sitealternatives
VPN · 11 alternatives

Instead of Hotspot Shield, try one of these 11.

Every alternative is lined up against Hotspot Shield on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. Hotspot Shield sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.

Show onlySorted by likes · 11 of 11
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Hotspot ShieldWhat you have now
Ad-supported VPN marketed on speed and streaming
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
NordVPN#1
The best-known consumer VPN with a large server fleet.
PricePaid
from $4/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Proton VPN#2
Free-tier VPN from the Proton privacy ecosystem.
PriceFreemium
plus from $5/mo
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Mullvad VPN#3
Privacy-first VPN, pay anonymously with cash.
PricePaid
$5/mo flat
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
OpenVPN Connect#4
Official OpenVPN client for self-hosted private servers.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
ExpressVPN#5
Premium VPN known for speed and simplicity.
PricePaid
from $8/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Surfshark#6
Unlimited-device VPN with a bundle of security tools.
PricePaid
from $2.50/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Windscribe#7
Generous free VPN with a configurable paid plan.
PriceFreemium
from $3/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Psiphon#8
Censorship circumvention tool for restricted networks
PriceFreemium
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · iOS · Android
TunnelBear#9
Friendly consumer VPN with a free monthly data allowance.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · iOS · Android
1.1.1.1#10
Cloudflare's fast encrypted DNS app with built-in WARP VPN.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Hide.me#11
Malaysian no-logs VPN with free and paid tiers
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android

How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. How we compare.

Hotspot Shield alternatives at a glance

Hotspot Shield is a freemium vpn app. We compared 11 alternatives: 4 are open source, 1 is completely free, 1 can be self-hosted and 11 work fully offline. The most popular is NordVPN, with 960 likes.

Most liked overallNordVPN

The best-known consumer VPN with a large server fleet.

Paid · Works offline
Best free option1.1.1.1

Cloudflare's fast encrypted DNS app with built-in WARP VPN.

Free · Works offline
Best open-source optionProton VPN

Free-tier VPN from the Proton privacy ecosystem.

Freemium · Open source · Works offline
Best to self-hostOpenVPN Connect

Official OpenVPN client for self-hosted private servers.

Freemium · Open source · Self‑hostable · Works offline

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