Hotspot Shield vs Windscribe
We give Hotspot Shield and Windscribe the same GPA: 2.6 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Windscribe
VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHotspot ShieldGood | 2.6GPAWindscribeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPro is $69 a year and stays at that price, so two years cost $138, about $5.75 a month, above the middle of the pack. Build A Plan starts at $3 a month for 3 locations, but each adds only 10GB of data. |
| 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. | C10GB a month free once you confirm an email, with servers in 10 countries including the US, UK and Germany. Plenty for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro 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. | BUnlimited devices, the R.O.B.E.R.T blocker for ads, trackers and malware, double hop, split tunneling, a firewall and config generators for routers, across 69+ countries on Pro. It covers the whole job. |
| 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 App Store rating on record, but you install the app, confirm an email and connect, with nothing else to set up. |
| 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. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus config files for routers. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a cheap first year on 10 devices | a free VPN with room to grow |
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 Windscribe. 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. Windscribe starts at $3 a month and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and Windscribe starts $5 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 1 scores higher than Hotspot Shield for less, and none scores higher than Windscribe 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
- Hotspot Shield starts at $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29. Windscribe starts at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).
- Only Windscribe lists a Linux app.
- Windscribe is open source, according to its own site.
- Hotspot Shield also covers malware protection.
- Windscribe also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Hotspot Shield | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29 | $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan) |
| 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. | 10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Anchorfree, LLC | Windscribe Limited |
| Price read from | hotspotshield.com | windscribe.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Hotspot Shield
- Occasional users who want a free VPN on one device
- People who want the VPN on a smart TV as well as phone and laptop
- Buyers who want a cheap first year before deciding to stay
Windscribe
- Light users who can live within 10GB a month for free
- People who only need one or two countries and want to pay per location
- Households connecting many devices to one account
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.
Windscribe
- The free plan stops at 10GB a month and needs a confirmed email; most locations are Pro only.
- Build A Plan locations each add only 10GB a month rather than unlimited data.
- Static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, and their prices are not on the plans page.
- Account sharing is prohibited by the plan terms.
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.
Windscribe
- Free plan
- 10GB a month once your email is confirmed, with servers in 10 countries. Pro locations stay locked.
- Build A Plan
- Pay $1 a month per Pro location you want, from a $3 minimum and up to 7 locations, each adding 10GB of data.
- R.O.B.E.R.T
- A customizable server-side blocker for ads, trackers and malware, included with Pro.
- Unlimited connections
- Use one account on as many devices at once as you like, with apps and browser extensions for each platform.
- Config generators
- Generate OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard configurations for routers and devices without an app.
- Double hop, split tunneling and firewall
- Route through two servers, choose which apps skip the VPN, and block traffic outside the tunnel.
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.
Windscribe
Free$0
10GB a month with a confirmed email, and servers in 10 countries: the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany and four more.
Build A Plan$3
per month for 3 locations, then $1 per extra location
$1 per Pro location per month, from 3 up to 7 locations; each adds 10GB to your monthly data. For more, the page points to Pro.
Pro Yearly$69
per year
$5.75 a month. Unlimited data, every location in 69+ countries, R.O.B.E.R.T and config generators.
Pro Monthly$9
per month
The same Pro features as yearly, billed $9 every month.
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.
Windscribe
- Annual discount
About 36% off with yearly billing
Pro Yearly costs $69 a year, against $108 for twelve months of Pro Monthly at $9.
