Hotspot Shield / NordVPN 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.
| Hotspot Shield | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim | nordvpn S.A.confirmed |
| Trademark holder, if different | Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim | Nord Security (Cyberspace B.V. / Nordsec); service incorporated in Panamaconfirmed |
| Year founded | 2008confirmed | 2012provider claim |
| Headquarters (country) | USprovider claim | LTconfirmed |
| Other relevant jurisdictions | United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed | Panama (nordvpn S.A.); parent Nord Security headquartered in Lithuania; offices also UK, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Switzerlandconfirmed |
| Intelligence alliance of the home country | Five Eyesconfirmed | noneconfirmed |
| Parent group / holding | Point Wildconfirmed | Nord Securityconfirmed |
| Sister VPN brands in the group | Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim | NordLayer (Geschäftskunden-VPN von Nord Security), Surfshark (seit dem Zusammenschluss vom 01.02.2022 in derselben Unternehmensgruppe)provider claim |
| Group owns VPN review and comparison sites | Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim | none disclosed on about pageprovider 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 | AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim | Am 01.02.2022 gaben Surfshark und Nord Security ihren Zusammenschluss bekannt; beide Unternehmen erklärten, weiterhin als eigenständige Firmen mit getrennter Infrastruktur zu arbeiten. Im April 2022 nahm Nord Security erstmals externes Kapital auf.confirmed |
| Core statement of the logging policy | 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 | Der Anbieter erklärt eine No-Logs-Politik: Es würden keine Aufzeichnungen darüber geführt, was Nutzende aufrufen, wann sie sich verbinden oder welche personenbezogenen Daten während der Nutzung anfallen. Als gespeicherte Daten nennt der Support verschlüsselte Zugangsdaten, die E-Mail-Adresse, einen Benutzernamen für den VPN-Aufbau sowie Zahlungs- und Abrechnungsdaten für Erstattungen.provider claim |
| Connection logs | per sessionconfirmed | noneprovider claim |
| Storage of the real IP address | transient onlyconfirmed | not storedprovider claim |
| Precision of stored timestamps | to the secondprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Recording of transferred data volume | per accountconfirmed | not recordedprovider claim |
| Enforcement of the device limit | Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim | Plan-dependent device limits on pricing table; Dedicated IP add-on at checkoutprovider claim |
| Minimum account data required | Device hashes for free products without account; paid/account flows collect additional account data per general policyprovider claim | Nach Support-Angabe verschlüsselte Zugangsdaten, die E-Mail-Adresse, ein Benutzername für den VPN-Aufbau sowie Zahlungsdaten; von den Zahlungsdaten wird die Transaktions- oder Bestellnummer für Erstattungen gespeichert. Für das Nord Account sind E-Mail-Adresse und Passwort nötig.provider claim |
| Trackers and SDKs in the Android app | Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim | Third-party processors named in privacy policy include analytics/marketing vendors (e.g. Google Analytics ecosystem and others listed under recipients)provider claim |
| Trackers in the iOS app | Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim | Third-party processors named in privacy policy include analytics/marketing vendors listed under recipientsprovider claim |
| Trackers and cookies on the website | Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim | Website cookies for advertising/analytics; Cookie Policy linkedprovider claim |
| Data shared with third parties | Free VPN versions: Google for personalized ads (AAID/IDFA); paid versions do not send to ad partners. Domain names logged anonymized/aggregated.provider claim | Service providers (support, payments e.g. Stripe/Adyen/PayPal/Coingate); law enforcement only with valid Panama process; no VPN activity logs to shareprovider claim |
| Retention periods stated in the policy | Source IP collected for VPN session then deleted at session end; domains aggregated ~monthly; device hashes retained for analyticsprovider claim | Account/billing data retained as needed for service; VPN activity not logged per no-logs articleprovider claim |
