Hotspot Shield vs VyprVPN – At a Glance
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield delivers fast, well-protected connections from a large global server network that provides reliable access to geo-controlled content around the globe.
The provider’s comprehensive privacy and security protections keep outsiders from tracking you online.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN also offers top-notch online privacy and security protection, keeping your online antics undercover. While the VPN delivers impressive connection speeds, its app support could be better.
The provider’s protected connection speeds are quite impressive and are able to handle any of your favorite online activities.
Choosing a VPN
Before subscribing to any VPN provider, make sure to carefully investigate how well the provider performs in each important service category.
In this article, I’ll be comparing two VPN providers, Hotspot Shield and VyprVPN. I’ll take a look at how well both VPNs perform in each service category, declare a victor in each area, add up the individual scores, and declare an overall victor.
By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge required to make an informed decision.
Features of Hotspot Shield and VyprVPN
In the following sections, we’ll take a look at the VPN features you should carefully consider before buying a VPN subscription.
Connection Speeds
Whatever your favorite online activity, a fast connection makes it more enjoyable. This includes such popular online pastimes as streaming video, sharing files, and gaming.
I regularly perform VPN connection speed tests. Here’s how I perform the tests:
- My connection speed tests are performed using a North American Windows server with a gigabit Ethernet connection.
- Connections are made to three VPN servers, which are located in London, New York City, and Hong Kong, at three different times of the day.
- I test using the Windows version of the VPN providers’ apps and the app is configured to connect using the Wireguard protocol when available.
- I run the Speedtest app after connecting to each VPN server location, exiting and restarting the Speedtest app between each speed test.
While both providers delivered above-average connection speeds, one provider delivered connection speeds close to double the speeds that its competitor delivered.
Hotspot Shield’s download speeds measured at 128.1 Mbps. This means that no matter what you enjoy online, this provider can handle it.
VyprVPN delivered connection speeds that are slightly more than double that of Hotspot Shield, with download speeds of 258.0 Mbps.
You’ll find that your connection speeds will differ from my results, as your speeds will depend on your unprotected connection speeds, your location, and the location of the selected VPN server.
Average Connection Speed Winner: VyprVPN
| Provider | Avg. Connection Speed | Link |
| VyprVPN | 258.0 Mbps | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 128.1 Mbps | Visit Site |
Pricing
The prices for groceries, gas, gaming, and other necessities are sky-high and rising on a daily basis, so it’s a good idea to save a few bucks wherever you can. However, super cheap VPNs (and free VPNs) don’t always provide all of the protection and features you need. This is why it is important to consider a provider’s true value.
Hotspot Shield’s monthly fee is just about the price of a medium burger combo at your favorite fast food joint when you subscribe for one year. The provider offers a 45-day money-back guarantee. Hotspot Shield also offers a free tier of service, which is limited to one device and one location, and doesn’t support streaming.
VyprVPN’s monthly fee is equivalent to the price of a small burger combo at that same fast food joint.
BTW, I never post exact VPN pricing in my articles, as VPNs change their pricing on a regular basis, so VPN pricing info quickly becomes outdated. Visit the VPN providers’ websites to find out their current pricing.
Pricing Winner: VyprVPN
| Provider | Money-Back Guarantee Period | Link |
| Hotspot Shield | 45 Days | Visit Site |
| VyprVPN | 30 Days | Visit Site |
Privacy
Normally, when you go online, you leave behind evidence of what you’ve been up to. This makes a VPN’s privacy features an important consideration.
Always consider the following when investigating a VPN’s privacy protections:
- Is the provider located in a privacy-friendly country?
- Does the provider save any user logs on its servers?
- Does the provider accept cryptocurrency as payment?
Hotspot Shield is owned by U.S. company Pango. So, while the provider certainly would be allowed to collect or log user traffic data and browsing activity, it does not log either of those. Unfortunately, a cryptocurrency payment option is not available.
VyprVPN is based in privacy-respecting Switzerland, keeping no user logs on its servers. Unfortunately, VyprVPN also does not accept cryptocurrency as payment.
Privacy Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Privacy Ranking | Site |
| VyprVPN | 4.5 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 4.5 | Visit Site |
Security
If you go online without a VPN to protect you, you can be tracked by third parties in real-time while you use the internet. Luckily, by using a VPN to encrypt your connection, while also temporarily gaining a new IP address for your connected device, you keep your online antics hidden.
Hotspot Shield keeps its users’ online travels undercover by using military-grade encryption. Connection protocols from the provider include OpenVPN, Wireguard, and IKEv2 (IPSec). Available protocols can vary, depending on which of the provider’s apps you’re using. A kill switch protection feature is available on the provider’s Windows app.
VyprVPN also makes use of military-level encryption and a kill switch to keep its users’ online travels incognito. WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, and PPTP are among the provider’s available connection protocols. VyprVPN’s proprietary Chameleon protocol disguises your VPN activity as normal browsing traffic.
Security Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Overall Security Score | Link |
| VyprVPN | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5.0 | Visit Site |
Simultaneous Connections
You likely own multiple connected devices and probably use more than one of those devices at once. This makes a VPN provider with a large simultaneous connections allowance a requirement.
