ExpressVPN / Hotspot Shield compared
Same criteria, same rules. You see where they diverge.
No winner on this page. vpn-matrix.com assigns no points and makes no recommendations.
Differences (92)
Criteria where the values diverge.
| ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | Express Technologies Ltd.provider claim | Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim |
| Trademark holder, if different | Kape Technologies family (joined Kape)provider claim | Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim |
| Year founded | 2009provider claim | 2008confirmed |
| Headquarters (country) | VGprovider claim | USprovider claim |
| Other relevant jurisdictions | Britische Jungferninseln (Vertragspartner und Gerichtsstand laut Nutzungsbedingungen), Vereinigtes Königreich (Mutterkonzern Kape Technologies mit Sitz in London)provider claim | United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed |
| Intelligence alliance of the home country | noneconfirmed | Five Eyesconfirmed |
| Parent group / holding | Kape Technologiesconfirmed | Point Wildconfirmed |
| Beneficial owners publicly known | fully knownconfirmed | partly knownprovider claim |
| Leadership team publicly named | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Verifiable postal address for legal service | noprovider claim | yesconfirmed |
| Sister VPN brands in the group | Private Internet Access, CyberGhost VPNconfirmed | Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim |
| Group owns VPN review and comparison sites | Der Konzern übernahm im März 2021 Webselenese, den Betreiber der VPN-Vergleichsseiten vpnMentor und Wizcase, Kaufpreis 149,1 Millionen US-Dollar. Webselenese wird auf der Konzernseite als Marke geführt.confirmed | Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim |
| Documented misleading advertising claims | ? | 'Military-grade' encryption wording appears on download/marketing pages; Hydra marketed as '#1 for speed'provider claim |
| Acquisition history / former name | 2018 Umbenennung des Adware-Entwicklers Crossrider in Kape Technologies. 13.09.2021 Übernahme von ExpressVPN durch Kape für 936 Millionen US-Dollar. 26.04.2023 Übernahmeangebot von Unikmind Holdings für unbedingt erklärt, Streichung von der Londoner AIM zum 31.05.2023 angekündigt.confirmed | AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim |
| Core statement of the logging policy | Laut Datenschutzerklärung werden keine Aktivitätslogs (Browserverlauf, Zielserver, Inhalte, DNS-Anfragen) und keine Verbindungslogs (IP-Adresse, ausgehende VPN-IP, Verbindungszeitpunkt, Sitzungsdauer) gespeichert. Erhoben werden der Tag eines erfolgreichen Verbindungsaufbaus ohne Uhrzeit, der gewählte Standort und die Summe des je Konto übertragenen Datenvolumens.provider claim | Does not store VPN browsing activity tied to a user; logs session duration, bandwidth, anonymized domains, device hashes; source IP encrypted then deleted at session endconfirmed |
| Connection logs | noneprovider claim | per sessionconfirmed |
| Storage of the real IP address | not storedprovider claim | transient onlyconfirmed |
| Precision of stored timestamps | coarse (date only)provider claim | to the secondprovider claim |
| Enforcement of the device limit | 10–14 simultaneous connections depending on plan tierprovider claim | Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim |
| Minimum account data required | Name, E-Mail-Adresse und Zahlungsdaten bei Anlage eines Kontos laut Datenschutzerklärung.provider claim | Device hashes for free products without account; paid/account flows collect additional account data per general policyprovider claim |
| Telemetry in the apps | opt inprovider claim | cannot be disabledprovider claim |
| Trackers and SDKs in the Android app | AppsFlyer (attribution; advertising IDs with consent); additional analytics platforms referenced for marketingconfirmed | Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers in the iOS app | AppsFlyer (attribution; IDFA with consent); Sentry and platform crash reporters discussed for appsconfirmed | Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers and cookies on the website | Privacy policy discloses marketing/analytics cookies on websiteprovider claim | Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim |
| Data shared with third parties | Die Richtlinie nennt Dienstleister für Zahlungsabwicklung und Betrieb der Dienste sowie Marketingpartner für die Zuordnung von Werbekontakten. Die Empfänger werden nicht einzeln aufgezählt.provider claim | Free VPN versions: Google for personalized ads (AAID/IDFA); paid versions do not send to ad partners. Domain names logged anonymized/aggregated.provider claim |
| Retention periods stated in the policy | Keine allgemeine Frist genannt, die Richtlinie spricht von einem begrenzten Zeitraum nach geltendem Datenschutzrecht. Für transaktionsbezogene Kommunikation nennt sie zehn Jahre.provider claim | Source IP collected for VPN session then deleted at session end; domains aggregated ~monthly; device hashes retained for analyticsprovider claim |
