hide.me / 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 (94)
Criteria where the values diverge.
| hide.me | Hotspot Shield | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | eVenture Limitedconfirmed | Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim |
| Trademark holder, if different | Independent hide.me team (no named megacorp parent on About/home)provider claim | Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim |
| Year founded | 2012provider claim | 2008confirmed |
| Headquarters (country) | MYprovider claim | USprovider claim |
| Other relevant jurisdictions | Malaysia, Bundesterritorium Labuan; Registrierungsnummer LL09685. Gerichtsstand und anwendbares Recht laut Nutzungsbedingungen: Malaysia.provider claim | United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed |
| Intelligence alliance of the home country | noneprovider claim | Five Eyesconfirmed |
| Parent group / holding | none (independent)provider claim | Point Wildconfirmed |
| Beneficial owners publicly known | not knownprovider claim | partly knownprovider claim |
| Ownership structure | founder ownedprovider claim | private equityprovider claim |
| Sister VPN brands in the group | none disclosedprovider claim | Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim |
| Group owns VPN review and comparison sites | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim | Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim |
| YouTube and influencer sponsoring | unknownprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Documented misleading advertising claims | Die Seite why-hideme nennt über 30 Millionen Nutzer, die Affiliate-Seite über 20 Millionen (Abruf 03.08.2026). Der Seitentitel The World's Fastest VPN wird ohne Angabe einer Messgrundlage geführt.provider claim | 'Military-grade' encryption wording appears on download/marketing pages; Hydra marketed as '#1 for speed'provider claim |
| Acquisition history / former name | Im September 2022 übernahm eVenture Limited die kroatische E-Sport-Organisation Valiance; hide.me wurde Haupt- und Trikotsponsor.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 Logs zu VPN-Sitzungen, Surfverhalten oder besuchten Websites geführt und keine Verbindungslogs mit Zeitstempeln gespeichert, die ein- und ausgehende IP-Adresse oder Sitzungsdauer verknüpfen. Erhoben werden die E-Mail-Adresse des Kontos, ein nicht dauerhafter Fehlersuch-Log und das monatlich aggregierte Datenvolumen.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 |
| Storage of the real IP address | not storedprovider claim | transient onlyconfirmed |
| Storage of the assigned VPN IP | storedprovider claim | not storedprovider claim |
| Precision of stored timestamps | noneprovider claim | to the secondprovider claim |
| Enforcement of the device limit | Paid plans: 10 simultaneous connections; free: 1 connectionconfirmed | Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim |
| Minimum account data required | Für ein Konto ist laut Datenschutzerklärung nur die E-Mail-Adresse erforderlich. Der Gratis-Tarif ist nach Anbieterangabe ohne Registrierung nutzbar.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 | Not specifically enumerated in privacy policy; policy allows third-party service providers for payments/opsprovider claim | Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers in the iOS app | Not specifically enumerated in privacy policy; policy allows third-party service providers for payments/opsprovider claim | Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers and cookies on the website | Disclosed in privacy policyprovider claim | Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim |
| Data shared with third parties | Zendesk für Support-Tickets und Live-Chat, Mailgun für Transaktions- und Werbe-E-Mails, dazu Zahlungsdienstleister.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 | Der Fehlersuch-Log wird nach Anbieterangabe alle paar Stunden gelöscht. Mit Beendigung eines Kontos werden laut Datenschutzerklärung alle zugehörigen Daten aus den Systemen entfernt. Für Website-Logs und Support-Korrespondenz nennt die Richtlinie keine Frist.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 | Securitum prüfte vom 19.03.2024 bis 06.06.2024 die Einhaltung der No-Logs-Richtlinie. Grundlage waren Bedrohungsmodellierung, Prüfung der VPN-Konfigurationsdateien, Interviews mit dem Team, ein Abbild eines beispielhaften LXC-Containers und der Ausrollprozess der Server; der Bericht bezieht sich auf den Produktstand vom 15.03.2024. Auf dem Container fanden die Prüfer inaktive Skripte mit iptables und der nDPI-Bibliothek, die BitTorrent-Verkehr erkennen und blockieren können.confirmed | Aon technical assessment for Pango Group, report dated 2023-08-25; free and paid tiers; client+server; concluded policy assertions fairly representedconfirmed |
| App and client audits | Die mobilen Apps durchliefen nach Anbieterangabe 2023 eine Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) im Rahmen der App Defense Alliance; das Ergebnis wird als Sicherheitsabzeichen im Google Play Store geführt.provider claim | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Infrastructure and server audits | ? | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Tested in court or by authorities | ? | none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim |
