The fastest and most effective VPN I have used so far. Not much buffering when used for streaming, and has got through about 75% of geoblocked streaming services. However, there are some services that... See more
While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more
To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more
See what reviewers are saying
I have been using Hotspot Shield for several years now and I love it. I rely on many of its features, especially location and the all-important Kill Switch. I also use the mobile companion app for iO... See more
Have Been A Premium Subscriber For Quite A While Now, And There Has Never Been A Day Where There Isn't An Issue With The Absolutely Awful App. "Can't connect" Should Be Their New Tagline, As... See more
Company replied
I lost my connection before moving last July. Eight months later I tried to reset my connection but did not have the old email address to reset my password. The Hotspot team patiently guided me thro... See more
Company details
About Hotspot Shield
Written by the company
About Us:
As stated by Speedtest.net, Hotspot Shield is the World's Fastest VPN Awards Winner, Hotspot Shield performed the fastest in both local and international testing. Our service helps millions of global online users who want privacy protection and access to IP-restricted content by offering fast and dependable service for their desktop, laptop, and/or mobile devices. We are unique because we offer unlimited bandwidth and over 500 servers across 115+ countries.
Key Benefits:
Data Encrytion
Hotspot Shield uses cutting-edge military-grade security and 256-bit AES encryption to ensure your data is protected, even when connected to unsecured public WiFi hotspots.
Online Anonymity and Hidden IP
Hotspot Shield hides your IP address, activity, and location from all websites and online services to ensure your anonymity and protect your privacy. Hotspot Shield never tracks, logs, or stores your personally identifiable information, including your IP address.
Access to Online Content
Hotspot Shield VPN blocks third-party tracking to give you unrestricted access to sites like Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, Skype, and any site or service that may be censored or blocked according to geolocation or online activity. With unlimited bandwidth, you can access all your favorite content — like games, live sports, and streaming sites — from any device, anywhere— at blazing-fast speeds. Stream and download your favorite movies and shows worldwide on Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+, and more.
45-day Money Back Guarantee:
Your satisfaction is our top priority. If you decide during the first 45 days, that our service is not the product for you, we'll refund your subscription fees in full.
Contact info
250 Northern Ave, 3rd Floor, 02210, Boston, United States
- (408) 744-1002
- Support@HotspotShield.com
- www.hotspotshield.com
Replied to 91% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 month
How this company uses Trustpilot
See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.
thank you so much for your help
thank you so much for your help, it’s means a lot
thanks a lot and best regards
Great product but "chat-only" customer support makes dealing with nuanced issues tricky.
Update 1/5/2023:
After submitting the review below on 12/29/2022 I was contacted by customer support at Hotspot and issued a refund for the double charged amount. The staff was quick to respond, and more than happy to help.
The explanation given with regards to why the customer service rep initially only offered a partial refund was lack of training, but I think that more realistically the factors leading to such a discrepancy are the communication model and lack of agency for front line employees. I had excellent service from the initial rep who tried to help me, but they were constrained by the policies of the company. The next interaction with staff was from a management level, and it seemed like they had more agency to resolve issues that aren't spelled out in policy verbatim. It is unfortunate that not being able to speak to someone on the phone initially forced me to leave a bad review before getting connected to someone that had the ability to fix the problem. I do acknowledge the lack of diligence on my end toward noticing that I was being charged for a service I had already purchased. However according to the staff: it shouldn't be something that can happen, and they're looking into how to keep it from happening in the future.
Original reivew:
The product is good, but it’s easy to be double charged. The company lets you pay via several different auto-renew avenues (direct, via Apple subscriptions…etc) and does not prevent a customer from signing up multiple times for the same account. There was difficulty even confirming that I had been paying more than once for the same service. In addition, they cite a “45-day” limit to dispute any charges. Essentially I had initially paid for a yearly subscription, and on top of that purchase I erroneously was able to sign up for a monthly subscription for the same service. Eventually I was able to get a credit onto my account for the double charges, but that was not initially offered…I was initially only offered 1 months refund for a double charge over the course of 12 months. Once again, the product is good, but the communication and refund policies are not easy to navigate.

Reply from Hotspot Shield
Quick response and resolution
Best support out there
Everytime there was something, support would give their best to help me out. 5/5 stars kind and nice support team they have. Not like many other vpn teams that act all the same.
Great service
Had an issue with registration, I got a reply within 24 hours, and everything was fixed.
Helpdesk is very professional and the followup went great.
They are amazing but it sucks there…
They are amazing but it sucks there isn’t more choices for protocols
Great Technical Support Team
The technical support team were so helpful and they addressed my issue in a very short timeframe.
the app helps a lot in our country and…
the app helps a lot in our country and the organizers help a lot with the problems, I'm pretty and highly recommend.
To Whom It May Concern,
To Whom It May Concern,
I have been accessing the Hot spot shield since it"s inception on the Google Play store here in the United States of America to create knowable Data that the Developers are hopefully able to use to know the difference,when experiencing excessively "hacking" next door neighbors via Pakistan in in Bellevue,Wa.
I will continue to access this Application with it being a great success for me to avoid being tracked (Geo)via the social network drama created by the networks that are broadcasting rumors about me I have never been to once currently,
I hope the cyber crimes units in this country are able to pin point the MAC ID device numbers etc. to identify the perpetrators,an cause their devices to no longer function correctly or become obsolete when intentionally doing so.
I watch your commercials daily an will continue to do so to strengthen the Sevelopers knowledge base Date about what is really going on that they may not have been enlightened to via the Data.
Best regards,
Robert Hill
These guys are my top 1 choice.
These guys are my top 1 choice.
Always reliable and most importantly affordable.
I had trouble getting registered as…
I had trouble getting registered as Premium after subscribing to Dashlane. The bot soon transferred me to a real person who was knowledgeable and patient. All was resolved efficiently.
Very patient and helpful agent in…
Very patient and helpful agent in solving my problem and good follow up.
A wonderful support
As a VPN New user, the interface is very comprehensible and it is very easy to use the different features that Hotspot Shield Premium offers
I have to admit that it is the best experience I've had with an online support before. While I had technical troubles getting access to my new account the support team immediately gave me access to a temporary account in order not to penalize me
On the ball
Great app which is always updating to counter anything other apps do so you can't watch them ie bbc iplayer etc. Also has a massive choice of locations if you just want to stay anonymous. And when you contact them with an issue they are immediately on the case to resolve the problem. Well done hotspot shield!
Fast and stable VPN and great support
I have been using HotspotShield's VPN since 2015 and have tested and compared several other providers in between. For me, HotspotShield has the most stable and fastest connection and now offers numerous countries. I have also had contact with the support team several times, which is simply great. The support always responded quickly and was very accommodating to my wishes. HotspotShield gives me more security and confidence, so that no other provider comes into question for me.
Great service overall and good customer…
Great service overall and good customer support!
Chat service fast
I had an issue with hotspot not working on my fire stick and went on chat. Was quickly given a new url to download the latest version and in a few minutes all was well again.
The Trustpilot Experience
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they’re about genuine experiences.
Learn more about other kinds of reviews.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.







