Side by side

hide.me vs Hotspot Shield

Both stand on vpn services. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

hide.me

Free plan Open source AndroidExtensioniPhone+5

Choose hide.me if you want a VPN with broad platform availability and listed support for streaming, torrents, WireGuard and a kill switch. The free plan provides unlimited data, though speeds are restricted and it allows one connection. Consider Premium if you need the listed 10-connection allowance; its prices are not provided here.

Visit hide.me

Hotspot Shield

Free plan WindowsMacLinux+2

Hotspot Shield offers a free tier and paid plans with different device allowances. Check the Basic plan’s data and speed limits against your needs, or compare the paid tiers’ prices and device counts.

Visit Hotspot Shield

The facts

	hide.me	Hotspot Shield
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Yes	Not published
Runs on	Android, Extension, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows	Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android
Lowest paid plan	See the plans	Plus: $6.99 a month
Plans published	7	4
Maker	hide.me	Hotspot Shield
Website	hide.me	hotspotshield.com
On vpn services	#2 of 88	#6 of 88

hide.me: what it does well

Available on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Free plan includes unlimited data.
Lists streaming and torrent support.
Includes a kill switch and WireGuard support.
Lists a verified no-logs audit.

What to know first

Free plan has restricted speeds.
Free plan is limited to eight locations and one connection.
Premium plan prices are not provided in the listed plan details.

Hotspot Shield: what it does well

Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Includes a kill switch and WireGuard support.
Streaming and torrent support are listed.
Verified no-logs audit is listed.

What to know first

Basic limits daily data to 500 MB.
Basic offers one U.S. virtual location.
Basic has a 2 Mbps limit.

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