CyberGhost VS Hotspot Shield Comparison

UPDATED Apr. 2024
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In order to truly browse the Internet securely and privately, as well as protect your sensitive information, it's crucial to find the best VPN service provider for your needs. In case you are not sure whether to go with CyberGhost or Hotspot Shield, this CyberGhost vs. Hotspot Shield comparison is here to help you make a decision.

CyberGhost
Best For Fans Of Torrenting
VS
Hotspot Shield
Best For General Users

Highlights

CyberGhost
CyberGhost offers feature-rich services at reasonable prices with a 30-day money back guarantee and a free trial. Great speeds and an easy to use custom client make this provider one of the most popular VPN providers around.
  • Ad-blocker
  • Anti-tracking
  • Unlimited data
  • 7000+ servers
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is a VPN service provider that offers anonymous and undisturbed Internet surfing. Unlimited bandwidth, numerous servers, and a no logs policy let you browse the Internet privately and safely on up to 5 devices.
  • User-friendly client
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Strict no logs policy
  • 7-day trial version

Compare Prices

Company
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
2 Years
CyberGhost
1 Month
$12.99
3 Months
/
6 Months
$7.99
1 Year
$3.99
2 Years
$3.49
Hotspot Shield
1 Month
$12.99
3 Months
/
6 Months
/
1 Year
$7.99
2 Years
$6.99
* The prices shown represent the cost of one month within different subscriptions. To see all available plans and pricing options, check individual reviews.

Compare Features

CyberGhost
Based In
Romania
Number Of Servers
7000
Number Of Countries
90
Protocols
OpenVPN
Encryption
256-bit AES
Simultaneous Connections
7
Logs Policy
no logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS
Hotspot Shield
Based In
USA
Number Of Servers
22
Number Of Countries
22
Protocols
Catapult Hydra
Encryption
AES-128
Simultaneous Connections
5
Logs Policy
no logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS

Supported Devices

CyberGhost
Windows
OS X
Linux
Android
iOS
Hotspot Shield
Windows
OS X
Android
iOS

Compare Ratings

CyberGhost
FINAL RATING
9.7/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money
Hotspot Shield
FINAL RATING
7.7/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money

Compare User Reviews

CyberGhost
  • Submitted By Mya Andersen on 01/02/2020
    This is by far the safest vpn out there. My friend who is really good at this stuff told me it uses military-grade encryption which can’t be broken and that if someone was to tamper with your connection would need a key that changes every hour so it would be impossible to do it.
  • Submitted By Kaia Salinas on 10/20/2019
    I’ve read that some people had problems with disconnecting when streaming but that’s not the case for me. The main purpose of my vpn is using it to stream shows from netfix in the us and so, far I didn’t experience any interruptions. So, there’s nothing to worry about.
  • Submitted By Mathieu on 08/23/2019
    I bought a 89$ three-year plan for Cyberghost 10 months ago. It was clear that it was a 3-years deal. But 10 months later, what do I see, they take 89 more bucks from my credit card. What the hell??? Not even a year? I e-mailed them a week ago to ask explanations + a refund --- no answer! They are a fraudulent company. You can get a good VPN out there for much cheaper - even free. And they probably won't keep spamming illegal payments off your credit card which you trustfully shared with them! That's a 1-star rating, would be 0 star if it was possible. I'm not done with them.
  • Submitted By Arnold McGall on 06/11/2019
    I erroneously signed up for auto-renew with Cyberghost. Some how I missed any way to turn auto-renew off. Sure enough, right on schedule, my Cyberghost subscription was renewed for another year. I contacted them via their support chat system. The only apparent way to contact them. I was told it would take 1 day to receive an email confirming my request for cancellation and a refund. And that the refund would take 5 - 10 days. I explained that that was unreasonable as it took minutes for them to charge my credit card. But it would take 5-10 days to refund the charge. The contact named Joey didn't seem to think this was extraordinary. I'm sure if someone took $66 USD out of his paycheck he would be upset too. To-date I have seen no email from Cyberghost confirming my request for a refund and cancellation of my account. Instead I got an email welcoming me to their VPN service for another year! I will contact my bank and they will reverse the charge. Thus, thwarting Cyberghost's attempt to steal money from me.
Hotspot Shield
  • Submitted By bellokelvin on 03/17/2019
    hotspot shield works perfectly on iphone when i were using it in 2010 bt i dont kw if it also work great in an an android phone
  • Submitted By Felix Kiesinger, on 12/15/2016
    Very good vpn, easy to use and really reliable. I’ve been using it for a couple of years, still satisfied.
  • Submitted By Norma Kelly, on 11/04/2016
    Hotspot Shield really works for me. I get to watch Netflix and open any site, even from my dorm. Elite plan is great, I can use it on my laptop, phone and Kindle at the same time.
  • Submitted By Gregory Thomas, on 06/24/2016
    Quite good. Just don’t like that my internet gets slow sometimes, but I guess that’s because I often use those European servers.