| Transparency report | regularprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Security incidents and data leaks | None disclosed on fetched About/home/privacy pagesprovider claim | 2017 CDT complaint to FTC alleging undisclosed data sharing/traffic redirection on Hotspot Shield Free (per Wikipedia)confirmed |
| Bug bounty programme | ? | none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim |
| Handling of reported vulnerabilities | ? | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Open source clients | someconfirmed | noneprovider claim |
| Listings by independent bodies | eVenture wurde im Februar 2026 als erstes Mitgliedsunternehmen der VPN Trust Initiative des i2Coalition erneut mit dem VPN Trust Seal akkreditiert. Die Akkreditierung ist ein Branchenprogramm, kein technisches Audit.confirmed | Cited Speedtest/Ookla fastest VPN; TechRadar, CNET, ZDNet, PCWorld quotes on marketing pagesprovider claim |
| WireGuard | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Proprietary protocol | Bolt, eine hauseigene Technik, die den Verkehr unter Windows über TCP statt UDP leitet. Der Anbieter beschreibt sie als Beschleunigung, nicht als eigenes Tunnelprotokoll; Quellcode ist nicht veröffentlicht.provider claim | Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed |
| Legacy protocols still offered | SSTP und SoftEther werden zusätzlich zu WireGuard, OpenVPN und IKEv2 angeboten. PPTP und L2TP nennt der Anbieter nicht.provider claim | Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim |
| Default data cipher | AES-256 bei OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther und SSTP; die DD-WRT-Anleitung nennt AES-256-CBC mit SHA256. WireGuard nutzt ChaCha20-Poly1305.provider claim | AES-256confirmed |
| Key exchange and authentication | IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard, SoftEther, SSTPprovider claim | Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim |
| Perfect forward secrecy | yesprovider claim | ? |
| DNS leak protection | yesprovider claim | ? |
| IPv6 handling | routed through tunnelprovider claim | unclearprovider claim |
| WebRTC protection or guidance | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation methods | Der Anbieter weist keine eigene Verschleierungstechnik aus. SoftEther und SSTP tunneln den Verkehr laut Anbieter über HTTPS, Multihop wird für teilweise oder vollständig blockierte Netze beworben.provider claim | Hydra proprietary protocol marketed for speed/security; censorship circumvention history (Arab Spring) per Wikipediaprovider claim |
| Kill switch | bothprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Split tunneling | Auswahl nach Anwendung, in zwei Betriebsarten: ausgewählte Programme vom Tunnel ausschließen oder ausschließlich ausgewählte Programme durch den Tunnel leiten. Dokumentiert für Windows, Android und den Linux-Client.provider claim | not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim |
| Multihop | freely combinableprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Port forwarding | limitedprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| SOCKS5 proxy | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Ad and tracker filtering in DNS | configurableprovider claim | fixed listprovider claim |
| Custom DNS servers allowed | ? | noprovider claim |
| Local network access toggle | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Auto connect rules | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Traffic analysis defence | StealthGuard obfuscationprovider claim | Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim |
| IPv6 inside the tunnel | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Number of servers | 2,600 Serverprovider claim | 1,800 Serverprovider claim |
| Number of countries | 57 Laenderprovider claim | 80 Laenderprovider claim |
| Number of cities | 92 Staedteprovider claim | 35 Staedteprovider claim |
| Virtual locations | no virtual locationsprovider claim | not labelledprovider claim |
| Hardware ownership | mixedprovider claim | rentedprovider claim |
| Own AS (autonomous system) | ? | noprovider claim |
| 10 Gbps ports | all serversprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Known upstream hosting providers | Self-maintained, hand-picked security-hardened servers (provider names not listed on home)provider claim | Third-party infrastructure providers (unnamed); Pango states it would leave any provider requiring activity loggingprovider claim |
| Linux app with GUI | manual config onlyprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Linux command line | native appconfirmed | 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 | Dokumentierte Anleitungen für GL.iNet, Asus, MikroTik und FRITZ!Box sowie für DD-WRT, AsusWRT und pfSense mit OpenVPN.provider claim | Router mentioned as connectable device under Premium (up to 10 devices)provider claim |
| Command line documented | yesconfirmed | noprovider claim |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 im Premium-Tarif, 1 im Gratis-Tarifprovider claim | 10provider claim |
| Usable without an account | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monero | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Bitcoin | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| PayPal | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| SEPA payment | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Effective price on the longest term | €2.59provider claim | €7.99provider claim |