VyprVPN limits its users to simultaneously connecting up to 10 devices to its servers.
Hotspot Shield allows users to connect up to five devices to its servers at once. (It allows up to 25 devices, five for each family member, when you subscribe to its Premium Family tier.)
While both connection allowances could be a bit limiting for users that have a large family or that own a small business, most users will likely find the allowance to be sufficient.
Simultaneous Connections Winner: VyprVPN
| Provider | Simultaneous Connections Allowed | Link |
| VyprVPN | 10 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5 | Visit Site |
Streaming Support
If you’re like me, you subscribe to multiple streaming services. No matter how many streaming services you subscribe to, you’re not going to get all that you could be getting from your subscriptions. This is due to the restrictions the services place on the viewing of their content. This is where a VPN can help.
A VPN temporarily assigns a fresh IP address to your connected device. This makes it appear to the rest of the internet that you and your device are located in another country. This allows you to access streaming content that is normally limited to viewers in that region of the world.
Hotspot Shield provides access to Netflix US, Netflix UK, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Twitch, Disney+, and other popular streaming services.
VyprVPN also provides access to various streamers, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, Netflix Canada, MLB.tv, DAZN, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, ESPN, and others.
Streaming Support Winner: VyprVPN
| Provider | # of U.S. Streaming Services VPN Unblocks | # of International Services VPN Unblocks | Link |
| VyprVPN | 10+ | 8+ | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 6+ | 5+ | Visit Site |
BitTorrent Support
BitTorrent allows internet users to share files with other online users. While file sharing is legal in most countries and many established organizations make use of P2P to share files among employees, ISPs throttle or block their users’ internet connections if they detect that they’re sharing files.
The reason ISPs do this is that it’s illegal to share copyrighted materials, such as movies, music, and other copyrighted materials. The film and music industries pressure ISPs to block P2P file sharing by throttling your connection speeds or by blocking file sharing, whether the files being shared are legal or not.
A VPN hides your BitTorrent activities in two ways. First, it encrypts your internet connection, hiding your online activities. It also temporarily assigns a new IP address to your connected device, preventing anyone from tracing your BitTorrenting back to your machine.
VyprVPN allows BitTorrenting activity on its entire global server network.
Hotspot Shield also allows BitTorrenting activity on its server network.
BitTorrenting Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | # of Countries Where VPN Allows BitTorrents | Link |
| VyprVPN | All of them | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | All of them | Visit Site |
Global Server Coverage
A VPN provider’s global server coverage can either be important or unimportant, as it depends on what you plan on doing with it.
If you’re looking to simply keep your online travels undercover, the size of the network might not matter. However, if you’re looking to access international content, a large VPN server network matters greatly.
Also, look for a provider that has multiple servers located in each country. This helps ensure that a single server won’t be hit by too many users at once.
VyprVPN’s global server network boasts 700+ servers in 80+ countries.
Hotspot Shield’s server network, with 1,800+ servers stationed in 80+ countries around the globe.
Global Server Coverage Winner: Hotspot Shield
| Provider | Server Count | Countries | Link |
| VyprVPN | 700+ | 80+ | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 1,800+ | 80+ | Visit Site |
Multi-Platform Support
If you own more than one connected device, they all likely run different operating systems. This is why you should look for a VPN provider with a large number of app options.
Hotspot Shield offers native app support for iOS, macOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Linux, and Windows device platforms. The provider does offer compatibility with select routers, but only if you spring for Hotspot Premium. (You can also purchase pre-configured routers through Flashrouters.com.) A Chrome browser extension is also available.
VyprVPN’s native app support includes options for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows devices. A Chrome browser extension is also available, as is compatibility with select routers. Linux can be protected with a bit of manual setup. (Ready out-of-the-box routers are available through Flashrouters.com.)
Multi-Platform Support Winner: VyprVPN (By a nose)
| Provider | Platforms Supported | Browser Extensions? | Router Support? |
Link |
| VyprVPN | 4 | Yes (Chrome) | Yes – Manual setup. Also includes Flashrouter options. | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 7 | Yes (Chrome) | Yes – Manual setup, only on Hotspot Premium. | Visit Site |
Customer Support
While both of these VPNs are easy to use and reliable, you’ll likely still have an occasional question about the VPN.
VyprVPN’s customer service department offers live chat, email support, and a searchable support library.
Hotspot Shield’s customer service department offers round-the-clock support, with 24/7 live chat, email support, a “contact us” form, searchable tutorials, an FAQs section, and a searchable support library.
Customer Support Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Customer Support Rating | Link |
| VyprVPN | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5.0 | Visit Site |
And The Winner Is…
Both VyprVPN and Hotspot Shield deliver top-notch VPN services. However, one VPN outscored the other by a large margin.
VyprVPN is the overall victor in this battle, thanks to being tops in the Connection Speeds, Pricing, Simultaneous Connections, Multi-Platform Support, and Streaming Support service columns.
Hotspot Shield performed the best in just one service arena, proving to be the victor in Global Server Coverage.
It was a tie when it came to Privacy, Security, BitTorrent, and Customer Support.
For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit VyprVPN.
