- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000
- Date added: February 17, 2009
- Total Downloads: 1,424,269
- Downloads last week: 38,006
- See full specifications
A newer version of Hotspot Shield is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 198 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on February 18, 2009
This freeware program promises to encrypt all your Internet connections, but since most public wi-fi access points in the U.S. are open, it's a bit hard to gauge Hotspot Shield's effectiveness. However, the connection itself is a bit wonky.
Once the program is installed, it creates an HTML link on your desktop. Double-clicking on it will open the application in your Web browser, and you'll be taken to a page detailing your Connection Status, IP Address, Server Address, Bytes sent and received, and the duration of the connection. Hotspot Shield is ad supported, so you'll get a big banner ad that lives at the top of every Web page, too. Closing the tab with the app's control panel doesn't disconnect the shield, though: for that, or to reload the control panel, you have to go through the green shield icon that gets loaded into your system tray. Also, there's a 5 GB transfer limit.
Overall, we can't give Hotspot Shield a strong recommendation, but as a last resort it might be worth trying out.
Publisher's description
From AnchorFree :Hotspot Shield is a freeware which ensures anonymous and censor-free internet usage. With Hotspot Shield you can even access blocked websites. For example: Skype is blocked in certain parts of the world. With Hotspot Shield, anyone can access Skype (and any other site they choose). The free software ensures censor-free internet usage by encrypting all communications to and from your computer to protect you from online spying. While advertising supported, HotSpot Shield is is not an invasive adware or pervasive spyware application.
Version 1.12 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
Fixes any issues from 1.11 or earlier releases.
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User reviews of Hotspot Shield 1.12
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 198 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 14 user reviewsSee all 14 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Hotspot Shield 1.12
Pros: does do as it claims, but!
Cons: piece **** malware
Summary: launches pop window with porn ads, but even worse, if you turn it off it will run in the background tracking your web browsing and doing god knows what else. It quietly runs hssrv.exe which will not show up as a running process in your task manager... read more >>
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Hotspot Shield 1.12
Pros: Did the job.
Cons: Inappropriate and adult advertising.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Hotspot Shield 1.12
"Good experience, but v1.13 triggering trojan alert ???"
Pros: Effective substitute address permitting Hulu, Pandora, etc. from Canada
Easy to install and use
No speed problemsCons: Sticks an innocuous, removable but nuisance ad over top of each page
After v1.13 update, AdAware scan alerted to a "level 10" trojan keystroke logger
Very difficult to remove once installedSummary: I found it very useful and was willing to put up with ads which can be clicked off. It's the only free service that worked with Hulu from Canada - UltraSurf does not. However, this last version triggered an AdAware highest level alert for a keystro... read more >>
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Version: Hotspot Shield 1.12
"Nothing but ads with v. 1.13"
Pros: Can be uninstalled
Cons: Blocks EVERY website with a frame linked to RSS2Search. Clicking on any link and any page loads this frame, making it impossible to use the browser.
Summary: v. 1.12 wasn't great but at least it was usable. 1.13 is a joke.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Hotspot Shield 1.12
Pros: Changes your ip address
Cons: This program put a pornographic banner ad at the top of my screen, I was sitting with my little daughter on my lap and looking at sesame street torrents and all of the sudden I have porn at the top of my page. Unacceptable.
Summary: I don't care what this program accomplishes because it puts Pornography at the top of your screen.
Update! When trying to uninstall this program, Avira antivirus warns that theuni... read more >>
Updated on Mar 25, 2009 - See all 14 user reviews Write review
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