| Price change at renewal | same priceprovider claim | moderate increaseprovider claim |
| Free tier and its limits | Dauerhaft kostenloser Tarif ohne Registrierung und ohne Zahlungsdaten: 8 Standorte, ein Gerät gleichzeitig, gedrosselte Geschwindigkeit, kein Zugriff auf Streaming-Server, SmartGuard, Portweiterleitung und Multihop.provider 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 | contact requiredprovider claim | cancel in accountconfirmed |
| Netflix regions reported | ? | Marketing claims Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+ worldwide; no audited region list on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Other streaming services | Der Anbieter nennt Netflix, Disney+, BBC, Hulu und Amazon Prime; unabhängige Messungen liegen hier nicht vor.provider claim | Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim |
| Bandwidth cap | no limitprovider claim | cappedprovider claim |
| Data cap | Angaben des Anbieters widersprechen sich: Preisseite und Gratis-Seite nennen für den Gratis-Tarif unbegrenztes Datenvolumen, die FAQ der englischen Startseite nennt 10 GB pro Monat.disputed | Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim |
| Speed measurement references | ? | Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim |
| SMTP and port 25 handling | Die Nutzungsbedingungen untersagen den Versand von Spam, unaufgeforderten E-Mails und Massen-E-Mails sowie das Suchen nach offenen Proxys und Relays. Eine Aussage zu Port 25 machen sie nicht.provider claim | ? |
| Official support in restrictive countries | StealthGuard / bypass censorshipprovider claim | Historically used for censorship circumvention (Arab Spring); Hydra marketed for accessprovider claim |
| 24/7 live chat | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Tracker load of the website | Privacy policy covers cookies/trackersprovider claim | Essential + analytics/personalization/targeted advertising cookies disclosed on siteprovider claim |
| Length and readability of the legal documents | Standard marketing/legal linked pagesprovider claim | Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim |
| Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms | Die Preisseite bewirbt für den Gratis-Tarif unbegrenztes Datenvolumen, die FAQ der englischen Startseite nennt für Gratis-Nutzer 10 GB pro Monat (Abruf 03.08.2026).provider claim | Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed |
All sourced criteria (153)
| hide.me | Hotspot Shield | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | eVenture Limitedconfirmed | Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim |
| Trademark holder, if different | Independent hide.me team (no named megacorp parent on About/home)provider claim | Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim |
| Year founded | 2012provider claim | 2008confirmed |
| Headquarters (country) | MYprovider claim | USprovider claim |
| Other relevant jurisdictions | Malaysia, Bundesterritorium Labuan; Registrierungsnummer LL09685. Gerichtsstand und anwendbares Recht laut Nutzungsbedingungen: Malaysia.provider claim | United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed |
| Intelligence alliance of the home country | noneprovider claim | Five Eyesconfirmed |
| Parent group / holding | none (independent)provider claim | Point Wildconfirmed |
| Beneficial owners publicly known | not knownprovider claim | partly knownprovider claim |
| Ownership structure | founder ownedprovider claim | private equityprovider claim |
| Leadership team publicly named | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Verifiable postal address for legal service | yesprovider claim | yesconfirmed |
| Sister VPN brands in the group | none disclosedprovider claim | Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim |
| Group owns VPN review and comparison sites | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim | Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim |
| Runs an affiliate programme | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| YouTube and influencer sponsoring | unknownprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Documented misleading advertising claims | Die Seite why-hideme nennt über 30 Millionen Nutzer, die Affiliate-Seite über 20 Millionen (Abruf 03.08.2026). Der Seitentitel The World's Fastest VPN wird ohne Angabe einer Messgrundlage geführt.provider claim | 'Military-grade' encryption wording appears on download/marketing pages; Hydra marketed as '#1 for speed'provider claim |
| Acquisition history / former name | Im September 2022 übernahm eVenture Limited die kroatische E-Sport-Organisation Valiance; hide.me wurde Haupt- und Trikotsponsor.confirmed | AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim |
| Operating status | activeprovider claim | activeconfirmed |
| Core statement of the logging policy | Laut Datenschutzerklärung werden keine Logs zu VPN-Sitzungen, Surfverhalten oder besuchten Websites geführt und keine Verbindungslogs mit Zeitstempeln gespeichert, die ein- und ausgehende IP-Adresse oder Sitzungsdauer verknüpfen. Erhoben werden die E-Mail-Adresse des Kontos, ein nicht dauerhafter Fehlersuch-Log und das monatlich aggregierte Datenvolumen.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 | noneconfirmed | noneprovider claim |
