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| Hotspot Shield Elite |
Hotspot Shield is a free VPN that is implemented as an app and as a browser extension. The service is a limited version of the paid VPN, called Hotspot Shield Elite. You can visit the Hotspot Shield website by clicking on the button below. Scroll down first to read our in-depth review of the service before you download any software.
AnchorFree first released Hotspot Shield as a free VPN in 2008. Back then, the full service, which is now called Hotspot Shield Elite, was offered free of charge. This could account for the large number of people who’ve downloaded the software. AnchorFree states that the VPN has been installed by more than 500 million users all over the world. However, there are a number of worrying privacy flaws built into Hotspot Shield, which may make you think twice about using the service.
PROS:
➥Free version
AnchorFree first released Hotspot Shield as a free VPN in 2008. Back then, the full service, which is now called Hotspot Shield Elite, was offered free of charge. This could account for the large number of people who’ve downloaded the software. AnchorFree states that the VPN has been installed by more than 500 million users all over the world. However, there are a number of worrying privacy flaws built into Hotspot Shield, which may make you think twice about using the service.
PROS:
➥Free version
➥Super fast connections
➥Up to five simultaneous connections
➥App for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android
➥Browser extension for Chrome and Firefox
CONS:
➥Contains tracking software
➥Sells advertising space on users' browsers
➥Hijacks URLs of commercial websites
➥Based in the US
HotSpot Shield VPN Features
If you use the free version of HotSpot Shield, you’re subject to a data throughput limit. That traffic count doesn’t necessarily reflect your activity, because AnchorFree uses your connection to pass back and forth tracking software and activity reports. Officially, free users are allowed 256MB per day on mobile devices and 750MB per day on computers. However, after getting halfway through the speed tests on a Windows laptop for this review, I was informed that I had already run through half of my daily allocation, so you won’t get much chance to explore the internet with the free service.
The features of the main package include :
➥Servers in 22 countries
➥Browser extension
➥Automatic WiFi protection
➥App for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android
➥App available in a long list of languages
➥No personal data needed for free app
➥Malware detection
➥30-day money-back guarantee
➥Kill switch (called “IP leak protection”)
The app and the browser extension have different lists of server locations and the restrictions on server access are different in the two implementations. Using the app provides the option of 20 server locations, but users of the free VPN service only get access to the US server.
The browser extension gives access to 12 server locations. However, free service users are not allowed to access servers in the UK or the US. Chile and Singapore are available in the browser extension but not in the app.
➤ Get it for Windows
➥Up to five simultaneous connections
➥App for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android
➥Browser extension for Chrome and Firefox
CONS:
➥Contains tracking software
➥Sells advertising space on users' browsers
➥Hijacks URLs of commercial websites
➥Based in the US
HotSpot Shield VPN Features
If you use the free version of HotSpot Shield, you’re subject to a data throughput limit. That traffic count doesn’t necessarily reflect your activity, because AnchorFree uses your connection to pass back and forth tracking software and activity reports. Officially, free users are allowed 256MB per day on mobile devices and 750MB per day on computers. However, after getting halfway through the speed tests on a Windows laptop for this review, I was informed that I had already run through half of my daily allocation, so you won’t get much chance to explore the internet with the free service.
The features of the main package include :
➥Servers in 22 countries
➥Browser extension
➥Automatic WiFi protection
➥App for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android
➥App available in a long list of languages
➥No personal data needed for free app
➥Malware detection
➥30-day money-back guarantee
➥Kill switch (called “IP leak protection”)
The app and the browser extension have different lists of server locations and the restrictions on server access are different in the two implementations. Using the app provides the option of 20 server locations, but users of the free VPN service only get access to the US server.
The browser extension gives access to 12 server locations. However, free service users are not allowed to access servers in the UK or the US. Chile and Singapore are available in the browser extension but not in the app.
➤ Get it for Windows