| No-logs audit details | Aon technical assessment for Pango Group, report dated 2023-08-25; free and paid tiers; client+server; concluded policy assertions fairly representedconfirmed | Fünfte Prüfung durch Deloitte Audit Lithuania nach ISAE 3000 (Revised), durchgeführt vom 18.11. bis 20.12.2024, Bericht vom 18.02.2025. Geprüft wurden nach Anbieterangabe IT-Systeme, unterstützende Infrastruktur und die No-Logs-Politik, darunter Standard-, Double-VPN-, Onion-over-VPN-, verschleierte und P2P-Server.provider claim |
| Audit report published | summary onlyconfirmed | not publishedprovider claim |
| App and client audits | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim | Cure53 prüfte 2024 mit elf Testern über 55 Tage die Mobil-, Desktop- und Browser-Anwendungen sowie Threat Protection und Meshnet. Berichtet wurden 31 Feststellungen, davon vier mit hoher Schwere; die Behebung wurde nach diesem Bericht von Cure53 nachgeprüft.confirmed |
| Infrastructure and server audits | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim | Cure53 prüfte laut Mitteilung vom 02.03.2023 im September und Oktober 2022 Infrastruktur und Server, im Juli und August 2022 Apps und Erweiterungen. Der Prüfumfang umfasste nach dieser Mitteilung auch Websites, mehrere APIs, Nord Account, Nord Checkout, Nord UCP, VPN-Server und den serverseitigen NordLynx-Code.provider claim |
| Tested in court or by authorities | none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim | ? |
| Transparency report | occasionalprovider 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 | Im März 2018 wurde ein von NordVPN in einem finnischen Rechenzentrum gemieteter Server über ein unsicheres Fernwartungssystem des Rechenzentrumsbetreibers kompromittiert. Offengelegt wurde ein abgelaufener interner privater Schlüssel. NordVPN erklärte, der Server habe keine Aktivitätsprotokolle enthalten und Zugangsdaten seien nicht abgreifbar gewesen. Der Vorfall wurde am 21.10.2019 öffentlich bestätigt.confirmed |
| Bug bounty programme | none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim | HackerOne bug bounty via Nord Security (https://hackerone.com/nordsecurity)confirmed |
| Handling of reported vulnerabilities | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim | Bug bounty on HackerOne for Nord Security; vulnerability reporting encouragedprovider claim |
| Open source clients | noneprovider claim | someconfirmed |
| Listings by independent bodies | Cited Speedtest/Ookla fastest VPN; TechRadar, CNET, ZDNet, PCWorld quotes on marketing pagesprovider claim | Customer/press quotes on about page; widely reviewed commerciallyprovider claim |
| WireGuard | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Proprietary protocol | Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed | NordLynx (nach Anbieterangabe auf WireGuard aufbauend) und NordWhisper (Eigenentwicklung). Quellcode und externe Prüfberichte zu beiden Protokollen sind nicht öffentlich dokumentiert.provider claim |
| Legacy protocols still offered | Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim | IKEv2/IPsec still supported alongside OpenVPN/NordLynx/NordWhisperprovider claim |
| Default data cipher | AES-256confirmed | ChaCha20/Poly1305 via NordLynx/WireGuard; AES for OpenVPN stackprovider claim |
| Key exchange and authentication | Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim | WireGuard/NordLynx handshake; post-quantum option documentedprovider claim |
| Perfect forward secrecy | ? | yesprovider claim |
| Post-quantum key exchange | not availableprovider claim | opt-inprovider claim |
| DNS leak protection | ? | yesprovider claim |
| IPv6 handling | unclearprovider claim | ? |
| WebRTC protection or guidance | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Obfuscation methods | Hydra proprietary protocol marketed for speed/security; censorship circumvention history (Arab Spring) per Wikipediaprovider claim | Eigene Kategorie verschleierter Server unter den Specialty Servers. Die konkrete Technik wird nicht offengelegt, der Anbieter beschreibt sie allgemein als Stealth-Server, die den VPN-Verkehr wie gewöhnlichen Internetverkehr aussehen lassen. Unter Linux funktionieren die verschleierten Server nach Anbieterangabe nur mit OpenVPN über TCP oder UDP.provider claim |
| Kill switch | not availableprovider claim | bothprovider claim |
| Permanent lockdown | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Split tunneling | not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim | Nach Anbieterangabe lassen sich in der App einzelne Anwendungen von der VPN-Verbindung ausnehmen; in den Browser-Erweiterungen lassen sich einzelne Websites ausschließen.provider claim |
| Multihop | not availableprovider claim | fixed routesprovider claim |
