Compare speeds, free options, subscription prices and renewal terms to see which VPN fits your needs.
| Speed | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Paid · Download | 84 Mbps | No data |
| Paid · Upload | 81.2 Mbps | No data |
| Free · Download | Not applicable | 448.18 Mbps |
| Free · Upload | Not applicable | 252.95 Mbps |
No speed history available.
| Free options | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Free options | There is no free VPN plan or free trial. | 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 | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plan | FastestVPN | Premium |
| 1 month | 1 month / $5.00 $5.00 per month At renewal: 1 month / $5.00 $5.00 per month (Same monthly price) | 1 month / $1.99 $1.99 per month At renewal: 1 month / $12.99 $12.99 per month (+553%) |
| 1 year | No plan for this term | 1 year / $29.00 $2.42 per month At renewal: 1 year / $95.99 $8.00 per month (+231%) |
| 2 years | 24 months / $19.95 $0.83 per month At renewal: 24 months / $19.95 $0.83 per month (Same monthly price) | No plan for this term |
| Lifetime access | Lifetime access / $40.00 At renewal: No automatic renewal | 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 | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic renewal | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website1 month · 24 months · Credit card, PayPal Renews automatically. Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteLifetime access Lifetime access: no automatic renewal. Optional add-ons have separate terms. Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website24 months · Cryptocurrency No automatic renewal. Another paid period requires a manual payment. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google PlayRenews automatically. |
| How to turn off renewal | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website1 month · 24 months · Credit card, PayPal In your VPN account
The purchase FAQ describes cancellation in your account, while an older support article directs you to support. 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. | 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. |
| When to cancel | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website1 month · 24 months · Credit card, PayPal At least 24 hours before the next charge. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteIn your VPN account: At least 24 hours before the next charge. |
| Access after cancellation | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website1 month · 24 months · Credit card, PayPal Remaining access after cancellation is not established. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google PlayAvailable until the paid period ends. |
| Removing a card from your VPN account | It is unknown whether the saved card can be removed. | It is unknown whether the saved card can be removed. |
| Refund conditions | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| What can be refunded and under what conditions | Purchases on the VPN websiteCredit card · PayPal The provider’s refund guarantee applies subject to conditions. Within 31 days Starting from your initial purchase Refund amount & fees The refund is returned to the original payment method. Conditions Your VPN access ends when the refund is approved. 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 websiteCredit card · PayPal Renewal payments are not covered by the provider’s guarantee. Cryptocurrency The provider’s refund guarantee does not apply to this purchase. | 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 | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the VPN? | Fast Technology Limited is the company named as providing the VPN service. Audit identifies company in 2023; current website chat identifies Fast Technology Ltd. Complete contracting/store allocation and corporate registration not established. | 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 privacy policy says the company is based in the Cayman Islands and follows its data-retention law. We could not confirm which law governs the subscription contract. | 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 | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| No-logs policy | No-logs review Altius IT · January 2023 What was checked: Selected server configurations and logs, examined from December 2022 to January 2023. Findings: The auditors found no evidence of retained logs identifying a user or their internet activity in the examined systems. Limitations: The effectiveness of security safeguards and third-party controls was outside the review. Read the audit report | 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 independent audit found for this area. | No independent audit found for this area. |
| Apps, protocols & servers | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Computers & mobile devices | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| TV devices | PaidAndroid TV, Fire TV FreeNot applicable | PaidAndroid TV, Fire TV FreeNot supported |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Chrome |
| Manual setup | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Routers, NAS, Enigma2 | Not supported |
| Apps, protocols & servers | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous connections | Paid10 FreeNot applicable | Paid10 Free1 |
| WireGuard | Supported | Supported |
| OpenVPN | Supported | Supported |
| IKEv2/IPsec | Supported | Supported |
| L2TP/IPsec | Supported (Manual setup) | Not supported |
| PPTP | Supported (Manual setup) | Not supported |
| Provider-specific technologies | — | Hydra |
| Other connection technologies | OpenConnect (OpenConnect: Manual setup) | — |
| Apps, protocols & servers | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 800+ | No data |
| Countries | Paid49 FreeNot applicable | Paid85 Free3 |
| Locations | 100+ | 1 |
| Features | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-connect | Supported | Supported |
| Kill Switch | Supported | Supported |
| Split tunneling | Supported | Supported (Smart VPN) |
| VPN traffic obfuscation | Not supported | Supported (Hydra) |
| Multi-hop | Supported (D-VPN) | Supported (Android app only) |
| Tor over VPN | Not supported | Supported |
| P2P / torrenting | Supported (Selected servers) | Supported |
| Ad blocking | Supported | Not supported |
| Tracker blocking | Not supported | Not supported |
| Malicious website blocking | Supported | Supported |
| Port forwarding | Supported (Paid add-on) | Not supported |
| Dedicated IP | Supported (Paid add-on) | Not supported |
| Shared static IP | Not supported | Not supported |
| Automatic IP rotation | Not supported | 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 | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Supported | Supported |
| Amazon Prime Video | Supported | Supported |
| Disney+ | Supported | Supported |
| HBO Max | Supported | Not supported |
| Hulu | Supported | Supported |
| BBC iPlayer | Supported | Not supported |
| DAZN | Supported | Not supported |
| beIN Sports | Supported | Not supported |
| fuboTV | Supported | Not supported |
| Features | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Paramount+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Apple TV+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Peacock | 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 |
| ESPN+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| F1 TV | 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 |
| ITVX | Not supported | Not supported |
| Channel 4 | 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 |
| RaiPlay | 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 |
| RTÉ Player | 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 | FastestVPN | Hotspot Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Does it work on restricted networks? | In our tests in Russia, we could not establish a working VPN connection that allowed data transfer under VPN blocking. | 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. |