| No-logs audit details | KPMG LLP, Prüfung nach ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1 zum Stichtag 28.02.2025. Geprüft wurden die TrustedServer-Architektur und die Logging-Aussagen der Datenschutzerklärung anhand von Dokumentenprüfung, Systembeobachtung und Interviews. Type 1 bewertet die Ausgestaltung der Kontrollen zu einem Stichtag, nicht ihre Wirksamkeit über einen Zeitraum, und umfasste keine vollständige Sicherheitsanalyse.confirmed | Aon technical assessment for Pango Group, report dated 2023-08-25; free and paid tiers; client+server; concluded policy assertions fairly representedconfirmed |
| Audit report published | full reportconfirmed | summary onlyconfirmed |
| App and client audits | Cure53 veröffentlichte Berichte zur Browser-Erweiterung (10.-11.2018 und 09.-10.2022), zu ExpressVPN Keys (09.-10.2022), zum iOS-Client (08.-09.2022), zum Android-Client (08.2022), zum macOS-Client (06.-07.2022) und zu den Linux-Clients (07.-08.2022).confirmed | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Infrastructure and server audits | Cure53 prüfte TrustedServer im Zeitraum 04.-05.2022 sowie die Router-Firmware Aircove 06.-07.2022 und 11.2024. Der Anbieter nennt zusätzlich eine Prüfung von TrustedServer durch PwC.confirmed | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Audit frequency | annualconfirmed | irregularprovider claim |
| Tested in court or by authorities | Im Januar 2017 beschlagnahmten türkische Behörden im Ermittlungsverfahren zur Ermordung des russischen Botschafters Andrej Karlow einen von ExpressVPN genutzten Server. Nach dem Bericht konnten die Ermittler daraus keine Nutzerdaten gewinnen, der Anbieter erklärte, keine Verbindungs- oder Aktivitätslogs zu besitzen. ExpressVPN stellte danach den Betrieb physischer Server in der Türkei ein und liefert türkische IP-Adressen über Server in den Niederlanden.confirmed | none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim |
| Transparency report | regularprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Security incidents and data leaks | ? | 2017 CDT complaint to FTC alleging undisclosed data sharing/traffic redirection on Hotspot Shield Free (per Wikipedia)confirmed |
| Bug bounty programme | Öffentliches Programm über die Plattform YesWeHack, alternativ Meldung per E-Mail. Geltungsbereich sind Desktop- und Mobil-Apps, Router und Router-Firmware (Aircove), Browser-Erweiterungen, Backend-Systeme und die VPN-Server mit TrustedServer-Technik. Für den ersten Nachweis eines unberechtigten Serverzugriffs, einer Codeausführung, eines IP-Lecks oder einer Einsicht in unverschlüsselten Verkehr auf TrustedServer ist ein einmaliger Bonus von 100.000 US-Dollar ausgelobt.provider claim | none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim |
| Handling of reported vulnerabilities | Eigenes Vulnerability Disclosure Program mit zugesagtem Safe Harbor für Sicherheitsforschung im Rahmen der Richtlinie. Meldungen können anonym und ohne Prämie eingereicht werden.provider claim | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Open source clients | someconfirmed | noneprovider claim |
| Listings by independent bodies | Public audits by PwC, Cure53, KPMG linked from features/trust messagingprovider claim | Cited Speedtest/Ookla fastest VPN; TechRadar, CNET, ZDNet, PCWorld quotes on marketing pagesprovider claim |
| WireGuard | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Proprietary protocol | Lightway. Der Quellcode ist veröffentlicht (Lightway Core in C unter GPL-2.0, laut Repository nicht mehr aktiv entwickelt, sowie die aktive Neuimplementierung Lightway in Rust unter AGPL-3.0). Cure53 prüfte die Rust-Implementierung und die WolfSSL-RS-Anbindung im Oktober und November 2024 und meldete fünf Feststellungen, davon eine als Sicherheitslücke eingestufte Denial-of-Service-Schwachstelle der Stufe High.confirmed | Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed |
| Legacy protocols still offered | PPTP und SSTP werden laut Anbieter in den ExpressVPN-Apps nicht mehr unterstützt.provider claim | Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim |
| Default data cipher | AES-256 nach Anbieterangabe, der Betriebsmodus wird nicht dokumentiert.provider claim | AES-256confirmed |
| Weakest accepted cipher | AES-256 (no weaker cipher advertised)provider claim | AES-256provider claim |
| Key exchange and authentication | Lightway protocol handshake (plus OpenVPN/IKEv2 options historically)provider claim | Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim |
| Perfect forward secrecy | yesprovider claim | ? |
| Post-quantum key exchange | on by defaultprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| DNS leak protection | yesprovider claim | ? |
| WebRTC protection or guidance | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation methods | Laut Anbieter automatische Verschleierung auf jedem Server, die ohne Zutun greift, wenn ein Netz VPN-Verkehr blockiert. Das Verfahren wird nicht dokumentiert.provider claim | Hydra proprietary protocol marketed for speed/security; censorship circumvention history (Arab Spring) per Wikipediaprovider claim |
