VPN Matrix

Hotspot Shield

150 of 158 criteria sourced · 5 % unsourcedProvider websiteView in the matrixJSON export

vpn-matrix.com earns nothing from this entry. The link to the provider website is a source, not a recommendation.

Who owns this

Parent company

Point Wild

Brands in the same group

Further brands according to the source: Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)

This group also owns review and comparison sites

Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)

If the same group tests its own service, that review is not independent. That is noted here as ownership only.

Audits and incidents

Sourced facts with dates only, no judgements. Ongoing proceedings are marked as such.

Tested in court or by authorities

trust.court_tested

none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim

Security incidents and data leaks

trust.breach_history

2017 CDT complaint to FTC alleging undisclosed data sharing/traffic redirection on Hotspot Shield Free (per Wikipedia)confirmed

No-logs audit details

trust.nolog_audit_details

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

trust.app_audits

none published on fetched pagesprovider claim

Infrastructure and server audits

trust.infra_audit

none published on fetched pagesprovider claim

Transparency report

trust.transparency_report

occasionalprovider claim

Warrant canary

trust.warrant_canary

noneprovider claim

Acquisition history / former name

company.acquisition_history

AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim

Documented misleading advertising claims

company.misleading_claims

'Military-grade' encryption wording appears on download/marketing pages; Hydra marketed as '#1 for speed'provider claim

Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms

site.claims_vs_reality

Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed

All criteria

Empty cells mean we lack the source.

Company and ownership

18/21 sourced

Legal company name

company.legal_name

Anchorfree, LLC / Pango GmbH (product under Point Wild / formerly Pango Group)provider claim

Trademark holder, if different

company.brand_owner

Point Wild (HotSpot Shield brand)provider claim

Year founded

company.founded

2008confirmed

Headquarters (country)

company.hq_country

USprovider claim

Other relevant jurisdictions

company.jurisdictions

United States (Redwood City, California); Pango/Point Wild operatorconfirmed

Intelligence alliance of the home country

company.eyes_alliance

Five Eyesconfirmed

Parent group / holding

company.parent

Point Wildconfirmed

Beneficial owners publicly known

company.ubo_public

partly knownprovider claim

Ownership structure

company.ownership_type

private equityprovider claim

Leadership team publicly named

company.team_public

yesprovider claim

Verifiable postal address for legal service

company.address_verifiable

yesconfirmed

Sister VPN brands in the group

company.sister_vpn_brands

Betternet, Ultra VPN / UltraAV, VPN360, Touch VPN (per Point Wild / Pango portfolio disclosures)provider claim

Group owns VPN review and comparison sites

company.owns_review_sites

Comparitech (listed among Point Wild brands)provider claim

Runs an affiliate programme

company.affiliate_program

yesprovider claim

Typical commission rate

company.affiliate_commission

We have no source for this criterion.

YouTube and influencer sponsoring

company.influencer_sponsoring

occasionalprovider claim

Documented misleading advertising claims

company.misleading_claims

'Military-grade' encryption wording appears on download/marketing pages; Hydra marketed as '#1 for speed'provider claim

Acquisition history / former name

company.acquisition_history

AnchorFree → Pango; Aura/Pango era; Dec 2024 Pango Group merged with Total Security and rebranded Point Wildprovider claim

Operating status

company.status

activeconfirmed

Discontinuation date

company.discontinued_date

We have no source for this criterion.

User base migrated to

company.user_base_migrated_to

We have no source for this criterion.

Logging and data collection

16/16 sourced

Core statement of the logging policy

logging.policy_summary

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

logging.activity_logs

noneprovider claim

Connection logs

logging.connection_logs

per sessionconfirmed

Storage of the real IP address

logging.source_ip_stored

transient onlyconfirmed

Storage of the assigned VPN IP

logging.assigned_ip_stored

not storedprovider claim

Precision of stored timestamps

logging.timestamps_stored

to the secondprovider claim

Recording of transferred data volume

logging.bandwidth_logged

per accountconfirmed

Enforcement of the device limit

logging.concurrent_conn_enforcement

Premium links up to 10 devices per accountprovider claim

Minimum account data required

logging.account_data_minimum

Device hashes for free products without account; paid/account flows collect additional account data per general policyprovider claim

Telemetry in the apps

logging.app_telemetry

cannot be disabledprovider claim

Trackers and SDKs in the Android app

logging.thirdparty_sdks_android

Free versions: Google advertising ID (AAID) to Google for personalized adsprovider claim

Trackers in the iOS app

logging.thirdparty_sdks_ios

Free versions: IDFA to Google for personalized adsprovider claim

Trackers and cookies on the website

logging.website_trackers

Cookies for analytics, personalization, and targeted advertising (site cookie banner)provider claim