| Connection logs | per sessionprovider claim | per sessionconfirmed |
| Storage of the real IP address | not storedprovider claim | transient onlyconfirmed |
| Storage of the assigned VPN IP | storedprovider claim | not storedprovider claim |
| Precision of stored timestamps | noneprovider claim | to the secondprovider claim |
| Recording of transferred data volume | per accountprovider claim | per accountconfirmed |
| Enforcement of the device limit | Paid plans: 10 simultaneous connections; free: 1 connectionconfirmed | Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim |
| Minimum account data required | Für ein Konto ist laut Datenschutzerklärung nur die E-Mail-Adresse erforderlich. Der Gratis-Tarif ist nach Anbieterangabe ohne Registrierung nutzbar.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 | Not specifically enumerated in privacy policy; policy allows third-party service providers for payments/opsprovider claim | Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers in the iOS app | Not specifically enumerated in privacy policy; policy allows third-party service providers for payments/opsprovider claim | Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim |
| Trackers and cookies on the website | Disclosed in privacy policyprovider claim | Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim |
| Data shared with third parties | Zendesk für Support-Tickets und Live-Chat, Mailgun für Transaktions- und Werbe-E-Mails, dazu Zahlungsdienstleister.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 | Der Fehlersuch-Log wird nach Anbieterangabe alle paar Stunden gelöscht. Mit Beendigung eines Kontos werden laut Datenschutzerklärung alle zugehörigen Daten aus den Systemen entfernt. Für Website-Logs und Support-Korrespondenz nennt die Richtlinie keine Frist.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 | Securitum prüfte vom 19.03.2024 bis 06.06.2024 die Einhaltung der No-Logs-Richtlinie. Grundlage waren Bedrohungsmodellierung, Prüfung der VPN-Konfigurationsdateien, Interviews mit dem Team, ein Abbild eines beispielhaften LXC-Containers und der Ausrollprozess der Server; der Bericht bezieht sich auf den Produktstand vom 15.03.2024. Auf dem Container fanden die Prüfer inaktive Skripte mit iptables und der nDPI-Bibliothek, die BitTorrent-Verkehr erkennen und blockieren können.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 | summary onlyconfirmed | summary onlyconfirmed |
| App and client audits | Die mobilen Apps durchliefen nach Anbieterangabe 2023 eine Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) im Rahmen der App Defense Alliance; das Ergebnis wird als Sicherheitsabzeichen im Google Play Store geführt.provider claim | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Infrastructure and server audits | ? | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim |
| Audit frequency | irregularprovider claim | irregularprovider claim |
| Tested in court or by authorities | ? | none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim |
| Transparency report | regularprovider claim | occasionalprovider claim |
| Warrant canary | noneprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Security incidents and data leaks | None disclosed on fetched About/home/privacy pagesprovider claim | 2017 CDT complaint to FTC alleging undisclosed data sharing/traffic redirection on Hotspot Shield Free (per Wikipedia)confirmed |
| Bug bounty programme | ? | none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim |
| Handling of reported vulnerabilities | ? | 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 | eVenture wurde im Februar 2026 als erstes Mitgliedsunternehmen der VPN Trust Initiative des i2Coalition erneut mit dem VPN Trust Seal akkreditiert. Die Akkreditierung ist ein Branchenprogramm, kein technisches Audit.confirmed | 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 | Bolt, eine hauseigene Technik, die den Verkehr unter Windows über TCP statt UDP leitet. Der Anbieter beschreibt sie als Beschleunigung, nicht als eigenes Tunnelprotokoll; Quellcode ist nicht veröffentlicht.provider claim | Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed |
| Legacy protocols still offered | SSTP und SoftEther werden zusätzlich zu WireGuard, OpenVPN und IKEv2 angeboten. PPTP und L2TP nennt der Anbieter nicht.provider claim | Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim |
| Default data cipher | AES-256 bei OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther und SSTP; die DD-WRT-Anleitung nennt AES-256-CBC mit SHA256. WireGuard nutzt ChaCha20-Poly1305.provider claim | AES-256confirmed |
| Weakest accepted cipher | AES-256provider claim | AES-256provider claim |
| Key exchange and authentication | IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard, SoftEther, SSTPprovider claim | Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim |
| Perfect forward secrecy | yesprovider claim | ? |
| Post-quantum key exchange | not availableprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Own DNS resolvers | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| DNS leak protection | yesprovider claim | ? |
