Hotspot Shield vs Hoxx VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hoxx VPN grades higher than Hotspot Shield: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hotspot Shield grades higher on features and ease of use. Hoxx VPN grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hotspot Shield
VPN with a free Basic tier and its own Hydra protocol
Hoxx VPN
Free VPN proxy with a Premium upgrade sold inside the app
Which one is for you
Pick Hotspot Shield if
- Fits if you want a free VPN on one device for the odd café session
- Works for putting the VPN on your TV as well as your phone and laptop, on Premium
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you stay past the first year, as Premium renews at $95.99 a year after $29
- Watch out: monthly jumps from $1.99 to $12.99, and some versions of the plan page list tiers others don't
- Tight if you stay free: one device, one location and a daily limit that phone users extend by watching ads
- Skip it if you use Linux, as the downloads list no app for it, and the TV apps need Premium
- Not for you if you buy through an app store and want the 45-day refund, which covers direct purchases only
Pick Hoxx VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN or proxy with no data cap
- Works for browser-first use through an extension
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to compare Premium first, as only a starting price is shown
- Watch out: the pages give no renewal terms for Premium
- Watch out: Premium is bought inside the app, after download
- Watch out: support hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET
- Tight if you need Opera or ChromeOS, as those are coming soon
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHotspot ShieldGood | 3.0GPAHoxx VPNVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $29 for the first year and then renews at $95.99, so two years cost $124.99, about $5.21 a month. That's just above the middle of what VPNs charge. Monthly starts at $1.99, then goes to $12.99. | AFree is a real product with no bandwidth limit. Premium is shown only as from $1.99 a month, billing basis not shown. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic is free on one device and one virtual location. The page calls the data unlimited but also notes a daily limit, which phone users can stretch by watching ads. Fine for the odd café session, not for living on. | AA free account with 50+ locations, no bandwidth restrictions and unlimited server switches. |
| Features | BIts own Hydra protocol, which can also get past VPN blocks, plus OpenVPN and IPSec, a kill switch, Smart VPN for choosing what bypasses it, malware and phishing warnings, Tor over VPN and 10 devices. It covers the whole job. | CFree VPN or proxy, malicious-site filtering and tracking prevention. Premium's extras are listed only as stronger encryption, more locations, faster servers and multi-device. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record. It's an app you install and connect, and Basic asks for no payment, with nothing to set up first. | CNo store rating on record. Upgrades are bought inside the app after you download it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Chrome and smart TVs, but the downloads list no Linux app. 1Password comes with Premium, but that's not an integration list or an API, so it stops at B. | BExtension, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android; Opera and ChromeOS are coming soon. |
| Best for | a $29 first year on 10 devices | a free VPN or proxy in the browser |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hotspot Shield and Hoxx VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hotspot Shield starts at $8 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Hoxx VPN starts at $1.99 a month and scores 2.3.
Hotspot Shield scores higher, and starts $6.01 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Hotspot Shield for less, and 2 score higher than Hoxx VPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Hoxx VPN also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Hotspot Shield | Hoxx VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29 | $1.99 per month and up; billing basis not shown |
| Free plan | Basic covers one device and one virtual location, with help from the support center only. The page calls its data unlimited but also notes a daily limit that iOS and Android users can extend by watching ads. | Free account with 50+ locations, no bandwidth restrictions and malicious-site filtering. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Anchorfree, LLC | Hoxx Inc |
| Price read from | hotspotshield.com | hoxx.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hotspot Shield
- The $29 first year and $1.99 first month are introductory; Premium then renews at $95.99 a year or $12.99 a month.
- The 45-day money-back guarantee covers subscriptions bought directly from Hotspot Shield, not through an app store.
- No Linux app is listed among the downloads, and smart TV apps need Premium.
- The plan page is shown in several versions; others list a Premium Family plan and a cheaper Plus tier that the current version does not offer.
Hoxx VPN
- Premium is shown only as a starting price; upgrades are bought inside the app after download.
- Support hours are listed as Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET on the home page.
- Opera and ChromeOS versions are marked as coming soon.
- The pages read give no renewal terms for Premium.
Key features
Hotspot Shield
- Hydra protocol
- Hotspot Shield's own patented protocol, which can also disguise VPN traffic to get past VPN blocks. OpenVPN and IPSec are offered too.
- Kill switch and Smart VPN
- The kill switch cuts the internet if the VPN drops unexpectedly, and Smart VPN picks which apps or domains bypass the VPN.
- Malware and phishing protection
- Warns before you open a suspicious site, and a DNS filter blocks malicious sites and can filter harmful or inappropriate content.
- Tor over VPN and leak protection
- Reach Tor sites while connected to the VPN, with IP and DNS leak protection built in.
- 10 devices per account
- Premium links up to 10 devices, including phones, tablets, computers and TVs, across 125+ virtual locations.
- Third-party security apps
- Versions of the plan page list access to 1Password and a spam-call blocker (Robo Shield in the US and Canada, Hiya elsewhere) with Premium.
Hoxx VPN
- Free account
- 50+ locations and no bandwidth restrictions, with unlimited server switches and a static IP address listed.
- Malicious-site filtering
- The free plan filters malicious websites; Premium lists a more advanced version of the same filtering.
- Tracking prevention
- The vendor says it filters malicious and insecure advertising-network cookies to limit tracking.
- PAC functionality
- Premium adds PAC support to bypass certain IPs, plus country pinning and sorting in the server list.
- Wide platform list
- Downloads are listed for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 7-day money-back guarantee
- Premium purchases carry a 7-day money-back guarantee, stated on the pricing page.
Plans
Hotspot Shield
Basic$0
One device and one virtual location, on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Chrome.
Premium, 1 year$95.99
per year at renewal, after a first year for $29
10 devices, 125+ virtual locations, smart TV apps and 24/7 live chat. The first year costs $29 as an introductory offer, then it renews each year at $95.99.
Premium, 1 month$12.99
per month at renewal, after a first month for $1.99
The same Premium plan billed monthly. The first month costs $1.99, then it renews at $12.99 a month.
Hoxx VPN
Free$0
50+ locations, no bandwidth limit, encryption, unlimited server switches and family malicious-site filtering.
Premium$1.99
per month and up, billing basis not shown
Adds stronger encryption, more locations, faster servers, multi-device use and 24/7 email support.
Ways to pay less
Hotspot Shield
- Other savings
First year of Premium for $29
The yearly Premium plan costs $29 for the first year as an introductory offer, then renews automatically at $95.99 a year.
- Other savings
First month of Premium for $1.99
The monthly Premium plan costs $1.99 for the first month, then renews at $12.99 a month.
Hoxx VPN
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hotspot Shield or Hoxx VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hoxx VPN is cheaper to start with: $1.99 a month, against $8 a month when paid by the year for Hotspot Shield. Hotspot Shield starts at $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29, and Hoxx VPN starts at $1.99 per month and up; billing basis not shown.
Which has a free plan, Hotspot Shield or Hoxx VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hotspot Shield and Hoxx VPN have a free plan.
Which platforms do Hotspot Shield and Hoxx VPN run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hoxx VPN lists a Linux app. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.