| Kill switch | system-wideprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Permanent lockdown | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Split tunneling | Windows und macOS nach Anwendung und nach Website, Linux nach Anwendung, IP-Adresse oder Subnetz, Android ab 7.0 nach Anwendung. Unter iOS nur Ausschluss einzelner IPv4-Adressen, keine Auswahl nach Anwendung.provider claim | not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim |
| Smart DNS | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Ad and tracker filtering in DNS | configurableprovider claim | fixed listprovider claim |
| Local network access toggle | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Auto connect rules | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Traffic analysis defence | Automatic obfuscation on every server; Lightway protocolprovider claim | Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim |
| Number of servers | ? | 1,800 Serverprovider claim |
| Number of countries | 113 Laenderprovider claim | 80 Laenderprovider claim |
| Number of cities | 214 Staedteprovider claim | 35 Staedteprovider claim |
| Virtual locations | labelledprovider claim | not labelledprovider claim |
| RAM-only servers (diskless) | entire networkprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Hardware ownership | mixedprovider claim | rentedprovider claim |
| Own AS (autonomous system) | ? | noprovider claim |
| 10 Gbps ports | some serversprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Known upstream hosting providers | Not individually listed on server-locations page; markets servers in 113 countriesprovider claim | Third-party infrastructure providers (unnamed); Pango states it would leave any provider requiring activity loggingprovider claim |
| Linux app with GUI | native appprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Linux command line | native appprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Apple TV app | native appprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Browser extension | own extensionprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Type of browser extension | standalone browser proxyprovider claim | no extensionprovider claim |
| Router support | Kein eigenes Router-Programm und keine eigene Router-Firmware mehr, der Anbieter nennt einen app-first-Ansatz und verweist auf routereigene VPN-Funktionen sowie auf DD-WRT oder OpenWrt. Der eigene Router Aircove wird weiterhin geführt.provider claim | Router mentioned as connectable device under Premium (up to 10 devices)provider claim |
| Command line documented | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Simultaneous devices | Bis zu 14 Geräte gleichzeitig, abhängig vom gebuchten Tarif.provider claim | 10provider claim |
| Bitcoin | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| PayPal | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monthly price | ? | €11.99provider claim |
| Effective price on the longest term | €2.99provider claim | €7.99provider claim |
| Price change at renewal | very large increaseprovider claim | moderate increaseprovider claim |
| Free tier and its limits | noneprovider claim | Free VPN products (Hotspot Shield free) supported by third-party in-app ads (Unity, ironSource, Digital Turbine, InMobi)confirmed |
| Money-back window | 30 Tageprovider claim | 45 Tageprovider claim |
| Netflix regions reported | ? | Marketing claims Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+ worldwide; no audited region list on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Other streaming services | Markets HD/4K streaming on 10G/40G servers; Netflix not region-audited on fetched pagesprovider claim | Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim |
| Bandwidth cap | no limitprovider claim | cappedprovider claim |
| Data cap | Kein monatliches Datenlimit und keine eigene Bandbreitenbegrenzung nach Anbieterangabe.provider claim | Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim |
| Speed measurement references | ? | Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim |
| Official support in restrictive countries | Automatic obfuscation marketed for restrictive networksprovider claim | Historically used for censorship circumvention (Arab Spring); Hydra marketed for accessprovider claim |
| 24/7 live chat | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Documentation assessment | thorough and currentprovider claim | workableprovider claim |
| Tracker load of the website | Privacy policy covers website cookies/trackersprovider claim | Essential + analytics/personalization/targeted advertising cookies disclosed on siteprovider claim |
| Length and readability of the legal documents | Standard corporate legal pagesprovider claim | Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim |
| Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms | Markets as World's #1 VPN with intro $2.99/mo on multi-year Basic; servers in 113 countries on server-locations pageprovider claim | Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed |
All sourced criteria (152)
| ExpressVPN | Hotspot Shield | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | Express Technologies Ltd.provider claim | Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim |
| Trademark holder, if different | Kape Technologies family (joined Kape)provider claim | Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim |
| Year founded | 2009provider claim | 2008confirmed |
| Headquarters (country) | VGprovider claim | USprovider claim |
| Other relevant jurisdictions | Britische Jungferninseln (Vertragspartner und Gerichtsstand laut Nutzungsbedingungen), Vereinigtes Königreich (Mutterkonzern Kape Technologies mit Sitz in London)provider claim | United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed |
| Intelligence alliance of the home country | noneconfirmed | Five Eyesconfirmed |
| Parent group / holding | Kape Technologiesconfirmed | Point Wildconfirmed |
| Beneficial owners publicly known | fully knownconfirmed | partly knownprovider claim |
| Ownership structure | private equityconfirmed | private equityprovider claim |
| Leadership team publicly named | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Verifiable postal address for legal service | noprovider claim | yesconfirmed |
| Sister VPN brands in the group | Private Internet Access, CyberGhost VPNconfirmed | Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim |
| Group owns VPN review and comparison sites | Der Konzern übernahm im März 2021 Webselenese, den Betreiber der VPN-Vergleichsseiten vpnMentor und Wizcase, Kaufpreis 149,1 Millionen US-Dollar. Webselenese wird auf der Konzernseite als Marke geführt.confirmed | Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim |
| Runs an affiliate programme | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| YouTube and influencer sponsoring | occasionalprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Documented misleading advertising claims | ? | 'Military-grade' encryption wording appears on download/marketing pages; Hydra marketed as '#1 for speed'provider claim |
| Acquisition history / former name | 2018 Umbenennung des Adware-Entwicklers Crossrider in Kape Technologies. 13.09.2021 Übernahme von ExpressVPN durch Kape für 936 Millionen US-Dollar. 26.04.2023 Übernahmeangebot von Unikmind Holdings für unbedingt erklärt, Streichung von der Londoner AIM zum 31.05.2023 angekündigt.confirmed | AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim |
| Operating status | activeconfirmed | activeconfirmed |
| Core statement of the logging policy | Laut Datenschutzerklärung werden keine Aktivitätslogs (Browserverlauf, Zielserver, Inhalte, DNS-Anfragen) und keine Verbindungslogs (IP-Adresse, ausgehende VPN-IP, Verbindungszeitpunkt, Sitzungsdauer) gespeichert. Erhoben werden der Tag eines erfolgreichen Verbindungsaufbaus ohne Uhrzeit, der gewählte Standort und die Summe des je Konto übertragenen Datenvolumens.provider claim | Does not store VPN browsing activity tied to a user; logs session duration, bandwidth, anonymized domains, device hashes; source IP encrypted then deleted at session endconfirmed |
| Activity and traffic logs | noneprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Connection logs | noneprovider claim | per sessionconfirmed |
| Storage of the real IP address | not storedprovider claim | transient onlyconfirmed |
| Storage of the assigned VPN IP | not storedprovider claim | not storedprovider claim |
| Precision of stored timestamps | coarse (date only)provider claim | to the secondprovider claim |
| Recording of transferred data volume | per accountprovider claim | per accountconfirmed |
| Enforcement of the device limit | 10–14 simultaneous connections depending on plan tierprovider claim | Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim |
| Minimum account data required | Name, E-Mail-Adresse und Zahlungsdaten bei Anlage eines Kontos laut Datenschutzerklärung.provider claim | Device hashes for free products without account; paid/account flows collect additional account data per general policyprovider claim |
| Telemetry in the apps | opt inprovider claim | cannot be disabledprovider claim |
| Trackers and SDKs in the Android app | AppsFlyer (attribution; advertising IDs with consent); additional analytics platforms referenced for marketingconfirmed | Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers in the iOS app | AppsFlyer (attribution; IDFA with consent); Sentry and platform crash reporters discussed for appsconfirmed | Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers and cookies on the website | Privacy policy discloses marketing/analytics cookies on websiteprovider claim | Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim |
