hide.me vs Hotspot Shield
hide.me
hide.me
Hotspot Shield
hotspotshield.comSide by side
| Figure | hide.me | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $6.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 7 | 4 |
| Spec score · VPN services | 9.4 (#2) | 8.3 (#29) |
| Spec score · VPNs for Iran | 9.4 (#1) | 8.3 (#5) |
| Spec score · Gaming VPNs | 9.4 (#1) | 8.3 (#7) |
| Spec score · Free VPN Services | 9.2 (#3) | 8.1 (#13) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Malaysia | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| No-logs audit | Securitum's 2024 assessment found no evidence that VPN-server activity was logged; packet metadata used for traffic management was ephemeral in RAM. | Yes |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 5 |
| Streaming support | Yes | Yes |
| Torrent support | Yes | Yes |
| WireGuard support | Yes | Yes |
Plans
hide.me
- Premium — 1 monthPrice not published
- Premium — 26 monthsPrice not published
- Premium — 13 monthsPrice not published
- FreeFree
- Premium 26-month$2.69 a year
- Premium yearly$4.57 a year
- Premium monthly$9.95 a month
Hotspot Shield
- BasicFree
- Plus$6.99 a month
- Premium$7.99 a month
- Family$11.99 a month
In their own words
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is a VPN service for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, with free and paid plans. Its Basic plan costs nothing and covers one device, 500 MB of daily data, one U.S. virtual location, and a 2 Mbps limit. Paid plans include unlimited data and access to 115+ locations. Plus costs $6.99 a month with yearly billing and covers 5 devices; Premium costs $7.99 a month with annual billing and covers 10 devices. Family costs $11.99 a month with yearly billing and includes 5 member accounts and 25 devices. Listed features include streaming and torrent support, a kill switch, and WireGuard support. A verified no-logs audit is listed, and the pricing note mentions a 7-day trial. The maker is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The free and paid tiers differ in data allowance, location count, speed limit, and device coverage, so the Basic plan's stated limits are important to consider before choosing a plan.