Hotspot Shield vs SpeedVPN

​​Hotspot Shield, developed by Pango (formerly AnchorFree Inc.), is a prominent VPN service headquartered in Redwood City, California, with additional offices in Boston and Ukraine. Founded in 2005 by David Gorodyansky and Eugene Malobrodsky, the company has grown significantly, boasting over 3,200 servers across over 80 countries. This extensive server network allows users to bypass geo-restrictions and access region-locked content, enhancing privacy and security online. Hotspot Shield offers both free and premium plans. The free version includes limited server access and a daily data cap, while the premium version provides faster speeds, a broader server selection, and additional features like antivirus protection. A standout feature of Hotspot Shield is their proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol, which aims to deliver enhanced speed and security compared to traditional VPN protocols.
Despite their strengths, Hotspot Shield has faced criticism for not conducting third-party audits to verify their no-logging policy. However, they maintain a strict no-logging policy to protect user privacy. The service is available on multiple platforms, including iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. As of December 31, 2024, Hotspot Shield will discontinue support for router-based VPN configurations.

SpeedVPN is a free VPN application developed by GoSpeed Software, designed primarily for mobile devices. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in an undisclosed location, SpeedVPN aims to provide users with a simple and accessible way to enhance their online privacy and bypass geo-restrictions. The app features a one-click functionality that automatically selects the best server based on user location, making them user-friendly for those seeking quick access to VPN services. Despite their ease of use, SpeedVPN has received mixed feedback from users. While they offer unlimited free time and premium bandwidth, sessions are limited to 240 minutes, leading to frequent disconnections and inconsistent connection speeds. Critics have pointed out the limited server options, which include only a handful of countries such as the USA, Canada, and Germany, potentially restricting users' choices. Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding the app's data privacy practices, as there is a lack of transparency about how user data is managed, especially compared to more established competitors like ExpressVPN and NordVPN1.