| Data shared with third parties | Die Richtlinie nennt Dienstleister für Zahlungsabwicklung und Betrieb der Dienste sowie Marketingpartner für die Zuordnung von Werbekontakten. Die Empfänger werden nicht einzeln aufgezählt.provider claim | Free VPN versions: Google for personalized ads (AAID/IDFA); paid versions do not send to ad partners. Domain names logged anonymized/aggregated.provider claim |
| Retention periods stated in the policy | Keine allgemeine Frist genannt, die Richtlinie spricht von einem begrenzten Zeitraum nach geltendem Datenschutzrecht. Für transaktionsbezogene Kommunikation nennt sie zehn Jahre.provider claim | Source IP collected for VPN session then deleted at session end; domains aggregated ~monthly; device hashes retained for analyticsprovider claim |
| EU representative named under GDPR | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Independent no-logs audit | yesconfirmed | yesconfirmed |
| No-logs audit details | KPMG LLP, Prüfung nach ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1 zum Stichtag 28.02.2025. Geprüft wurden die TrustedServer-Architektur und die Logging-Aussagen der Datenschutzerklärung anhand von Dokumentenprüfung, Systembeobachtung und Interviews. Type 1 bewertet die Ausgestaltung der Kontrollen zu einem Stichtag, nicht ihre Wirksamkeit über einen Zeitraum, und umfasste keine vollständige Sicherheitsanalyse.confirmed | Aon technical assessment for Pango Group, report dated 2023-08-25; free and paid tiers; client+server; concluded policy assertions fairly representedconfirmed |
| Audit report published | full reportconfirmed | summary onlyconfirmed |
| App and client audits | Cure53 veröffentlichte Berichte zur Browser-Erweiterung (10.-11.2018 und 09.-10.2022), zu ExpressVPN Keys (09.-10.2022), zum iOS-Client (08.-09.2022), zum Android-Client (08.2022), zum macOS-Client (06.-07.2022) und zu den Linux-Clients (07.-08.2022).confirmed | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Infrastructure and server audits | Cure53 prüfte TrustedServer im Zeitraum 04.-05.2022 sowie die Router-Firmware Aircove 06.-07.2022 und 11.2024. Der Anbieter nennt zusätzlich eine Prüfung von TrustedServer durch PwC.confirmed | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Audit frequency | annualconfirmed | irregularprovider claim |
| Tested in court or by authorities | Im Januar 2017 beschlagnahmten türkische Behörden im Ermittlungsverfahren zur Ermordung des russischen Botschafters Andrej Karlow einen von ExpressVPN genutzten Server. Nach dem Bericht konnten die Ermittler daraus keine Nutzerdaten gewinnen, der Anbieter erklärte, keine Verbindungs- oder Aktivitätslogs zu besitzen. ExpressVPN stellte danach den Betrieb physischer Server in der Türkei ein und liefert türkische IP-Adressen über Server in den Niederlanden.confirmed | none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim |
| Transparency report | regularprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Warrant canary | noneprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Security incidents and data leaks | ? | 2017 CDT complaint to FTC alleging undisclosed data sharing/traffic redirection on Hotspot Shield Free (per Wikipedia)confirmed |
| Bug bounty programme | Öffentliches Programm über die Plattform YesWeHack, alternativ Meldung per E-Mail. Geltungsbereich sind Desktop- und Mobil-Apps, Router und Router-Firmware (Aircove), Browser-Erweiterungen, Backend-Systeme und die VPN-Server mit TrustedServer-Technik. Für den ersten Nachweis eines unberechtigten Serverzugriffs, einer Codeausführung, eines IP-Lecks oder einer Einsicht in unverschlüsselten Verkehr auf TrustedServer ist ein einmaliger Bonus von 100.000 US-Dollar ausgelobt.provider claim | none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim |
| Handling of reported vulnerabilities | Eigenes Vulnerability Disclosure Program mit zugesagtem Safe Harbor für Sicherheitsforschung im Rahmen der Richtlinie. Meldungen können anonym und ohne Prämie eingereicht werden.provider claim | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Open source clients | someconfirmed | noneprovider claim |
| Open source server side | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Reproducible builds | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Available on F-Droid | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Listings by independent bodies | Public audits by PwC, Cure53, KPMG linked from features/trust messagingprovider claim | Cited Speedtest/Ookla fastest VPN; TechRadar, CNET, ZDNet, PCWorld quotes on marketing pagesprovider claim |
| WireGuard | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| OpenVPN over UDP | yesprovider claim | yesconfirmed |
| OpenVPN over TCP | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| IKEv2/IPsec | yesprovider claim | yesconfirmed |
