Hotspot Shield VS Private Internet Access Comparison

UPDATED Apr. 2024
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If you are trying to decide whether you should opt for Hotspot Shield or Private Internet Access, we understand how you feel. It is a tough choice, especially because it is not easy to distinguish which of these VPN service providers is better.

Hotspot Shield
Best For General Users
VS
Private Internet Access
Best For VPN Experts

Highlights

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
Private Internet Access
If you are looking for a reliable VPN with plenty of servers all across the globe and rock-solid connections at decent to excellent speeds, you should definitely check out Private Internet Access, a US-based VPN service provider.
  • Zero user logs kept
  • Offers SOCKS5 proxy
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • P2P sharing allowed

Compare Prices

Company
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
2 Years
Hotspot Shield
1 Month
$12.99
3 Months
/
6 Months
/
1 Year
$7.99
2 Years
$6.99
Private Internet Access
1 Month
$6.95
3 Months
/
6 Months
$5.99
1 Year
$3.33
2 Years
$2.91
* 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

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
Private Internet Access
Based In
US
Number Of Servers
3079+
Number Of Countries
28
Protocols
PPTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPSec
Encryption
256-bit AES
Simultaneous Connections
5
Logs Policy
no traffic logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS

Supported Devices

Hotspot Shield
Windows
OS X
Android
iOS
Private Internet Access
Windows
OS X
Linux
Android
iOS

Compare Ratings

Hotspot Shield
FINAL RATING
7.7/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money
Private Internet Access
FINAL RATING
9.3/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money

Compare User Reviews

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.
Private Internet Access
  • Submitted By JJ Sanders on 11/15/2019
    Private Internet Access does NOT protect your identity - it leaks your IP address. I really like the ease of use and the interface, but now have received several Copyright Infringement letters from my ISP while using PIA, even after their customer service suggested several fixes and adjustments. At first it was leaking my Ipv6 data, and we fixed that. I found that even though their suggested test site said it was OK, other sites shows the data was still leaking. Even after stopping that - PIA continues to leak my IP address causing me more problems. I used a simple Anonymizer previously for years with no problems. DON'T USE PIA IF YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOUR ISP ADDRESS.
  • Submitted By Anonymous of course on 10/19/2018
    I love this VPN. I highly doubt I'll use any other VPN ever. The only thing I dislike about this provider is that Amazon streaming and Netflix streaming are blocked but that's fine. I use other streaming services. I cancelled my Netflix subscription and I'd cancel my prime membership to Amazon too if not for the free 2 day shipping. I'll sign up again when they let me be anonymous on the internet like everyone should be. Anyways this VPN has never had downtime for me and the Killswitch means I can p2p with no worries. Torrent freak has 2 articles about PIA being taken to court and PIA informing they have a no log policy and being unable to help with any logs. I'll trust these guys with my privacy for sure. Conclusion: if you can survive without streaming Netflix this VPN provides the best privacy and security and has had it's no log policy tested. 5 stars without a doubt.
  • Submitted By Jose Cuervo on 10/02/2018
    I have been using PIA for several years now and am satisfied with the service. I originally used Viscosity as my client but the one from PIA has improved enough to make it the best option. Though I have not yet tried the Linux client, the ones on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android work well. Since I stared using PIA, they have added a bunch more servers and the performance has never been an issue for me. The combination of features, compatability and server locations represents the best value for me....YMMV. PIA was my third and so far best VPN experience.
  • Submitted By Maria Martonioni on 06/22/2017
    I liked this service for a while but I feel that lately they have started to slack a bit, especially when it comes to connection reliability. No matter what kind of server I connect to (I usually connect to US and UK ones, sometimes some European ones) the connection keeps dropping and I keep losing my protected connection which is definitely not cool.

Winner

Read our unbiased Private Internet Access review to learn more about this premium VPN service and see the results of our exhaustive performance tests.

* 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.