| Tor integration (Onion over VPN) | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| SOCKS5 proxy | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| HTTP proxy | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Smart DNS | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Custom DNS servers allowed | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Local network access toggle | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Auto connect rules | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Private device network (mesh) | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Traffic analysis defence | Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim | Obfuscated servers hide VPN traffic as normal activityprovider claim |
| Number of servers | 1,800 Serverprovider claim | 8,719 Serverprovider claim |
| Number of countries | 80 Laenderprovider claim | 149 Laenderprovider claim |
| Number of cities | 35 Staedteprovider claim | 224 Staedteprovider claim |
| Virtual locations | not labelledprovider claim | labelledprovider claim |
| RAM-only servers (diskless) | noprovider claim | entire networkprovider claim |
| Hardware ownership | rentedprovider claim | mixedprovider claim |
| 10 Gbps ports | noprovider claim | ? |
| Known upstream hosting providers | Third-party infrastructure providers (unnamed); Pango states it would leave any provider requiring activity loggingprovider claim | ? |
| Linux app with GUI | not availableprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| Linux command line | not availableprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| Apple TV app | not availableprovider claim | native appprovider claim |
| Browser extension | not availableprovider claim | own extensionprovider claim |
| Type of browser extension | no extensionprovider claim | standalone browser proxyprovider claim |
| Router support | Router mentioned as connectable device under Premium (up to 10 devices)provider claim | Der Anbieter dokumentiert die Einrichtung auf einem Router und weist auf eine Liste nicht unterstützter Router hin. Eine Routerverbindung belegt nach Anbieterangabe nur einen der zehn Geräteplätze und schützt alle dahinter liegenden Geräte.provider claim |
| Command line documented | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Data required at signup | any email addressprovider claim | verified emailprovider claim |
| Bitcoin | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| PayPal | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Monthly price | €11.99provider claim | €14.99provider claim |
| Effective price on the longest term | €7.99provider claim | €3.49provider claim |
| Price change at renewal | moderate increaseprovider claim | very large increaseprovider claim |
| Free tier and its limits | Free VPN products (Hotspot Shield free) supported by third-party in-app ads (Unity, ironSource, Digital Turbine, InMobi)confirmed | Kein dauerhaft kostenloses Angebot. Der Anbieter schreibt, über die eigene Website gebe es keine kostenlose Testphase, sondern nur die Geld-zurück-Frist von 30 Tagen. Eine kostenlose Testphase besteht nach derselben Quelle allein für Android-Nutzende, die die App über Google Play beziehen; sie wird von Google Play abgewickelt.provider claim |
| Money-back window | 45 Tageprovider claim | 30 Tageprovider claim |
| Netflix regions reported | Marketing claims Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+ worldwide; no audited region list on fetched pagesprovider claim | ? |
| Other streaming services | Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim | SmartPlay streaming support claimedprovider claim |
| Bandwidth cap | cappedprovider claim | no limitprovider claim |
| Data cap | Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Speed measurement references | Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim | ? |
| SMTP and port 25 handling | ? | Nach Support-Angabe sind alle Ports für ausgehende Verbindungen offen mit Ausnahme von SMTP und NetBIOS; als Alternative für den Mailversand werden die Ports 465 und 587 genannt.provider claim |
| Official support in restrictive countries | Historically used for censorship circumvention (Arab Spring); Hydra marketed for accessprovider claim | Obfuscated servers for VPN-blocking networksprovider claim |
| 24/7 live chat | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| German-language support | yesprovider claim | ? |
| Documentation assessment | workableprovider claim | thorough and currentprovider claim |
