# VPN Hotspot Shield vs Stepwise

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stepwise at none against VPN Hotspot Shield's 10. VPN Hotspot Shield's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and chart position (#61 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. VPN Hotspot Shield sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Stepwise asks for nothing beyond the download.

VPN Hotspot Shield ships an update weekly, Stepwise every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VPN Hotspot Shield | Stepwise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (365K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vpn-hotspot-shield-wifi-proxy/id443369807/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **365K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#61** | — |
| Size | 146 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AnchorFree Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/309076084) | [Mustafa Fenerci](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759736870) |

## What reviewers say

### VPN Hotspot Shield

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

**Currently charting:** #61 Top Free · Productivity, #70 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


### Stepwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepwise/id6756933932)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VPN Hotspot Shield free?

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

### Is Stepwise free?

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

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

Neither VPN Hotspot Shield nor Stepwise shows ads.

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

VPN Hotspot Shield ships an update weekly, and Stepwise every 7 months. Most recently, VPN Hotspot Shield was updated on November 3, 2026 and Stepwise on October 25, 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.*