Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is a VPN provider that offers a free basic download for streaming, apps and games and paid premium subscription plans for advanced security features, military-grade encryption and unlimited data access. Its VPN prevents websites from discovering your IP address and unblocks restricted content and blocked websites. It protects your identity from trackers so your web experience is private and secure.

Hotspot Shield’s VPN connects to thousands of servers across more than 80 countries and over 35 cities, letting you access sites and streaming content all over the world while protecting your security. You can watch movies, TV shows, sporting events and live shows and listen to music online from any country. Hotspot Shield also sells routers that are compatible with its VPN — these come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty.

Hotspot Shield’s VPN lets you stream safely and privately. You can download its VPN at no cost from the company’s website or buy a subscription for premium security services. The basic free download has limited streaming access, up to 2 Mbps connection speed, a 500 MB daily data limit and one virtual location, and it’s not compatible with all devices. Both Hotspot’s basic and premium plans come with an internet kill switch.

Hotspot also offers premium VPN subscription plans for Windows PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome, Linux, routers and TVs. These plans are optimized for streaming with popular platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Disney+. You can register up to five devices and get unlimited data and speeds up to 1 Gbps. This VPN allows for over 115 virtual locations.

Hotspot’s family plans include up to 5 accounts and 25 devices (5 for each family member). Both the premium and family plans provide 24/7 customer support and advanced security features like identity theft, malware and phishing protection, smart VPN and password management.

The Hotspot basic VPN download is free. The company offers subscriptions starting at $7.99 per month for the premium plan and $11.99 monthly for the family plan (when paid in full for one year). Prices for monthly billing are $12.99 for premium and $19.99 for the family plan. All paid subscription plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

While it offers its advanced security features only with a paid subscription, Hotspot Shield’s family plans protect up to 25 devices and mask IP addresses so internet providers won’t throttle internet speeds when the whole family streams online. The added security of Hotspot Shield’s VPN is ideal for business travelers needing access to important files and information on public Wi-Fi while on the go.