Hotspot Shield vs Windscribe

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Hotspot Shield
Windscribe-logo
Windscribe
Price starts from $7.99 $4.08
Devices per license 5 Unlimited
Privacy and security features OpenVPN, Ipsec, SSTP, PPTP Protocols. IKEv2, UDP, TCP, Stealth, Wstunnel
Torrenting, Netflix, HBO
Money Back Guarantee 45 days 3 days
Setup time 5 min <5 minutes
Mobile app
Server Locations 20 60+
Number of servers 2500 530+
Payment Methods Paypal, Visa/Mastercard, American Express, Discover Card, JCB, Diners Club, Yandex Money, WebMoney PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, American Express, Bitcoin, Paymentwall
Zero-Logs Policy
Usability and Support - Subreddit, live chat, ticket
Best For Travel Privacy, Streaming, Sports
Platforms Windows, Mac, Android, IOS Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, IOS
Features list
  • 2500 servers in 20 countries
  • 45-day money-back guarantee
  • Catapult Hydra proprietary protocol
  • Kill Switch and DNS leaks protection
  • 270 servers in 11 countries
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Transparent privacy policy
  • Free plan with 10GB monthly
Pros for compare page
  • Kill switch
  • Military-grade encryption
  • 45-day money-back guarantee
  • Decent customer support
  • 2500+ servers to choose from
  • Impressive connection speeds
  • Up to 5 simultaneous connections
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • A free VPN version
  • Unlimited devices connection per one license
  • Allows using Torrents (on some servers)
  • Unblocks Netflix
  • Doesn’t keep users’ traffic
  • Supports many devices and platforms
  • Has free version with high speed and quite a lot of servers
  • Top security
  • Transparent privacy policy
Cons for compare page
  • Privacy-wise, it is a questionable choice
  • Not the best value for money
  • Lacks connection stability on far-away servers
  • The free plan is very limited
  • Doesn’t work with Netflix or other streaming platforms
  • Comparatively small number of servers
  • Low speed on some servers
  • No KillSwitch option
  • VPN conflicts with Windows Firewall

Last Customer Reviews: Hotspot Shield vs Windscribe

Steve
I tried Surfshark, Nord and Torguard before Windscribe, they all were less than stellar (various reasons). For the $$, and the fact that WS stays connected far better vs.the others, it was worth it (for me) to go WS Pro. Another selling point, WS android app has IKEv2 and Split-tunnel included, no need for strongswan app(another VPN hassle).
Pros: Hotspot Shield
  • Kill switch
  • Military-grade encryption
  • 45-day money-back guarantee
  • Decent customer support
  • 2500+ servers to choose from
  • Impressive connection speeds
  • Up to 5 simultaneous connections
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • A free VPN version
Cons: Hotspot Shield
  • Privacy-wise, it is a questionable choice
  • Not the best value for money
  • Lacks connection stability on far-away servers
  • The free plan is very limited
  • Doesn’t work with Netflix or other streaming platforms
Pros: Windscribe
  • Unlimited devices connection per one license
  • Allows using Torrents (on some servers)
  • Unblocks Netflix
  • Doesn’t keep users’ traffic
  • Supports many devices and platforms
  • Has free version with high speed and quite a lot of servers
  • Top security
  • Transparent privacy policy
Cons: Windscribe
  • Comparatively small number of servers
  • Low speed on some servers
  • No KillSwitch option
  • VPN conflicts with Windows Firewall

Compare Prices

Hotspot Shield Plans
1 month
$12.99/mth
1 year
$7.99/mth
Windscribe Plans
1 Month
$9/mth
1 Year
$4.08/mth
Free plan
$0/mth