Winner

CyberGhost offers a myriad of handy features in order to meet the varying needs of its clients. Read this CyberGhost review and find out what makes it one of the most powerful VPNs on the market.

Comparison Breakdown

Both CyberGhost and Hotspot Shield offer high-level protection. However, one may be slightly better than the other.

Our team has established the main features of a good VPN – from the protocols it offers to the type of customer support it should have. After comparing the features of these two VPNs, you can determine which is better for you.

Apps

  • CyberGhost offers native apps for Windows (7 and up), Mac OS X, iOS (9 and up), and Android, with the possibility of manual setup on Linux. It also comes with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. 
  • Hotspot Shield features native apps for Windows (Vista, XP, 7, 8, 10), Mac (Sierra, High Sierra, Yosemite, El Capitan, and more), Android (Jelly Bean, KitKat, Nougat, Marshmallow, Oreo, and more), and iOS (iPhone 7, 8, X, and other models). It also comes with a browser extension for Google Chrome but cannot be manually set up on any other devices.

Support Type

  • CyberGhost has an informative knowledgebase that contains guides, FAQ, Troubleshooter, and a few other sections. There’s a search box, so it’s very simple to find anything you need. In case you don’t find the answer to your question there, you can contact the company’s customer support team by submitting a ticket or via live chat.
  • Hotspot Shield offers an in-depth FAQ section, instructions that are easy to understand, and a ticket support system. Premium members have access to 24/7 customer support, including live chat.

IP Type

  • CyberGhost offers only dynamic/shared IP addresses to their customers.
  • Hotspot Shield works with dynamic/shared IP addresses for now.

Pricing Options

  • CyberGhost has four subscription plans. This includes a monthly subscription ($12.99 per month), a 1-year deal ($5.99 per month; billed $71.88 every year), a 2-year option ($3.69 per month; $88.56 billed every 2 years), and a 3-year plan ($2.75; billed $99 every 3 years).
  • Apart from its limited free version, Hotspot Shield allows you to purchase its premium subscription for 1 month ($12.99 per month), 1 year ($7.99 per month; $95.88 billed every year), and 3 years ($2.99 per month; billed $107.64 every 3 years).

Protocols

  • CyberGhost uses the best protocols on the market, including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and IKEv2.
  • Hotspot Shield utilizes its proprietary protocol called Catapult Hydra.

Performance & Reliability

  • Over 4,600 CyberGhost servers are located in 60+ world countries. With CyberGhost, you can enjoy unlimited bandwidth and traffic.
  • Hotspot Shield features 3,200 servers spread across 70+ countries around the world. Users of Hotspot Shield get unlimited bandwidth, good speed, and a stable connection.

Security & Protection

  • CyberGhost uses the strongest 256-bit encryption to protect the privacy of its customers. This VPN provider doesn’t keep any user activity logs and provides an anti-fingerprinting system. CyberGhost accepts BitCoin payments to keep you anonymous while paying as well.
  • Hotspot Shield also uses AES-256 cipher, allows torrenting, and doesn’t log any user activity. In addition to that, Hotspot Shield provides an ad-blocker and keeps you safe from malware.
* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.