| Tracker load of the website | Essential + analytics/personalization/targeted advertising cookies disclosed on siteprovider claim | Cookies for personalization/advertising; Privacy Controls / Cookie Policy linkedprovider claim |
| Length and readability of the legal documents | Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim | Standard Nord Account legal termsprovider claim |
| Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms | Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed | Home/features market Dedicated IP and 224+ locations; privacy acknowledges personal data processing with third partiesprovider claim |
All sourced criteria (153)
| Hotspot Shield | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim | nordvpn S.A.confirmed |
| Trademark holder, if different | Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim | Nord Security (Cyberspace B.V. / Nordsec); service incorporated in Panamaconfirmed |
| Year founded | 2008confirmed | 2012provider claim |
| Headquarters (country) | USprovider claim | LTconfirmed |
| Other relevant jurisdictions | United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed | Panama (nordvpn S.A.); parent Nord Security headquartered in Lithuania; offices also UK, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Switzerlandconfirmed |
| Intelligence alliance of the home country | Five Eyesconfirmed | noneconfirmed |
| Parent group / holding | Point Wildconfirmed | Nord Securityconfirmed |
| Beneficial owners publicly known | partly knownprovider claim | partly knownprovider claim |
| Ownership structure | private equityprovider claim | private equityconfirmed |
| Leadership team publicly named | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Verifiable postal address for legal service | yesconfirmed | yesconfirmed |
| Sister VPN brands in the group | Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim | NordLayer (Geschäftskunden-VPN von Nord Security), Surfshark (seit dem Zusammenschluss vom 01.02.2022 in derselben Unternehmensgruppe)provider claim |
| Group owns VPN review and comparison sites | Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim | none disclosed on about pageprovider 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 | AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim | Am 01.02.2022 gaben Surfshark und Nord Security ihren Zusammenschluss bekannt; beide Unternehmen erklärten, weiterhin als eigenständige Firmen mit getrennter Infrastruktur zu arbeiten. Im April 2022 nahm Nord Security erstmals externes Kapital auf.confirmed |
| Operating status | activeconfirmed | activeconfirmed |
| Core statement of the logging policy | 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 | Der Anbieter erklärt eine No-Logs-Politik: Es würden keine Aufzeichnungen darüber geführt, was Nutzende aufrufen, wann sie sich verbinden oder welche personenbezogenen Daten während der Nutzung anfallen. Als gespeicherte Daten nennt der Support verschlüsselte Zugangsdaten, die E-Mail-Adresse, einen Benutzernamen für den VPN-Aufbau sowie Zahlungs- und Abrechnungsdaten für Erstattungen.provider claim |
| Activity and traffic logs | noneprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Connection logs | per sessionconfirmed | noneprovider claim |
| Storage of the real IP address | transient onlyconfirmed | not storedprovider claim |
| Storage of the assigned VPN IP | not storedprovider claim | not storedprovider claim |
| Precision of stored timestamps | to the secondprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Recording of transferred data volume | per accountconfirmed | not recordedprovider claim |
| Enforcement of the device limit | Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim | Plan-dependent device limits on pricing table; Dedicated IP add-on at checkoutprovider claim |
| Minimum account data required | Device hashes for free products without account; paid/account flows collect additional account data per general policyprovider claim | Nach Support-Angabe verschlüsselte Zugangsdaten, die E-Mail-Adresse, ein Benutzername für den VPN-Aufbau sowie Zahlungsdaten; von den Zahlungsdaten wird die Transaktions- oder Bestellnummer für Erstattungen gespeichert. Für das Nord Account sind E-Mail-Adresse und Passwort nötig.provider claim |
| Telemetry in the apps | cannot be disabledprovider claim | cannot be disabledprovider claim |
| Trackers and SDKs in the Android app | Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim | Third-party processors named in privacy policy include analytics/marketing vendors (e.g. Google Analytics ecosystem and others listed under recipients)provider claim |
