Compare speeds, free options, subscription prices and renewal terms to see which VPN fits your needs.
| Speed | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Paid · Download | No data | No data |
| Paid · Upload | No data | No data |
| Free · Download | No data | 497.08 Mbps |
| Free · Upload | No data | 255.47 Mbps |
No speed history available.
| Free options | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Free options | There is no permanent free plan. A 3-day trial is offered through the iOS and Android apps and converts to a paid subscription unless cancelled. | Free Basic offers unlimited traffic, one connection and one virtual location on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS; ads may appear. A 7-day trial is also offered with an annual subscription. It converts to paid access unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the trial ends. |
| Pricing | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plan | Basic | Premium |
| 1 month | 1 month / $14.99 $14.99 per month At renewal: 1 month / $14.99 $14.99 per month (Same monthly price) Customers: New customers | 1 month / $1.99 $1.99 per month At renewal: 1 month / $12.99 $12.99 per month (+553%) |
| 1 year | 15 months / $74.85 $4.99 per month At renewal: 12 months / $99.95 $8.33 per month (+67%) Customers: New customers | 1 year / $29.00 $2.42 per month At renewal: 1 year / $95.99 $8.00 per month (+231%) |
| 2 years | 28 months / $83.72 $2.99 per month At renewal: 12 months / $99.95 $8.33 per month (+179%) Customers: New customers | No plan for this term |
Direct purchases only. Monthly equivalents include bonus time; the full amount is charged upfront. Taxes and eligibility may differ.
| Managing your subscription | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic renewal | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteRenews automatically. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google PlayRenews automatically. |
| How to turn off renewal | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteIn your VPN account
Subscriptions purchased through App Store and Google Play If you purchased through the App Store or Google Play, open the subscription settings in that store, select the VPN and cancel the subscription. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteIn your VPN account or Through support In your VPN account
Through support
After your paid period ends, your account returns to Basic. Canceling your subscription does not automatically request a refund. Subscriptions purchased through App Store and Google Play If you purchased through the App Store or Google Play, open the subscription settings in that store, select the VPN and cancel the subscription. |
| Access after cancellation | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteAvailable until the paid period ends. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google PlayAvailable until the paid period ends. |
| Removing a card from your VPN account | You can remove the card in your VPN account.
Removing the only saved payment method disables automatic renewal. | It is unknown whether the saved card can be removed. |
| When to cancel | The exact cancellation deadline is not specified. Cancel well before the next renewal charge to avoid being charged again. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteIn your VPN account: At least 24 hours before the next charge. |
| Refund conditions | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| What can be refunded and under what conditions | Purchases on the VPN websiteThe provider’s refund guarantee applies subject to conditions. Within 30 days Starting from your initial purchase Refund amount & fees Full refund under these conditions. How to request a refund
App Store & Google Play purchasesIf you paid through the App Store or Google Play, you can request a refund through that store. Requests are assessed under the store’s rules; approval is not guaranteed. | Purchases on the VPN websiteThe provider’s refund guarantee applies subject to conditions. Within 45 days Starting from your initial purchase Refund amount & fees The website advertises a full refund within the guarantee window. How to request a refund
App Store & Google Play purchasesIf you paid through the App Store or Google Play, you can request a refund through that store. Requests are assessed under the store’s rules; approval is not guaranteed. |
| What is not covered by refunds | Purchases on the VPN websiteRenewal payments are not covered by the provider’s guarantee. Renewals, gift codes and app-store purchases are excluded. Some promotional offers and previously refunded customers may be ineligible. | Purchases on the VPN websiteRenewal payments after the initial 45-day guarantee period are not covered by the money-back guarantee. Purchases through resellers have separate refund terms. |
| Ownership & jurisdiction | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the VPN? | Express Technologies Ltd. (registered in British Virgin Islands) is the company named as providing the VPN service. Express Technologies Ltd. is the parent company of Kape Technologies. Registered in British Virgin Islands. | The legal documents name Anchorfree, LLC and Pango Gmbh as possible service operators, but we could not confirm which company provides your subscription. Terms name either Anchorfree, LLC or Pango Gmbh depending on purchase location; the exact mapping was not established. |
| Which laws apply? | The service terms specify the law of British Virgin Islands. | The terms specify New York law while preserving mandatory consumer protections. The company may be registered elsewhere. |
Each audit covers particular systems and a particular point in time. A provider announcement is distinct from a publicly available audit report.
