Comparison

VPN Hotspot Shield vs VPN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

VPN Hotspot Shield

This app provides fast, secure, and private internet access with industry-leading encryption. It shields your IP address and offers lightning-fast speeds for browsing, gaming, and streaming. Connect with one tap to encrypt traffic and block threats.

Highlights
  • Industry-leading VPN encryption
  • Lightning-fast speeds
  • One-tap VPN connection
  • No-logs policy
  • Military-grade encryption
  • Connect up to 10 devices
Features
Read full description

Hotspot Shield VPN is the fastest VPN for secure, private internet access on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Protect your online activity with industry-leading VPN encryption and protocols, shield your IP address, and enjoy lightning-fast speeds whether browsing, gaming, streaming movies, or using public WiFi. Activate our VPN with one tap to encrypt your traffic and block threats while maintaining a lightning-fast connection. Hotspot Shield VPN delivers superior privacy and performance with patented technology that automatically connects you to the fastest VPN server. Free VPN Features: • Industry-leading speed - up to 2.2x faster vs. other VPN apps • Unlimited bandwidth and data with our free VPN • Simple one-tap VPN connection • Secure proxy VPN with no-logs policy and military-grade encryption • Multiple VPN plans — use free with ads or upgrade to premium • Optimized for latest iOS on Apple devices • Advanced patented VPN protocols for reliable connections • 24/7 customer support Premium VPN Features (with subscription): • 1800+ ultra-fast VPN servers up to 1 Gbps • 125+ premium VPN locations across 80+ countries • Auto-connect VPN on startup with IKEv2 • Specialized VPN modes for gaming, browsing, and video streaming • Connect up to 10 devices simultaneously • Fully ad-free VPN experience Choose from flexible VPN subscription plans: monthly, 6-month, or annual. Unlock full VPN access with a premium subscription — 45-day money-back guarantee. Cancel anytime. Payments via App Store; subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off 24 hours before renewal. Unused trial portions are forfeited upon purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.hotspotshield.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: https://www.hotspotshield.com/terms/

About

VPN

Access apps and websites securely with a fast VPN proxy. Enjoy a private browser for enhanced online safety and anonymity. Connect instantly with unlimited bandwidth and a wide server network.

Highlights
  • Private Browser
  • Ultra-fast connection
  • Global server network
  • No logs kept
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • No sign-up required
Features
Read full description

Get Unlimited VPN Proxy to access apps and websites from your iOS devices using the fastest VPN Servers. In addition to that, enjoy a Privacy Browser which keeps your information safe and secure at all times. ■ Features: 1. Private Browser to ensure your safety 2. Ultra-fast speed connect within 1 second; 3. Wide server coverage worldwide; 4. No Logs Kept; 5. Unlimited Bandwidth; 6. No sign up, no registration. Use VPN - Unlimited Best VPN Proxy and its in-built Privacy Browser to secure your device and data while connecting to public networks. Stay free, unlimited and anonymous while surfing the Internet. You can be a premium user through auto-renewing subscription: 3 days Trial: free of charge, cancel any time; Plans available: Monthly Subscription; Yearly Subscription; - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal – Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase - You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription setting through your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 for more information - You may turn off the auto-renewal of your subscription via your iTunes Account Settings. However, you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period - Any unused portion of a free-trial period, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription ■ Suggest: * In most countries, it is recommended to use the IKEv2 protocol first, for better stability and connection speed. * When the connection fails, please switch to OpenVPN UDP and OpenVPN TCP protocol in turn. * Switching to different countries may also increase access speed or connection success rate ■ Privacy Policy: *When the user is in normal use, we will not log any logs related to the user. * Only when the user actively fails to connect the connection (requires the user to click the feedback button), we will collect the necessary user connection failure log. *The connection failure log collected is limited to the success rate of our engineers to improve the VPN connection, and will not be shared with any individual or organization. Links to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy can be found below. Privacy Policy: https://www.mobilejump.mobi/about/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: https://www.mobilejump.mobi/about/tos.html