| Trackers in the iOS app | Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim | Third-party processors named in privacy policy include analytics/marketing vendors listed under recipientsprovider claim |
| Trackers and cookies on the website | Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim | Website cookies for advertising/analytics; Cookie Policy linkedprovider claim |
| Data shared with third parties | Free VPN versions: Google for personalized ads (AAID/IDFA); paid versions do not send to ad partners. Domain names logged anonymized/aggregated.provider claim | Service providers (support, payments e.g. Stripe/Adyen/PayPal/Coingate); law enforcement only with valid Panama process; no VPN activity logs to shareprovider claim |
| Retention periods stated in the policy | Source IP collected for VPN session then deleted at session end; domains aggregated ~monthly; device hashes retained for analyticsprovider claim | Account/billing data retained as needed for service; VPN activity not logged per no-logs articleprovider claim |
| EU representative named under GDPR | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Independent no-logs audit | yesconfirmed | yesprovider claim |
| No-logs audit details | Aon technical assessment for Pango Group, report dated 2023-08-25; free and paid tiers; client+server; concluded policy assertions fairly representedconfirmed | Fünfte Prüfung durch Deloitte Audit Lithuania nach ISAE 3000 (Revised), durchgeführt vom 18.11. bis 20.12.2024, Bericht vom 18.02.2025. Geprüft wurden nach Anbieterangabe IT-Systeme, unterstützende Infrastruktur und die No-Logs-Politik, darunter Standard-, Double-VPN-, Onion-over-VPN-, verschleierte und P2P-Server.provider claim |
| Audit report published | summary onlyconfirmed | not publishedprovider claim |
| App and client audits | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim | Cure53 prüfte 2024 mit elf Testern über 55 Tage die Mobil-, Desktop- und Browser-Anwendungen sowie Threat Protection und Meshnet. Berichtet wurden 31 Feststellungen, davon vier mit hoher Schwere; die Behebung wurde nach diesem Bericht von Cure53 nachgeprüft.confirmed |
| Infrastructure and server audits | none published on fetched pagesprovider claim | Cure53 prüfte laut Mitteilung vom 02.03.2023 im September und Oktober 2022 Infrastruktur und Server, im Juli und August 2022 Apps und Erweiterungen. Der Prüfumfang umfasste nach dieser Mitteilung auch Websites, mehrere APIs, Nord Account, Nord Checkout, Nord UCP, VPN-Server und den serverseitigen NordLynx-Code.provider claim |
| Audit frequency | irregularprovider claim | irregularprovider claim |
| Tested in court or by authorities | none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim | ? |
| Transparency report | occasionalprovider claim | noneprovider 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 | Im März 2018 wurde ein von NordVPN in einem finnischen Rechenzentrum gemieteter Server über ein unsicheres Fernwartungssystem des Rechenzentrumsbetreibers kompromittiert. Offengelegt wurde ein abgelaufener interner privater Schlüssel. NordVPN erklärte, der Server habe keine Aktivitätsprotokolle enthalten und Zugangsdaten seien nicht abgreifbar gewesen. Der Vorfall wurde am 21.10.2019 öffentlich bestätigt.confirmed |
| Bug bounty programme | none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim | HackerOne bug bounty via Nord Security (https://hackerone.com/nordsecurity)confirmed |
| Handling of reported vulnerabilities | none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim | Bug bounty on HackerOne for Nord Security; vulnerability reporting encouragedprovider claim |
| Open source clients | noneprovider claim | someconfirmed |
| 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 | Cited Speedtest/Ookla fastest VPN; TechRadar, CNET, ZDNet, PCWorld quotes on marketing pagesprovider claim | Customer/press quotes on about page; widely reviewed commerciallyprovider claim |
| WireGuard | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| OpenVPN over UDP | yesconfirmed | yesprovider claim |
| OpenVPN over TCP | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| IKEv2/IPsec | yesconfirmed | yesprovider claim |
| Proprietary protocol | Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed | NordLynx (nach Anbieterangabe auf WireGuard aufbauend) und NordWhisper (Eigenentwicklung). Quellcode und externe Prüfberichte zu beiden Protokollen sind nicht öffentlich dokumentiert.provider claim |
| Legacy protocols still offered | Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim | IKEv2/IPsec still supported alongside OpenVPN/NordLynx/NordWhisperprovider claim |
