# VPN Hotspot Shield vs Online Shield

The clearest difference is monetization model: VPN Hotspot Shield at freemium against Online Shield's subscription. VPN Hotspot Shield also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (366K vs 8K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. VPN Hotspot Shield sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Online Shield sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for VPN Hotspot Shield against 4.5 for Online Shield. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VPN Hotspot Shield has 366K ratings behind it against 8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of VPN Hotspot Shield's written reviews are positive against 55% of Online Shield's.

VPN Hotspot Shield ships an update weekly, Online Shield fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VPN Hotspot Shield | Online Shield |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (366K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vpn-hotspot-shield-wifi-proxy/id443369807/reviews)** | [4.5 (8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/online-shield-fast-vpn-proxy/id6443399771/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **366K** | 8K |
| Positive reviews | **75.8% of reviews** | 55.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#72** | — |
| Size | 146 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AnchorFree Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/309076084) | [WEB 3.0 SOFT LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1656520813) |

## What reviewers say

### VPN Hotspot Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vpn-hotspot-shield-wifi-proxy/id443369807)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Free · Productivity, #72 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hotspot Shield Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Hotspot Shield Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 month VPN subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Hotspot Shield VPN with Pango | $12.99 | per month |
| Hotspot Shield VPN with Pango | $12.99 | per month |
| 1 month VPN subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| 1 month VPN subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Hotspot Shield Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 year VPN subscription | $95.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- More free server locations
- Better compatibility with streaming services
- Improved stability and reliability


### 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 VPN Hotspot Shield free?

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

### Is Online Shield free?

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

### Which has better reviews, VPN Hotspot Shield or Online Shield?

VPN Hotspot Shield is rated higher. VPN Hotspot Shield averages 4.6 out of 5 from 366K ratings, while Online Shield averages 4.5 from 8K ratings.

### Do VPN Hotspot Shield or Online Shield have ads?

Online Shield shows ads; VPN Hotspot Shield does not.

### Which is updated more often, VPN Hotspot Shield or Online Shield?

VPN Hotspot Shield ships an update weekly, and Online Shield fortnightly. Most recently, VPN Hotspot Shield was updated on November 11, 2026 and Online Shield on November 7, 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.*