Screenshots

VPN Hotspot Shield4 screens
VPN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: VPN Hotspot Shield at none against VPN's shown. VPN Hotspot Shield also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and chart position (#59 vs #186). VPN's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 76%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. VPN Hotspot Shield sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and VPN sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for VPN Hotspot Shield against 4.6 for VPN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 365K and 178K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of VPN Hotspot Shield's written reviews are positive against 84% of VPN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VPN Hotspot Shield ships an update weekly, VPN every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
VPN Hotspot Shield versus VPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVPN Hotspot ShieldVPN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (365K ratings)4.6 (178K ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.7% of reviews84.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings365K — better178K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#59 — better#186
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size146 MB51 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAnchorFree Inc.Mobile Jump Pte Ltd

Customer experience

VPN Hotspot Shield

All ratings364,832 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral3.0%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews4,455 reviews
Positive75.7%
Neutral4.8%
Negative19.5%

VPN

All ratings175,859 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.6%
Negative6.2%
Written reviews1,302 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.1%
Negative11.8%

User reviews

VPN Hotspot Shield

From 365K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 😄 THE BEST VPN
  • 🔒 MAKES MY PHONE SECURE
  • 🚀 FAST CONNECTION
  • 👍 EASY TO USE
  • 💯 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Room to improve

  • 🐛 CONNECTION ISSUES
  • 🔌 DISCONNECTS FREQUENTLY
  • 💰 REQUIRES PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION
  • 📺 DOESN'T WORK WITH STREAMING SERVICES
  • 🤖 MANY FAKE REVIEWS

VPN

From 178K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and reliable connection
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 💯 Works great for bypassing restrictions
  • 🌐 Wide selection of server locations

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional connection issues
  • 📺 Doesn't always work with streaming services
  • 💤 Disconnects after inactivity
  • 📢 Intrusive ads
  • 🔌 High battery consumption

Bugs and requests

VPN Hotspot Shield

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent disconnections
  • Inability to turn off VPN
  • Compatibility issues with certain devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More free server locations
  • Better compatibility with streaming services
  • Improved stability and reliability

VPN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezes or crashes on some devices
  • Inconsistent server availability
  • Incorrect server location display

Requested features

4 requests
  • Automatic reconnect option
  • More server locations
  • Ability to favorite/bookmark servers
  • Improved streaming support

In-app purchases

9 purchases

VPN Hotspot Shield

Subscriptions9
  • Hotspot Shield Premium$9.991 Month
  • Hotspot Shield Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 1 month VPN subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Hotspot Shield VPN with Pango$12.991 Month
  • Hotspot Shield VPN with Pango14 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • 1 month VPN subscription7 Days trial2 variants$12.991 Month
  • 1 month VPN subscription$12.991 Month
  • Hotspot Shield Premium7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • 1 year VPN subscription7 Days trial$95.991 Year
9 purchases

VPN

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • 3 Days Trial3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • 7 Days Trial7 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly 3 days Trial3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly 30% Discount Offer1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly 15% Discount Offer1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • 3 Days Trial Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is VPN Hotspot Shield free?
VPN Hotspot Shield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VPN free?
VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VPN Hotspot Shield or VPN?
VPN is rated higher. VPN Hotspot Shield averages 4.6 out of 5 from 365K ratings, while VPN averages 4.6 from 178K ratings.
Do VPN Hotspot Shield or VPN have ads?
VPN shows ads; VPN Hotspot Shield does not.
Which is updated more often, VPN Hotspot Shield or VPN?
VPN Hotspot Shield ships an update weekly, and VPN every 6 weeks. Most recently, VPN Hotspot Shield was updated on November 7, 2026 and VPN on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, VPN Hotspot Shield or VPN?
VPN Hotspot Shield currently peaks at #59 in the App Store charts, and VPN at #186. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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