| Default data cipher | AES-256confirmed | ChaCha20/Poly1305 via NordLynx/WireGuard; AES for OpenVPN stackprovider claim |
| Weakest accepted cipher | AES-256provider claim | AES-256provider claim |
| Key exchange and authentication | Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim | WireGuard/NordLynx handshake; post-quantum option documentedprovider claim |
| Perfect forward secrecy | ? | yesprovider claim |
| Post-quantum key exchange | not availableprovider claim | opt-inprovider claim |
| Own DNS resolvers | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| DNS leak protection | ? | yesprovider claim |
| IPv6 handling | unclearprovider claim | ? |
| WebRTC protection or guidance | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Obfuscation methods | Hydra proprietary protocol marketed for speed/security; censorship circumvention history (Arab Spring) per Wikipediaprovider claim | Eigene Kategorie verschleierter Server unter den Specialty Servers. Die konkrete Technik wird nicht offengelegt, der Anbieter beschreibt sie allgemein als Stealth-Server, die den VPN-Verkehr wie gewöhnlichen Internetverkehr aussehen lassen. Unter Linux funktionieren die verschleierten Server nach Anbieterangabe nur mit OpenVPN über TCP oder UDP.provider claim |
| Usability behind the Great Firewall | per user reportsconfirmed | per user reportsprovider claim |
| Kill switch | not availableprovider claim | bothprovider claim |
| Permanent lockdown | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Split tunneling | not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim | Nach Anbieterangabe lassen sich in der App einzelne Anwendungen von der VPN-Verbindung ausnehmen; in den Browser-Erweiterungen lassen sich einzelne Websites ausschließen.provider claim |
| Multihop | not availableprovider claim | fixed routesprovider claim |
| Tor integration (Onion over VPN) | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Port forwarding | not availableprovider claim | not availableprovider claim |
| SOCKS5 proxy | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| HTTP proxy | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Smart DNS | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Ad and tracker filtering in DNS | fixed listprovider claim | fixed listprovider claim |
| Malware and phishing filter | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Custom DNS servers allowed | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Local network access toggle | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Auto connect rules | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Private device network (mesh) | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| GPS location override (Android) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Traffic analysis defence | Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim | Obfuscated servers hide VPN traffic as normal activityprovider claim |
| IPv6 inside the tunnel | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Obfuscation without configuration | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Number of servers | 1,800 Serverprovider claim | 8,719 Serverprovider claim |
| Number of countries | 80 Laenderprovider claim | 149 Laenderprovider claim |
| Number of cities | 35 Staedteprovider claim | 224 Staedteprovider claim |
| Virtual locations | not labelledprovider claim | labelledprovider claim |
| RAM-only servers (diskless) | noprovider claim | entire networkprovider claim |
| Hardware ownership | rentedprovider claim | mixedprovider claim |
| Own AS (autonomous system) | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| 10 Gbps ports | noprovider claim | ? |
| P2P and file sharing | entire networkprovider claim | entire networkprovider claim |
| Public server list | yesprovider claim | yesconfirmed |
| Public status page | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Known upstream hosting providers | Third-party infrastructure providers (unnamed); Pango states it would leave any provider requiring activity loggingprovider claim | ? |
| Windows app | native appconfirmed | native appprovider claim |
| macOS app | native appconfirmed | native appprovider claim |
| Linux app with GUI | not availableprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| Linux command line | not availableprovider claim | native appconfirmed |
| Android app | native appconfirmed | native appprovider claim |
| iOS app | native appconfirmed | native appprovider claim |
| Android TV app | native appprovider claim | native appprovider claim |
