You can actually use Hotspot Shield for free – but this comes with several limitations. You can also install Hotspot Shield on macOS, iOS and Linux, along with Android and Amazon Fire TV systems – and if you have a compatible router you can also configure Hotspot Shield to protect all the devices on your network at once. A Kill Switch toggle suspends your internet connection if the VPN cuts out, and you can also turn leak prevention on and off – although it beats us why you’d ever want to disable it.Īside from a slight reorganisation of the elements, the Android edition looks very similar. A built-in speed tester lets you check the performance of your internet line, and in the Settings panel you can configure the VPN to run automatically whenever you’re connected to the internet, or when you connect to an unsecured wireless network. It’s a shame though that you can’t bookmark your favourite servers – the “Quick access” section only shows preselected options for gaming and streaming – and there’s also no indication of a server’s load or ping time shown until after you connect. You can connect or disconnect by clicking or tapping the big button in the middle of the window, while the location browser lets you choose from servers in more than 80 countries. The interface has been revamped several times in the past few years, and the latest release of the Windows client has a smart white-on-black interface, providing a wealth of connection information in a clean and accessible layout.
That’s not all the software has going for it. As we’ll see in our tests below, this innovation really does allow Hotspot Shield to race ahead of most competing VPNs. The publisher claims that this makes it the fastest VPN around, while still providing unbreakable security courtesy of 2048-bit RSA encryption. Most VPNs use standard connection protocols such as IKEv2 or Wireguard – but Hotspot Shield uses its own proprietary protocol, called Hydra.