| Proprietary protocol | Lightway. Der Quellcode ist veröffentlicht (Lightway Core in C unter GPL-2.0, laut Repository nicht mehr aktiv entwickelt, sowie die aktive Neuimplementierung Lightway in Rust unter AGPL-3.0). Cure53 prüfte die Rust-Implementierung und die WolfSSL-RS-Anbindung im Oktober und November 2024 und meldete fünf Feststellungen, davon eine als Sicherheitslücke eingestufte Denial-of-Service-Schwachstelle der Stufe High.confirmed | Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed |
| Legacy protocols still offered | PPTP und SSTP werden laut Anbieter in den ExpressVPN-Apps nicht mehr unterstützt.provider claim | Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim |
| Default data cipher | AES-256 nach Anbieterangabe, der Betriebsmodus wird nicht dokumentiert.provider claim | AES-256confirmed |
| Weakest accepted cipher | AES-256 (no weaker cipher advertised)provider claim | AES-256provider claim |
| Key exchange and authentication | Lightway protocol handshake (plus OpenVPN/IKEv2 options historically)provider claim | Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim |
| Perfect forward secrecy | yesprovider claim | ? |
| Post-quantum key exchange | on by defaultprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Own DNS resolvers | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| DNS leak protection | yesprovider claim | ? |
| IPv6 handling | unclearprovider claim | unclearprovider claim |
| WebRTC protection or guidance | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation methods | Laut Anbieter automatische Verschleierung auf jedem Server, die ohne Zutun greift, wenn ein Netz VPN-Verkehr blockiert. Das Verfahren wird nicht dokumentiert.provider claim | Hydra proprietary protocol marketed for speed/security; censorship circumvention history (Arab Spring) per Wikipediaprovider claim |
| Usability behind the Great Firewall | per user reportsprovider claim | per user reportsconfirmed |
| Kill switch | system-wideprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Permanent lockdown | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Split tunneling | Windows und macOS nach Anwendung und nach Website, Linux nach Anwendung, IP-Adresse oder Subnetz, Android ab 7.0 nach Anwendung. Unter iOS nur Ausschluss einzelner IPv4-Adressen, keine Auswahl nach Anwendung.provider claim | not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim |
| Multihop | not availableprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Tor integration (Onion over VPN) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Port forwarding | not availableprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| SOCKS5 proxy | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| HTTP proxy | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Smart DNS | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Ad and tracker filtering in DNS | configurableprovider claim | fixed listprovider claim |
| Malware and phishing filter | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Custom DNS servers allowed | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Local network access toggle | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Auto connect rules | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Private device network (mesh) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| GPS location override (Android) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Traffic analysis defence | Automatic obfuscation on every server; Lightway protocolprovider claim | Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim |
| IPv6 inside the tunnel | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation without configuration | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Number of servers | ? | 1,800 Serverprovider claim |
| Number of countries | 113 Laenderprovider claim | 80 Laenderprovider claim |
| Number of cities | 214 Staedteprovider claim | 35 Staedteprovider claim |
| Virtual locations | labelledprovider claim | not labelledprovider claim |
| RAM-only servers (diskless) | entire networkprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Hardware ownership | mixedprovider claim | rentedprovider claim |
| Own AS (autonomous system) | ? | noprovider claim |
| 10 Gbps ports | some serversprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| P2P and file sharing | entire networkprovider claim | entire networkprovider claim |
| Public server list | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Public status page | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Known upstream hosting providers | Not individually listed on server-locations page; markets servers in 113 countriesprovider claim | Third-party infrastructure providers (unnamed); Pango states it would leave any provider requiring activity loggingprovider claim |
| Windows app | native appprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| macOS app | native appprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| Linux app with GUI | native appprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Linux command line | native appprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Android app | native appprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| iOS app | native appprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| Android TV app | native appprovider claim | native appprovider claim |