| Apple TV app | not availableprovider claim | native appprovider claim |
| Fire TV app | native appprovider claim | native appprovider claim |
| Browser extension | not availableprovider claim | own extensionprovider claim |
| Type of browser extension | no extensionprovider claim | standalone browser proxyprovider claim |
| Router support | Router mentioned as connectable device under Premium (up to 10 devices)provider claim | Der Anbieter dokumentiert die Einrichtung auf einem Router und weist auf eine Liste nicht unterstützter Router hin. Eine Routerverbindung belegt nach Anbieterangabe nur einen der zehn Geräteplätze und schützt alle dahinter liegenden Geräte.provider claim |
| Native build for Apple Silicon | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Command line documented | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Simultaneous devices | 10provider claim | 10provider claim |
| Usable without an account | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Data required at signup | any email addressprovider claim | verified emailprovider claim |
| Account model | email as loginprovider claim | email as loginprovider claim |
| Cash by mail | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monero | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Bitcoin | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Lightning | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Retail gift cards | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| PayPal | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Credit and debit card | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| SEPA payment | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Monthly price | €11.99provider claim | €14.99provider claim |
| Effective price on the longest term | €7.99provider claim | €3.49provider claim |
| Price change at renewal | moderate increaseprovider claim | very large increaseprovider claim |
| Flat pricing without permanent discounts | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| Free tier and its limits | Free VPN products (Hotspot Shield free) supported by third-party in-app ads (Unity, ironSource, Digital Turbine, InMobi)confirmed | Kein dauerhaft kostenloses Angebot. Der Anbieter schreibt, über die eigene Website gebe es keine kostenlose Testphase, sondern nur die Geld-zurück-Frist von 30 Tagen. Eine kostenlose Testphase besteht nach derselben Quelle allein für Android-Nutzende, die die App über Google Play beziehen; sie wird von Google Play abgewickelt.provider claim |
| Money-back window | 45 Tageprovider claim | 30 Tageprovider claim |
| Cancellation path | cancel in accountconfirmed | cancel in accountprovider claim |
| 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 | Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim | SmartPlay streaming support claimedprovider claim |
| Bandwidth cap | cappedprovider claim | no limitprovider claim |
| Data cap | Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim | noneprovider claim |
| Speed measurement references | Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim | ? |
| SMTP and port 25 handling | ? | Nach Support-Angabe sind alle Ports für ausgehende Verbindungen offen mit Ausnahme von SMTP und NetBIOS; als Alternative für den Mailversand werden die Ports 465 und 587 genannt.provider claim |
| Official support in restrictive countries | Historically used for censorship circumvention (Arab Spring); Hydra marketed for accessprovider claim | Obfuscated servers for VPN-blocking networksprovider claim |
| 24/7 live chat | noprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Email or ticket support | yesprovider claim | yesprovider claim |
| Telephone support | noprovider claim | noprovider claim |
| German-language support | yesprovider claim | ? |
| Documentation assessment | workableprovider claim | thorough and currentprovider 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 | Essential + analytics/personalization/targeted advertising cookies disclosed on siteprovider claim | Cookies for personalization/advertising; Privacy Controls / Cookie Policy linkedprovider claim |
| URL of the warrant canary | none foundprovider claim | none foundprovider claim |
| Length and readability of the legal documents | Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim | Standard Nord Account legal termsprovider claim |
| Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms | Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed | Home/features market Dedicated IP and 224+ locations; privacy acknowledges personal data processing with third partiesprovider claim |