| Audits | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| No-logs policy | No-logs assessment KPMG LLP · February 2025 What was checked: TrustedServer and privacy controls as of 28 February 2025. Findings: The provider reports reasonable assurance with no identified issues concerning safeguards against activity logging. Limitations: A point-in-time assessment does not guarantee future security. Read the auditor’s summary | No-logs review Aon · 2023 What was checked: Logging behaviour in free and paid clients and a development server node. Findings: The review found no browsing activity traceable to an individual and no plaintext IP-address logging in the examined setup. Limitations: This privacy review did not assess the security of data storage or hosting. Read the auditor’s summary |
| App security | No independent audit found for this area. | No independent audit found for this area. |
| Infrastructure security | No-logs assessment KPMG LLP · February 2025 What was checked: TrustedServer and privacy controls as of 28 February 2025. Findings: The provider reports reasonable assurance with no identified issues concerning safeguards against activity logging. Limitations: A point-in-time assessment does not guarantee future security. Read the auditor’s summary | No independent audit found for this area. |
| Apps, protocols & servers | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Computers & mobile devices | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| TV devices | PaidAndroid TV, Fire TV, Apple TV FreeNot applicable | PaidAndroid TV, Fire TV FreeNot supported |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave | Chrome |
| Manual setup | Windows, Routers | Not supported |
| Apps, protocols & servers | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous connections | Paid10 FreeNot applicable | Paid10 Free1 |
| WireGuard | Supported | Supported |
| OpenVPN | Supported | Supported |
| IKEv2/IPsec | Supported | Supported |
| Provider-specific technologies | Lightway | Hydra |
| Apps, protocols & servers | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | PaidNo data FreeNot applicable | PaidSources give different counts FreeNo data |
| Countries | Paid113 FreeNot applicable | Paid85 Free3 |
| Locations | Paid214 FreeNot applicable | PaidSources give different counts Free1 |
| Features | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-connect | Supported | Supported |
| Kill Switch | Supported | Supported |
| Split tunneling | Supported | Supported (Smart VPN) |
| VPN traffic obfuscation | Supported | Supported (Hydra) |
| Multi-hop | Not supported | Supported (Android app only) |
| Tor over VPN | Not supported | Supported |
| P2P / torrenting | Supported | Supported |
| Ad blocking | Supported | Not supported |
| Tracker blocking | Supported (Requires an upgraded plan) | Not supported |
| Malicious website blocking | Supported | Supported |
| Port forwarding | Not supported | Not supported |
| Dedicated IP | Supported (Paid add-on) | Not supported |
| Shared static IP | Not supported | Not supported |
| Automatic IP rotation | Supported (ShuffleIP) | Not supported |
Based on providers’ published information. “Not supported” means the service was not listed in the reviewed materials; playback has not been tested.
| Features | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Supported | Supported |
| Amazon Prime Video | Supported | Supported |
| Disney+ | Supported | Supported |
| HBO Max | Supported | Not supported |
| Paramount+ | Supported | Not supported |
| Hulu | Supported | Supported |
| Peacock | Supported | Not supported |
| BBC iPlayer | Supported | Not supported |
| ITVX | Supported | Not supported |
| Channel 4 | Supported | Not supported |
| RaiPlay | Supported | Not supported |
| RTÉ Player | Supported | Not supported |
| Features | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Crunchyroll | Not supported | Not supported |
| YouTube TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| iQIYI | Not supported | Not supported |
| WeTV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Viki | Not supported | Not supported |
| DAZN | Not supported | Not supported |
| ESPN+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| F1 TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| beIN Sports | Not supported | Not supported |
| fuboTV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Kayo Sports | Not supported | Not supported |
| JioHotstar | Not supported | Not supported |
| ZEE5 | Not supported | Not supported |
| SonyLIV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Vidio | Not supported | Not supported |
| Canal+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| NOW TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| France.tv | Not supported | Not supported |
| TF1+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTL+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Joyn | Not supported | Not supported |
| ARD | Not supported | Not supported |
| ZDF | Not supported | Not supported |
| Mediaset Infinity | Not supported | Not supported |
| Movistar Plus+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTVE Play | Not supported | Not supported |
| Viaplay | Not supported | Not supported |
| U-next | Not supported | Not supported |
| TVING | Not supported | Not supported |
| Coupang Play | Not supported | Not supported |
| Wavve | Not supported | Not supported |
| FPT Play | Not supported | Not supported |
| VieON | Not supported | Not supported |
| VTV Go | Not supported | Not supported |
| Vision+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| RCTI+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Exxen | Not supported | Not supported |
| puhutv | Not supported | Not supported |
| M6+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Videoland | Not supported | Not supported |
| NPO Start | Not supported | Not supported |
| Ziggo Go | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTBF Auvio | Not supported | Not supported |
Relevant mainly where VPN services are blocked
If you are in the US, a European country, or elsewhere and VPN services are not blocked on your network, these results need not rule this VPN out of your purchase decision. A failed test under blocking in Russia does not, by itself, mean the VPN is poor quality or will not work where you live. Consider its speed, features and price for your needs.
| Censorship | ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Does it work on restricted networks? | Could not confirm | In our tests in Russia, the free plan bypassed VPN blocking and allowed data transfer. We could not establish a working connection with data transfer on the paid plan. |