Data shared with third parties

logging.data_shared_with

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

logging.retention_period

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

logging.gdpr_representative

yesprovider claim

Evidence, audits and track record

17/17 sourced

Independent no-logs audit

trust.nolog_audit

yesconfirmed

No-logs audit details

trust.nolog_audit_details

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

trust.audit_report_public

summary onlyconfirmed

App and client audits

trust.app_audits

none published on fetched pagesprovider claim

Infrastructure and server audits

trust.infra_audit

none published on fetched pagesprovider claim

Audit frequency

trust.audit_cadence

irregularprovider claim

Tested in court or by authorities

trust.court_tested

none documented on fetched official pagesprovider claim

Transparency report

trust.transparency_report

occasionalprovider claim

Warrant canary

trust.warrant_canary

noneprovider claim

Security incidents and data leaks

trust.breach_history

2017 CDT complaint to FTC alleging undisclosed data sharing/traffic redirection on Hotspot Shield Free (per Wikipedia)confirmed

Bug bounty programme

trust.bug_bounty

none published on fetched Hotspot Shield/Pango pagesprovider claim

Handling of reported vulnerabilities

trust.cve_handling

none disclosed on fetched pagesprovider claim

Open source clients

trust.opensource_clients

noneprovider claim

Open source server side

trust.opensource_server

noprovider claim

Reproducible builds

trust.reproducible_builds

noprovider claim

Available on F-Droid

trust.fdroid_available

noprovider claim

Listings by independent bodies

trust.independent_recommendations

Cited Speedtest/Ookla fastest VPN; TechRadar, CNET, ZDNet, PCWorld quotes on marketing pagesprovider claim

Protocols and cryptography

15/17 sourced

WireGuard

crypto.wireguard

noprovider claim

OpenVPN over UDP

crypto.openvpn_udp

yesconfirmed

OpenVPN over TCP

crypto.openvpn_tcp

yesprovider claim

IKEv2/IPsec

crypto.ikev2

yesconfirmed

Proprietary protocol

crypto.proprietary_protocol

Hydra (developed internally by Pango)confirmed

Legacy protocols still offered

crypto.legacy_protocols

Proprietary Hydra primary; OpenVPN/WireGuard not advertised as primary on fetched product pagesprovider claim

Default data cipher

crypto.data_cipher_default

AES-256confirmed

Weakest accepted cipher

crypto.data_cipher_weakest

AES-256provider claim

Key exchange and authentication

crypto.handshake

Catapult Hydra proprietary protocolprovider claim

Perfect forward secrecy

crypto.pfs

We have no source for this criterion.

Post-quantum key exchange

crypto.post_quantum

not availableprovider claim

Own DNS resolvers

crypto.own_dns

yesprovider claim

DNS leak protection

crypto.dns_leak_protection

We have no source for this criterion.

IPv6 handling

crypto.ipv6_handling

unclearprovider claim

WebRTC protection or guidance

crypto.webrtc_guidance

noprovider claim

Obfuscation methods

crypto.obfuscation

Hydra proprietary protocol marketed for speed/security; censorship circumvention history (Arab Spring) per Wikipediaprovider claim

Usability behind the Great Firewall

crypto.works_in_china

per user reportsconfirmed

Features

19/20 sourced

Kill switch

features.killswitch

not availableprovider claim

Permanent lockdown

features.killswitch_permanent

noprovider claim

Split tunneling

features.split_tunneling

not offered on Hotspot Shield select-plan/feature lists fetchedprovider claim

Multihop

features.multihop

not availableprovider claim

Tor integration (Onion over VPN)

features.tor_integration

noprovider claim

Port forwarding

features.port_forwarding

not availableprovider claim

Surcharge for a dedicated IP

features.dedicated_ip

We have no source for this criterion.

SOCKS5 proxy

features.socks5

noprovider claim

HTTP proxy

features.http_proxy

noprovider claim

Smart DNS

features.smart_dns

noprovider claim

Ad and tracker filtering in DNS

features.adblock_dns

fixed listprovider claim

Malware and phishing filter

features.malware_filter

yesprovider claim

Custom DNS servers allowed

features.custom_dns_allowed

noprovider claim

Local network access toggle

features.lan_access_toggle

noprovider claim

Auto connect rules

features.autoconnect_rules

noprovider claim

Private device network (mesh)

features.mesh_private_net

noprovider claim

GPS location override (Android)

features.gps_spoofing

noprovider claim

Traffic analysis defence

features.traffic_analysis_defense

Proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol; historical circumvention useprovider claim

IPv6 inside the tunnel

features.ipv6_tunnel

noprovider claim

Obfuscation without configuration

features.stealth_default

noprovider claim

Servers and network

12/12 sourced

Number of servers

network.server_count

1,800 Serverprovider claim

Number of countries

network.country_count

80 Laenderprovider claim

Number of cities

network.city_count

35 Staedteprovider claim

Virtual locations

network.virtual_locations

not labelledprovider claim

RAM-only servers (diskless)

network.ram_only

noprovider claim

Hardware ownership

network.ownership

rentedprovider claim

Own AS (autonomous system)

network.own_asn

noprovider claim

10 Gbps ports

network.10g_servers

noprovider claim

P2P and file sharing

network.p2p_servers

entire networkprovider claim

Public server list

network.server_list_public

yesprovider claim

Public status page

network.status_page

noprovider claim

Known upstream hosting providers

network.hosting_providers

Third-party infrastructure providers (unnamed); Pango states it would leave any provider requiring activity loggingprovider claim

