# HardHat vs Online Shield

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HardHat at none against Online Shield's 8. HardHat also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Online Shield sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. HardHat asks for nothing beyond the download.

HardHat ships an update every 3 weeks, Online Shield fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HardHat | Online Shield |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/online-shield-fast-vpn-proxy/id6443399771/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **8K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 55.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Size | 24 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HardHat Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543678169) | [WEB 3.0 SOFT LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1656520813) |

## What reviewers say

### HardHat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardhat/id1543678167)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Online Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/online-shield-fast-vpn-proxy/id6443399771)

Enhance your online privacy and device security with a comprehensive suite of tools. This app offers a VPN, ad blocker, photo locker, and storage cleaner to protect your data and free up space. Enjoy a secure and private web experience with advanced encryption and a no-log policy.

**Highlights:** VPN connection for online privacy, Ad blocking on websites, Photo and video duplicate search/delete, Contact duplicate organization/delete, Smart cleaning for storage, Internet speed test, Content and website blocking

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Hide Lock & Password Manager | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week access to all features | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week access to all features | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| Vault Password Manager (month) | $14.99 | per month |
| 1 Year Premium | $75.99 | per year |
| Data & Contact transfer (year) | $84.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient
- 💖 Wonderful
- 👍 Good
- 🚀 Effective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid subscription required
- 🤬 Forced to use
- 💰 Stole money
- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🦠 Gives virus

**Reported bugs**

- Impossible to cancel subscription
- Freezes on login screen
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Cancel subscription option
- Free version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HardHat free?

HardHat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Online Shield free?

Online Shield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do HardHat or Online Shield have ads?

Online Shield shows ads; HardHat does not.

### Which is updated more often, HardHat or Online Shield?

HardHat ships an update every 3 weeks, and Online Shield fortnightly. Most recently, HardHat was updated on September 4, 2026 and Online Shield on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*