| IPv6 handling | routed through tunnelprovider claim | unclearprovider claim |
| WebRTC protection or guidance | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation methods | Der Anbieter weist keine eigene Verschleierungstechnik aus. SoftEther und SSTP tunneln den Verkehr laut Anbieter über HTTPS, Multihop wird für teilweise oder vollständig blockierte Netze beworben.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 | bothprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Permanent lockdown | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Split tunneling | Auswahl nach Anwendung, in zwei Betriebsarten: ausgewählte Programme vom Tunnel ausschließen oder ausschließlich ausgewählte Programme durch den Tunnel leiten. Dokumentiert für Windows, Android und den Linux-Client.provider claim | not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim |
| Multihop | freely combinableprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Tor integration (Onion over VPN) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Port forwarding | limitedprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| SOCKS5 proxy | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| HTTP proxy | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Smart DNS | noprovider 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 |
| 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 | StealthGuard obfuscationprovider claim | Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim |
| IPv6 inside the tunnel | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation without configuration | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Number of servers | 2,600 Serverprovider claim | 1,800 Serverprovider claim |
| Number of countries | 57 Laenderprovider claim | 80 Laenderprovider claim |
| Number of cities | 92 Staedteprovider claim | 35 Staedteprovider claim |
| Virtual locations | no virtual locationsprovider claim | not labelledprovider claim |
| RAM-only servers (diskless) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Hardware ownership | mixedprovider claim | rentedprovider claim |
| Own AS (autonomous system) | ? | noprovider claim |
| 10 Gbps ports | all 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 | Self-maintained, hand-picked security-hardened servers (provider names not listed on home)provider 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 | manual config onlyprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| Linux command line | native appconfirmed | 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 | Dokumentierte Anleitungen für GL.iNet, Asus, MikroTik und FRITZ!Box sowie für DD-WRT, AsusWRT und pfSense mit OpenVPN.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 | yesconfirmed | noprovider claim |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 im Premium-Tarif, 1 im Gratis-Tarifprovider claim | 10provider claim |
| Usable without an account | yesprovider 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 | yesprovider 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 | yesprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monthly price | €11.99provider claim | €11.99provider claim |
| Effective price on the longest term | €2.59provider claim | €7.99provider claim |
| Price change at renewal | same priceprovider claim | moderate increaseprovider claim |
| Flat pricing without permanent discounts | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Free tier and its limits | Dauerhaft kostenloser Tarif ohne Registrierung und ohne Zahlungsdaten: 8 Standorte, ein Gerät gleichzeitig, gedrosselte Geschwindigkeit, kein Zugriff auf Streaming-Server, SmartGuard, Portweiterleitung und Multihop.provider 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 | contact requiredprovider 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 | Der Anbieter nennt Netflix, Disney+, BBC, Hulu und Amazon Prime; unabhängige Messungen liegen hier nicht vor.provider claim | Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim |
| Bandwidth cap | no limitprovider claim | cappedprovider claim |
| Data cap | Angaben des Anbieters widersprechen sich: Preisseite und Gratis-Seite nennen für den Gratis-Tarif unbegrenztes Datenvolumen, die FAQ der englischen Startseite nennt 10 GB pro Monat.disputed | Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim |
| Speed measurement references | ? | Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim |
| SMTP and port 25 handling | Die Nutzungsbedingungen untersagen den Versand von Spam, unaufgeforderten E-Mails und Massen-E-Mails sowie das Suchen nach offenen Proxys und Relays. Eine Aussage zu Port 25 machen sie nicht.provider claim | ? |
| Official support in restrictive countries | StealthGuard / bypass censorshipprovider 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 | workableprovider 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 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 marketing/legal linked pagesprovider claim | Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim |
| Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms | Die Preisseite bewirbt für den Gratis-Tarif unbegrenztes Datenvolumen, die FAQ der englischen Startseite nennt für Gratis-Nutzer 10 GB pro Monat (Abruf 03.08.2026).provider claim | Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed |