Comparison

Q vs HotspotCheck

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

Head to head
About

Q

Features
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Q-Shield Sentinel: post-quantum readiness, honestly assessed. YOUR SCORE, 0–100 Three short question screens give you a 0–100 Quantum Resilience Score across five weighted axes: algorithm vulnerability, key-length safety, migration readiness, data exposure and compliance gap. Each result shows the algorithms most at risk, a radar chart, a prioritized roadmap to the NIST post-quantum standards (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA), your Q-Day estimate and harvest-now-decrypt-later (HNDL) exposure, plus the scoring-method version and the basis of its numbers (your inputs, a model estimate or a what-if scenario). Your first score needs no account: one a day per device. Until then, a result marked "Sample" shows what you will get. CHECK A DOMAIN (NEW) β€’ On the Score tab, enter a domain you control. Q-Shield makes one TLS handshake to its port 443 and shows the protocol, cipher suite, certificate key, signature algorithm and expiry. β€’ This is shown apart from your answers: the score from your answers, and the score with the observed input. The observed key can only lower your score or keep it the same β€” never raise it. β€’ Nothing else is probed, and the certificate itself is not stored. β€’ Sign in to use it, on any plan, including Free. Up to 10 checks a day. QUESTIONNAIRES (SENTINEL ECHO) β€’ Paste the post-quantum questionnaire a customer sent, or import a text file. Echo sorts each question by topic, from crypto inventory to suppliers. β€’ It drafts an answer only where your assessment or saved scans back it, citing that record, so you can check it before sending. Other questions come back blank, with the reason; pricing, contract, SLA and supplier questions are marked "only you can answer this." β€’ Not AI: fixed rules β€” the same questionnaire always gives the same result. β€’ Keys, certificates or passwords pasted by mistake are caught on your device before upload. Export the answers as a document. ADVANCED TOOLS AND SIRI (More tab) β€’ Source freshness for NIST, the GRI threat timeline, arXiv, your domain and your last assessment. β€’ HNDL threat map (figures: Professional and Enterprise), labelled as a model estimate, not measured traffic. β€’ Penetration simulation (Professional and Enterprise): eight Shor attack-vector scenarios against your declared algorithms. β€’ Siri: security health check, threat explanation, audit log β€” status only, never secrets. PLANS β€’ Free: 3 assessments a month, recent history, 1 questionnaire sorted a month, and domain checks. β€’ Professional and Enterprise add the 22-page PDF Simulation Assessment Report and higher monthly limits β€” Professional: 100 assessments, 20 PDF reports, 200 penetration simulations, 100 Echo drafts; Enterprise: 500, 100, 1,000 and 500. β€’ Plans are managed by your organization's administrator. Existing subscribers keep their access and can restore it under More β€Ί Your plan. A SIMULATION, NOT A CERTIFICATION A deterministic, rule-based simulation mapped to NIST post-quantum standards β€” not an infrastructure audit, not a certification authority. RSA and ECDSA are not called broken today; they are exposed to data harvested now for later decryption. Q-Shield never asks for or stores your private keys, plaintext or passwords. Results are estimates, not a security certification, and do not guarantee protection against quantum attacks. Decisions based on them are your responsibility. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Requires iOS 26 or later. Also on Mac. In 7 languages. Terms of Use: https://swiftquantum.tech/terms/ Β· Privacy Policy: https://swiftquantum.tech/privacy/

