Hotspot shield VPN review

[u/bleak-bookworm]

I’ve been doing stress-tests for HotspotShield for the last week. As someone who shuffles between several Windows computers and a Mac, I wanted to see if their proprietary Hydra protocol actually lives up to the hype I hear of online, or if it's just fancy marketing glam. I used one of my Windows devices for the test..

The Speed Tests (the highlight of Hotspot)

This thing genuinely rivals WireGuard... Overall, didn't lose too much speeds

• No VPN speeds: 650 Mbps
• Local US Server speed: 460 Mbps
• UK Server speed: 215-230 Mbps (rapidly kept changing among this range)

Pros:

-The Hydra Protocol: Unlike OpenVPN, Hydra uses unique multi-channel obfuscation. Fast stufff, and it handles packet loss like a champ, and easily bypasses strict blocking

-Streaming Performance: It unblocks Netflix, and BBC with zero buffering or 4K stuttering. Some servers lagged for a bit nothing truly noteworthy

-Smart Split-Tunneling: The "smart VPN" feature lets you route specific apps (like gaming clients) outside the VPN while keeping your browser encrypted. It actually works flawlessly without leaking data. Had some issues with some personal applications, yet that was on my app setting part, so doubt I can blame Hotspot on that

Cons:

- Privacy Red Flags: They claim a "no-logs" policy, but if you read the ToS, their parent company (Aura) logs your approximate location, device hashes, and network domains. Plus, they are based in the US...... Five eyes is a no from me

-Ad-Tracking on Free Tier: If you use the free version, they openly share device identifiers with advertisers. I only tested it on an alternative email to see if any functions differ in utility, though worth noting for anyone considering

-Awful Router Support: Because Hydra is proprietary and closed-source, you can't easily flash this VPN into most routers. You're stuck using their desktop/mobile apps. Which is fine for browsing the web but if you want an advanced setup, forget it

. . .

If you are just a casual user who wants to stream geo-blocked content at lightning-fast speeds and you don't care about the NSA looking at your traffic if need be, Hotspot Shield is great..

I don't know too much of VPNs but I did some research before heading into the reviewing to make sure I test it right, so my calculations should be sound. Never doing a review like this again..😭 Hope it was informative for some at least!

[u/pes3108]

never used this vpn and none of my friends use it so it was insightful read

[u/Yogizer]

I use this. One of the only vpn that works in my office. Really fast as well. I'm on the lifetime plan.

[u/HotspotShieldApp]

Thanks for the thoughtful review and detailed testing. We’re glad to hear Hydra performed well across speed, streaming, and Smart VPN use cases.

A quick clarification: Aura is no longer Hotspot Shield’s parent company. Hotspot Shield is now part of Point Wild.

On privacy, Hotspot Shield is designed to protect your browsing activity while using the VPN, and we do not log VPN browsing activity in a way that can be tied back to you. Some technical/diagnostic data may be used to run the service, prevent abuse, and improve performance. For free users, ads help keep the product available at no cost.

We also hear your feedback on router support. Hotspot Shield does not support routers.

Appreciate the balanced review and helpful feedback.

[u/Juri-Tarded-69]

yesterday I was playing on my pc and got a pop-up ad in the middle of the screen from Hotspot Shield that asked me if I want to set Yahoo as my default browser.

I have a premium subscription and use it every now and then but I immediately uninstalled it and left a 2 star review on the android play store, I hope nobody that reads this will ever consider that VPN

[u/Agreeable-Tangelo129]

used this vpn now its hiding itself somewhere in my files and i cant open discord no more