Surfshark vs. Hotspot Shield – At a Glance
Surfshark
Surfshark sports a budget price but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t powerful. The provider boasts a large server network, comprehensive device support, and top-notch online security and privacy protections.
Surfshark also offers extra protective services for a nominal fee, which adds antivirus protection, truly private search, and data breach alerts to your protections.
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield boasts a large global server network with fast connections, providing reliable access to geo-fenced content from Netflix and other streaming services.
The provider performs well in the privacy and security protection categories as well.
How to Choose a VPN
When you’re looking for reliable VPN protection, you should carefully research each VPN. Make sure that the providers you consider all provide the right services for your needs.
In this article, two well-known VPN providers (Surfshark and Hotspot Shield) will go head-to-head. I’ll compare the two VPNs in each category, and then declare a winner for that feature. I’ll then determine the overall scores and declare a final champion.
By the time you finish this article, you’ll have enough information to allow you to make an informed decision about which VPN is best for your personal online needs.
Surfshark vs. Hotspot Shield – Features
In this section, I’ll cover the features you should consider when subscribing to a VPN. Each feature should be carefully considered an important piece of comprehensive VPN protection.
Connection Speeds
If you stream video and music, play games online, or share files, you know quite well that a fast connection is your best friend.
I perform VPN connection speed tests on a regular basis, performing the tests with the Speedtest.net app. These tests are run as follows:
- I use a Windows server that uses a gigabit Ethernet connection based in North America.
- Both providers are tested by connecting to VPN servers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Hong Kong, at three different times of day over the course of three days.
- The Windows version of the providers’ apps are used for testing, and the app is configured to connect using the OpenVPN protocol over UDP when available.
- The Speedtest app is run after connecting to each VPN server location, shutting down the Speedtest app following each test.
Both VPN providers performed well during my testing.
Hotspot Shield’s download speeds measured in at 128.1 Mbps.
Meanwhile, Surfshark’s download speeds were much faster, averaging in at 323.6 Mbps.
Both providers are an excellent option for users that enjoy streaming, online gaming, and file sharing.
It should be noted that the connection speeds you’ll see will likely be different from my results, as they depend on your ISP-provided connection speeds, your location, and the location of the VPN server you connect to.
Average Connection Speed Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Avg. Connection Speed | Link |
| Surfshark | 323.6 Mbps | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 128.1 Mbps | Visit Site |
Pricing
Inflation is running rampant in today’s world, so many of us are in search of ways to save money wherever we can. However, you should never subscribe to a VPN based solely on its price.
While some low-priced VPNs will seem like a bargain at first, they may skimp on important protective features, deliver slower connections, or lack support for several popular devices. This means you should always carefully consider a provider’s performance and features, as well as its price.
Surfshark is a budget-priced provider, and as such charges about the price of a good cup of coffee per month. Hotspot Shield’s “Premium” tier fee is exactly double that of Surfshark’s.
It should be noted that Hotspot Shield offers a free level of VPN service. However, the free tier has severe limitations, including data caps, bandwidth throttling, a lower simultaneous connection allowance, and other restrictions.
While Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, Hotspot Shield offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.
I do not include exact pricing in my articles, as VPNs are known to change their pricing structure and offer special deals on what seems like a daily basis. Visit a provider’s website for their most current pricing information.
Pricing Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Money-Back Guarantee Period | Link |
| Surfshark | 30 Days | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 45 Days | Visit Site |
Privacy
There are so many people that would like a look at your online history. One of the most important reasons to use a VPN is to keep records of your online travels undercover.
The following features should be considered when researching a VPN service’s privacy protections:
- Is the provider located in a privacy-protecting country?
- Does the provider save any user activity logs on their servers?
- Does the provider accept privacy-protecting types of payment?
Surfshark is located in the British Virgin Islands. The provider takes full advantage of that country’s privacy-friendly policies, saving no user activity logs. Surfshark also accepts cryptocurrency to protect your payment privacy.
All Surfshark servers are run solely from volatile RAM, with no data ever being written to a physical hard drive or SSD. This ensures that all data is completely wiped when any of the provider’s servers are rebooted, shut down, or unplugged.
It should be noted that Surfshark uses a third-party provider for one of its customer support features. This introduces a privacy concern into the mix. I’ll discuss that later.
Hotspot Shield is owned by U.S.-based Pango, and also does not collect or log traffic data or browsing activity connected to individual users. Unfortunately, a cryptocurrency payment option is not available.
Privacy Winner: It’s a tie.
| Provider | Privacy Ranking | Site |
| Surfshark | 4.5 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 4.5 | Visit Site |
Security
It’s a scary online world, making it important to look for a VPN that provides comprehensive protective measures to keep your personal information safe.
Hotspot Shield protects its users’ connections with military-grade encryption. The provider’s connection protocols include OpenVPN, Wireguard, and IKEv2 (IPSec) when available. (Available protocols can vary, depending on which version of the app you’re using.). Kill switch protection is available on the provider’s Windows app.