Apps and platforms

16/16 sourced

Windows app

apps.windows

native appconfirmed
  • Windows
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026
  • Windows
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026

macOS app

apps.macos

native appconfirmed
  • macOS
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026

Linux app with GUI

apps.linux_gui

not availableprovider claim

Linux command line

apps.linux_cli

not availableprovider claim

Android app

apps.android

native appconfirmed
  • Android
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026

iOS app

apps.ios

native appconfirmed
  • iOS
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026

Android TV app

apps.androidtv

native appprovider claim
  • TV
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026
  • Smart TVs
    Vendor documentretrieved 08/04/2026

Apple TV app

apps.appletv

not availableprovider claim

Fire TV app

apps.firetv

native appprovider claim

Browser extension

apps.browser_ext

not availableprovider claim

Type of browser extension

apps.browser_ext_type

no extensionprovider claim

Router support

apps.router_support

Router mentioned as connectable device under Premium (up to 10 devices)provider claim

Native build for Apple Silicon

apps.macos_arm_native

yesprovider claim

Command line documented

apps.cli_documented

noprovider claim

Simultaneous devices

apps.simultaneous_devices

10provider claim

Usable without an account

apps.no_account_needed

noprovider claim

Account, pricing and payment

17/17 sourced

Data required at signup

pricing.signup_email_required

any email addressprovider claim

Account model

pricing.account_model

email as loginprovider claim

Cash by mail

pricing.cash_by_mail

noprovider claim

Monero

pricing.monero

noprovider claim

Bitcoin

pricing.bitcoin

noprovider claim

Lightning

pricing.lightning

noprovider claim

Retail gift cards

pricing.retail_giftcards

noprovider claim

PayPal

pricing.paypal

noprovider claim

Credit and debit card

pricing.credit_card

yesprovider claim

SEPA payment

pricing.sepa

noprovider claim

Monthly price

pricing.monthly_price

€11.99provider claim

Effective price on the longest term

pricing.effective_price_longest

€7.99provider claim

Price change at renewal

pricing.renewal_price_hike

moderate increaseprovider claim

Flat pricing without permanent discounts

pricing.flat_pricing

noprovider claim

Free tier and its limits

pricing.free_tier

Free VPN products (Hotspot Shield free) supported by third-party in-app ads (Unity, ironSource, Digital Turbine, InMobi)confirmed

Money-back window

pricing.moneyback_days

45 Tageprovider claim

Cancellation path

pricing.cancellation_ease

cancel in accountconfirmed

Usage and performance

8/10 sourced

P2P policy in the terms of service

usage.p2p_policy

entire networkprovider claim

Streaming unblocking officially advertised

usage.streaming_officially

yesprovider claim

Netflix regions reported

usage.netflix_regions_reported

Marketing claims Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+ worldwide; no audited region list on fetched pagesprovider claim

Other streaming services

usage.other_streaming_services

Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Disney+provider claim

Bandwidth cap

usage.bandwidth_cap

cappedprovider claim

Data cap

usage.data_cap

Basic free: 500 MB/day; Premium: unlimitedprovider claim

Speed measurement references

usage.speed_references

Claims up to 2.2x faster than competitionprovider claim

Latency and gaming suitability

usage.latency_gaming

We have no source for this criterion.

SMTP and port 25 handling

usage.smtp_policy

We have no source for this criterion.

Official support in restrictive countries

usage.restrictive_countries_support

Historically used for censorship circumvention (Arab Spring); Hydra marketed for accessprovider claim

Support and documentation

7/7 sourced

24/7 live chat

support.livechat_247

noprovider claim

Email or ticket support

support.email

yesprovider claim

Telephone support

support.phone

noprovider claim

German-language support

support.german_language

yesprovider claim

Documentation assessment

support.docs_quality

workableprovider claim

Self-hosted chat widget

support.selfhosted_chat

noprovider claim

Self-service account deletion

support.account_deletion_easy

yesprovider claim

Provider website hygiene

5/5 sourced

SSL Labs grade of the website

site.ssl_grade

A+confirmed

Tracker load of the website

site.cookie_privacy_impact

Essential + analytics/personalization/targeted advertising cookies disclosed on siteprovider claim

URL of the warrant canary

site.canary_page

none foundprovider claim

Length and readability of the legal documents

site.tos_readability

Long formal ToS with commercial/cancellation sections; not specially simplifiedprovider claim

Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms

site.claims_vs_reality

Markets 'world's fastest VPN' via Speedtest; 2017 CDT/FTC complaint about free-tier data sharing (Wikipedia)confirmed

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