About

HotspotCheck

Features
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HotspotCheck helps you understand the Wi-Fi network you are connected to right now β€” before you log in, pay, work, or share anything sensitive. It is a defensive, educational safety advisor built for iPhone: you choose when to scan, you see plain-English results, and you decide what to do next. Whether you are at a cafΓ©, hotel, airport, Airbnb, campus, office, or home, HotspotCheck turns visible network signals into a clear safety score, practical findings, and context-aware recommendations. It is designed to build confidence through transparency β€” not fear. WHAT HOTSPOTCHECK CHECKS When you tap "Check this Wi-Fi", HotspotCheck runs user-initiated checks on the network you are already using. Depending on permissions and what iOS exposes, your report may include: β€’ Wi-Fi name and security type (where iOS allows) β€’ Gateway and DNS posture β€’ Captive portal and login-page behaviour β€’ TLS and certificate consistency across Wi-Fi vs mobile data β€’ Visible devices and services on the local network (Bonjour/mDNS) β€’ Router and smart-home exposure indicators β€’ DNS rebinding and interception-style risk signals β€’ Plain-language limitations so you know what could not be verified Every scan ends with a safety score, ranked findings, recommendations tailored to your situation, and an honest list of what the app could and could not see. BUILT FOR REAL-WORLD SITUATIONS Choose a context β€” Home, Work, University, Hotel, CafΓ©, Airport, Airbnb, or Other β€” and HotspotCheck adjusts its guidance to match how you are likely using the network. Travel and public Wi-Fi get stronger caution; home scans focus on router hygiene and device exposure. Learn as you go with built-in explanations of common Wi-Fi risks: captive portals, client isolation, suspicious DNS, visible printers and cameras, and more. PRIVACY-FIRST BY DESIGN β€’ Scans run on your iPhone β€” no developer backend for your scan data β€’ No ads and no third-party analytics SDK β€’ Scan history stays on your device unless you export it β€’ Delete your latest report or wipe all history from Settings β€’ Optional PDF export with redaction for sharing HotspotCheck requests Local Network access only when you start a scan, and Location (While Using the App) only where iOS requires it to show the current Wi-Fi name. You stay in control. FREE TO TRY, SIMPLE TO UNLOCK Your first 3 full Wi-Fi checks are free β€” including the complete report, export, recommendations, and local history. After that, choose: β€’ Annual access β€” unlimited scans while your subscription is active β€’ Lifetime unlock β€” one-time purchase, no renewal Both unlock unlimited full scans, detailed reports, scan history, PDF export, and advanced checklists for travel and home networks. EXPORT AND SHARE Generate a PDF report to keep for your records or share with someone helping you troubleshoot a network. Reports summarise findings, evidence, recommendations, and limitations in one readable document. IMPORTANT β€” EDUCATIONAL TOOL HotspotCheck is for learning and awareness. It is not a penetration test, professional security audit, or guarantee of safety. Scores and labels reflect what can be observed from your iPhone on that network at that moment. Hidden risks may still exist. Always use your own judgment before entering passwords, banking details, or confidential work information. HotspotCheck does not crack passwords, exploit routers, scan unrelated Wi-Fi networks, or run hidden background scans. REQUIREMENTS β€’ iPhone with iOS 17 or later β€’ An active Wi-Fi connection to check Subscriptions are governed by our Terms of Use and Apple’s Standard End User License Agreement (EULA) for licensed applications: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Q4 screens
HotspotCheck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Q at fortnightly against HotspotCheck's every 4 months. Q also leads on device support (3 vs 1). HotspotCheck's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Q sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $129.99 per month and HotspotCheck sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Q ships an update fortnightly, HotspotCheck every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Q versus HotspotCheck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQHotspotCheck
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly β€” betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size28 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEUNMIN PARKHassan Chizari

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Q

Subscriptions2
  • Q-Shield Pro β€” CISO Gold7 Days trial$129.991 Month
  • Q-Shield Enterprise Monthly$499.991 Month
One-time1
  • Q-Shield Starter β€” The Analyst$499.00
2 purchases

HotspotCheck

Subscriptions1
  • Annual access$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime unlock$9.99

Questions

Is Q free?
Q is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HotspotCheck free?
HotspotCheck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Q or HotspotCheck have ads?
Neither Q nor HotspotCheck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Q or HotspotCheck?
Q ships an update fortnightly, and HotspotCheck every 4 months. Most recently, Q was updated on November 7, 2026 and HotspotCheck on November 10, 2026.

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