Surfshark’s comprehensive online protection includes banking-grade encryption and kill switch protection. The OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IPSec/IKEv2 connection protocols are available. The provider’s proprietary “Camouflage Mode” disguises your VPN traffic, making it appear to be normal browser traffic.
Security Winner: It’s a tie.
| Provider | Overall Security Score | Link |
| Surfshark | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5.0 | Visit Site |
Simultaneous Connections
You likely have more than one connected device. I myself have tablets, smartphones, computers, streaming, and gaming devices, and that’s just the devices I have in my office. This is why a VPN provider’s concurrent connections allowance is an important feature to consider.
Surfshark allows its customers to simultaneously connect an unlimited number of devices to its servers.
Hotspot Shield allows its users to connect up to five devices at once to its servers. (25 devices, five for each family member account on its Premium Family tier.)
Simultaneous Connections Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Simultaneous Connections Allowed | Link |
| Surfshark | Unlimited | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5 | Visit Site |
Streaming Support
Streaming video is a popular online pastime. However, subscribers do not have access to as much content as they could. You see, many popular streaming services are either available only in certain countries or limit their content to certain regions.
Luckily, a VPN can temporarily assign a new IP address to your connected device, making it appear as if you are connecting to the internet from another area of the globe. This allows you to view streaming content that might normally be unavailable in your area.
Surfshark delivers access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITV Hub, All 4, Hotstar, HBO, Sky, and numerous other streaming services.
Hotspot Shield also delivers access to multiple streaming services, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Twitch, Disney+, and others.
Streaming Support Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | # of U.S. Streaming Services VPN Unblocks | # of International Services VPN Unblocks | Link |
| Surfshark | 9+ | 5+ | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 6+ | 5+ | Visit Site |
BitTorrent Support
BitTorrent makes it easy to share files and documents with other users. While file sharing is not illegal – several legitimate organizations use the technology – it is illegal to use it to share copyrighted materials, such as movies and music.
Many ISPs will throttle or block your internet connection if you engage in file sharing activity, no matter if the files you’re sharing are legal or not. This is because of the pressure ISPs receive from the entertainment industry to crack down on file sharing.
A VPN hides your P2P activity by encrypting your internet connection and temporarily assigning a new IP address to your sharing device.
Surfshark allows P2P file sharing on its entire server network.
Hotspot Shield also allows BitTorrenting activity on its server network.
BitTorrenting Winner: Tie
| Provider | # of Countries Where VPN Allows BitTorrents | Link |
| Surfshark | All of them | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | All of them | Visit Site |
Global Server Coverage
Always consider a VPN provider’s global server coverage, as the larger a VPN’s server network, the better access you’ll have to geo-fenced content in other areas of the globe.
Surfshark has 3,200+ servers stationed in 100+ countries worldwide.
Hotspot Shield also has a large global server network, with 1,800+ servers located in more than 80 countries around the world.
Global Server Coverage Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Server Count | Countries | Link |
| Surfshark | 3,200+ | 100+ | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 1,800+ | 80+ | Visit Site |
Multi-Platform Support
Since we established earlier that many of my readers use more than one connected device on a daily basis, it’s important to confirm what type of device support a VPN provider offers.
Surfshark’s native app support options include offerings for iOS, macOS (with native Apple Silicon support), Android, Android TV, Windows, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV device platforms. Extensions for the Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browser platforms are also available. Comprehensive router support includes pre-configured routers through Flashrouters.com.
Hotspot Shield offers app options for iOS, macOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Linux, and Windows device platforms. The provider offers compatibility with select routers, but only if you pay extra for Hotspot Premium. (Pre-configured routers are available through Flashrouters.com.) Support is also available for the Chrome browser platform.
Multi-Platform Support Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Platforms Supported | Browser Extensions? | Router Support? |
Link |
| Surfshark | 7 | Yes (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) | 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
You’ll find that most VPN services are easy to use and provide reliable protection. However, you may still have an occasional question.
Surfshark’s around-the-clock support includes 24/7 live chat, email support, and a searchable troubleshooting library. Unfortunately, Surfshark uses third-party contractor Zendesk for its agent chat feature. Any time a third party is included in the mix it adds a privacy risk.
Hotspot Shield also 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: Hotspot Shield
| Provider | Customer Support Rating | Link |
| Surfshark | 4.5 | Visit Site |
| Hotspot Shield | 5.0 | Visit Site |
And The Winner Is…
Both providers provide comprehensive internet protection. Unfortunately, only one VPN can be named the top dog.
Surfshark is the overall winner this time around, thanks to its performance in the connection speed, pricing, multi-platform support, simultaneous connections, global server coverage, and streaming support arenas.
Hotspot Shield won in one service category, customer support.
The providers tied in the privacy, security, and BitTorrent support columns.
For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit Surfshark.