| Apple TV app | native appprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Fire TV app | native appprovider claim | native appprovider claim |
| Browser extension | own extensionprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Type of browser extension | standalone browser proxyprovider claim | no extensionprovider claim |
| Router support | Kein eigenes Router-Programm und keine eigene Router-Firmware mehr, der Anbieter nennt einen app-first-Ansatz und verweist auf routereigene VPN-Funktionen sowie auf DD-WRT oder OpenWrt. Der eigene Router Aircove wird weiterhin geführt.provider claim | Router mentioned as connectable device under Premium (up to 10 devices)provider claim |
| Native build for Apple Silicon | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Command line documented | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Simultaneous devices | Bis zu 14 Geräte gleichzeitig, abhängig vom gebuchten Tarif.provider claim | 10provider claim |
| Usable without an account | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Data required at signup | any email addressprovider claim | any email addressprovider claim |
| Account model | email as loginprovider claim | email as loginprovider claim |
| Cash by mail | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monero | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Bitcoin | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Lightning | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Retail gift cards | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| PayPal | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Credit and debit card | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| SEPA payment | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monthly price | ? | €11.99provider claim |
| Effective price on the longest term | €2.99provider claim | €7.99provider claim |
| Price change at renewal | very large increaseprovider claim | moderate increaseprovider claim |
| Flat pricing without permanent discounts | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Free tier and its limits | noneprovider claim | Free VPN products (Hotspot Shield free) supported by third-party in-app ads (Unity, ironSource, Digital Turbine, InMobi)confirmed |
| Money-back window | 30 Tageprovider claim | 45 Tageprovider claim |
| Cancellation path | cancel in accountprovider claim | cancel in accountconfirmed |
| P2P policy in the terms of service | entire networkprovider claim | entire networkprovider claim |
| Streaming unblocking officially advertised | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Netflix regions reported | ? | Marketing claims Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+ worldwide; no audited region list on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Other streaming services | Markets HD/4K streaming on 10G/40G servers; Netflix not region-audited on fetched pagesprovider claim | Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim |
| Bandwidth cap | no limitprovider claim | cappedprovider claim |
| Data cap | Kein monatliches Datenlimit und keine eigene Bandbreitenbegrenzung nach Anbieterangabe.provider claim | Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim |
| Speed measurement references | ? | Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim |
| Official support in restrictive countries | Automatic obfuscation marketed for restrictive networksprovider claim | Historically used for censorship circumvention (Arab Spring); Hydra marketed for accessprovider claim |
| 24/7 live chat | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Email or ticket support | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Telephone support | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| German-language support | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Documentation assessment | thorough and currentprovider claim | workableprovider claim |
| Self-hosted chat widget | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Self-service account deletion | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| SSL Labs grade of the website | A+confirmed | A+confirmed |
| Tracker load of the website | Privacy policy covers website cookies/trackersprovider claim | Essential + analytics/personalization/targeted advertising cookies disclosed on siteprovider claim |
| URL of the warrant canary | none foundprovider claim | none foundprovider claim |
| Length and readability of the legal documents | Standard corporate legal pagesprovider claim | Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim |
| Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms | Markets as World's #1 VPN with intro $2.99/mo on multi-year Basic; servers in 113 countries on server-locations pageprovider claim | Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed |