Hotspot Shield Basic review

Hotspot Shield Basic is a usable free VPN with two trade-offs the vendor states openly. Its free VPN page says the free service is ad supported and that free users connect through US-based servers, with 70+ countries reserved for Premium. No credit card is needed, and Hotspot Shield says you can stay on the free plan for as long as you want. The company built its own Hydra protocol, which it credits for its speed claims, and it publishes an annual transparency report. Premium connects up to 10 devices and was advertised at $1.99 per month as the current best deal when we checked, with the page noting that it auto-renews monthly at $12.99. Purchases made directly from Hotspot Shield come with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Ads and a single country make the free tier weaker than Proton VPN Free or hide.me Free, but the low promotional Premium price is worth noting.

Who it is for

US users who accept ads in exchange for a free VPN

Price

Free ad-supported Basic plan; Premium advertised at $1.99 per month on the current best deal, auto-renewing monthly at $12.99; 45-day money-back guarantee.

Best deal Premium $1.99/mo
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Free Basic plan with no credit card required
• Free plan uses US-based servers; Premium adds 70+ countries
• Proprietary Hydra protocol
• Premium connects up to 10 devices
• Annual transparency report

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free plan can be used for as long as you want
• Strength: Premium promotional price is the lowest verified upgrade here at $1.99 a month
• Strength: 45-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases
• Weakness: Free plan is ad supported
• Weakness: Free servers are US-based only
• Weakness: Premium auto-renews at $12.99 a month

Key facts

• Free locations: US-based servers
• Ads on free plan: Yes, ad supported
• Premium devices: 10
• Refund: 45 days on direct purchases

Where it ranks

Hotspot Shield Basic is No. 8 in our Best Free VPN Services verdict.