Hotspot Shield vs StrongVPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hotspot Shield grades higher than StrongVPN: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hotspot Shield grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and 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
StrongVPN
VPN with a StrongDNS smart DNS proxy and 3GB of eSIM data
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 StrongVPN if
- Fits if you want a smart DNS proxy for devices that can't run a VPN app
- Works for households that want 12 connections on one account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Linux, as no app is listed
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.99
- Watch out: the first-year price has no stated renewal figure
- Watch out: the 30-day refund doesn't cover the monthly plan, and App Store purchases follow Apple's rules
- Not for you if you want to try it free, as there's no trial
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHotspot ShieldGood | 2.0GPAStrongVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$3.97 a month, billed $47.69, for the first year only, and the renewal isn't stated. Monthly is $11.99, in the dearest tenth. |
| 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. | FNo free plan or trial. The 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial and covers the annual plan only. |
| 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. | C12 connections, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2, StrongDNS and 950+ servers in 30 countries. The gap: the pages read listed no Linux app. |
| 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. | BNo store rating on record. Install an app and connect. |
| 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. | BiOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with Fire TV and routers named. No Linux app listed, and no API. |
| Best for | a $29 first year on 10 devices | a VPN with a smart DNS proxy for streaming |
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 StrongVPN. 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. StrongVPN starts at $11.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Hotspot Shield scores higher and starts $3.99 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Hotspot Shield for less, and 13 score higher than StrongVPN 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
- StrongVPN is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Hotspot Shield also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| Hotspot Shield | StrongVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29 | $11.99 per month ($47.69 first year if annual, renewal not stated) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Anchorfree, LLC | Strong Technology, LLC |
| Price read from | hotspotshield.com | strongvpn.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
StrongVPN
- The annual price is for the first year; the plans page does not state what the plan renews at.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the annual plan only, not the monthly plan.
- The homepage names iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Amazon Fire TV apps; a Linux app was not listed on the pages read.
- Subscriptions bought through the App Store follow Apple's refund policy.
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.
StrongVPN
- Up to 12 connections
- One subscription connects up to 12 devices at once, and a VPN router can cover more.
- Protocols
- WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2 are listed on the plans page.
- StrongDNS
- A smart DNS proxy included with every account, for streaming on devices that cannot run a VPN app. The site says it supports 140+ services.
- Server network
- The plans page lists 950+ servers in 30 countries and 59 cities, and 59,500 VPN IPs.
- eSIM data
- Plans include 3GB of global eSIM data.
- No-logs policy
- StrongVPN says it does not track, store or sell user data.
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.
StrongVPN
Monthly Plan$11.99
per month, billed monthly
Same features as the annual plan. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to the annual plan only.
Annual Plan$47.69
first year; renewal price not stated
Advertised as $3.97 a month, with 66% off, billed $47.69 for the first year. Includes the 30-day money-back guarantee.
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.
StrongVPN
- Other savings
Annual plan, 66% off the first year
The annual plan is billed $47.69 for the first year, shown as $3.97 a month. The page does not say what it renews at.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hotspot Shield or StrongVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hotspot Shield is cheaper to start with: $8 a month when paid by the year, against $11.99 a month for StrongVPN. Hotspot Shield starts at $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29, and StrongVPN starts at $11.99 per month ($47.69 first year if annual, renewal not stated).
Which has a free plan, Hotspot Shield or StrongVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hotspot Shield has a free plan. StrongVPN does not.
Which platforms do Hotspot Shield and StrongVPN run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hotspot Shield lists a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. 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.