Hotspot Shield

Editors' review

by: Eddie Cho on April 14, 2014

Hotspot Shield is a free tool and service that lets you connect to the Internet via Virtual Private Network (VPN). Hotspot Shield is mainly geared toward those who want a more secure connection when accessing the Internet from public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Pros

Value: Hotspot Shield is one of the largest free VPN services in the world. Though the free version is ad-supported, the paid Elite tier comes at an affordable price, with cross-platform support.

Customizable: Hotspot Shield allows you to connect from other countries. This not only helps to shield your connection origins, but it also potentially lets you access content that's available only from certain global regions.

Control: Hotspot Shield's dashboard gives you an overview of the protection status and data speeds for both uploads and downloads, allowing you to monitor your connection performance.

Cons

Ad disruptive: Hotspot Shield Free occasionally shows up as a pop-up or header on the top of your browser. While this window may be closed, it does become rather tedious to have to close it every time.

Limited connection: The free version does not allow you to connect from other locations or regions.

Bottom Line

Hotspot Shield is a lightweight VPN solution that we recommend for anyone who's even slightly concerned about privacy. The free version may be riddled with a few ads, but it's a service that's worth the price, especially if you find yourself frequently accessing the Internet from public places. Hotspot Shield is a valuable service and remains competitive with other premium VPN services.