections Allowed | Link |
| PureVPN | 10 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5 | Visit Site |
Streaming Support
Streaming video and music are two of the most popular internet activities today. Unfortunately, movie and music fans are not getting all that they could be from their subscriptions. This is due to the restrictions in the contracts streamers sign with movie and record studios limiting viewing or listening to content to viewers in specified countries.
A VPN helps you to access geo-fenced content, as it temporarily assigns a fresh IP address for your device. This makes it seem as if you and your device are connecting from inside another country. You will then gain access to content that might normally only be available to viewers inside the country you are connected to.
Hotspot Shield delivers reliable access to Netflix US, Netflix UK, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Twitch, Disney+, and other popular streaming services.
PureVPN also opens up access to multiple streaming services around the globe. You can use the provider to access Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more.
Streaming Support Winner: Hotspot Shield
| Provider | # of U.S. Streaming Services VPN Unblocks | # of International Services VPN Unblocks | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 6+ | 5+ | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 5+ | 5+ | Visit Site |
BitTorrent Support
Sharing files via BitTorrent is an efficient way to share information with other users. While file sharing itself is legal in most countries, it is illegal in most countries to share copyrighted materials, including movies, music, and games.
The entertainment industry pressures your ISPs to throttle or block your internet connection when they detect file sharing activity, even if the files you’re sharing are legal.
However, a VPN encrypts your internet connection and assigns a new IP address to your connected device, meaning your file sharing activity cannot be seen or tracked back to you.
Hotspot Shield supports BitTorrenting on its entire global server network.
PureVPN allows P2P file sharing on servers located in 37+ countries.
BitTorrenting Winner: It’s a tie. Both VPNs allow file sharing
| Provider | # of Countries Where VPN Allows BitTorrents | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | All of them | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 37 countries | Visit Site |
Global Server Coverage
The larger your VPN’s global server network, the better access you’ll have to geo-fenced content around the globe.
Hotspot Shield’s server network is made up of 1,800+ servers stationed in 80+ countries around the world.
PureVPN has over 6,500+ servers spread out among 70+ countries.
Global Server Coverage Winner: Hotspot Shield
| Provider | Server Count | Countries | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 1,800+ | 80+ | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 6,500+ | 70+ | Visit Site |
Multi-Platform App Support
It seems as if all of my connected devices run different operating systems. This makes a VPN provider’s app support an important consideration.
Hotspot Shield offers native support for iOS, macOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Linux, and Windows device platforms. The provider also supports select routers, but only if you subscribe to Hotspot Premium. (You can purchase pre-configured routers through Flashrouters.com if you’re not into doing it yourself.) A Chrome browser extension is also available.
PureVPN does a bit better in the apps department, with options for Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, Chromebook, Huawei, iOS, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV devices. Chrome, Brave, Edge, and Firefox browser extensions are also available. Router support is available, and pre-configured routers are available at Flashrouters.com.
Multi-Platform Support Winner: PureVPN
| Provider | Platforms Supported | Browser Extensions? | Router Support? |
Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 7 | Yes (Chrome) | Yes – Manual setup, only on Hotspot Premium. Routers available through Flashrouters | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 9 | Yes (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox) | Yes – Flashrouter options available. | Visit Site |
Customer Support
While these VPN providers offer reliable, easy-to-use protection, you may still occasionally have a question about your service. Both providers offer comprehensive customer support.
Hotspot Shield’s customer service department offers 24/7 live chat, email support, a contact form, an FAQ section, and a searchable support library.
Meanwhile, PureVPN offers live support chat, a trouble ticket system, and a searchable knowledge base.
Customer Support Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Customer Support Rating | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| PureVPN | 5.0 | Visit Site |
And The Winner Is…
Hotspot Shield and PureVPN both provide comprehensive VPN protection. However, there is an overall winner, and that’s PureVPN.
PureVPN took the overall crown, thanks to its performance in the Connection Speeds, Pricing, Simultaneous Connections, and Multi-Platform App Support arenas.
Meanwhile, Hotspot Shield was victorious in the Streaming Support and Global Server Coverage columns.
It was a tie when it came to Privacy, Security, BitTorrent Support, and Customer Support departments.
For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit PureVPN.
