Hotspot Shield vs VIP72

​​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.

VIP72 VPN was a privacy-focused service provider founded in 2006 and headquartered in the United States. Offering a combination of VPN, proxy, and SOCKS proxy services, they catered to users looking for strong anonymity, geo-restriction bypassing, and secure browsing. Their network included VPN servers in 13+ countries and a massive SOCKS proxy infrastructure spanning 182 countries, allowing users to mask their IPs and access restricted content. VIP72 utilized 256-bit encryption with OpenVPN protocols, ensuring secure connections for activities such as P2P file sharing and accessing streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime. They also supported residential IPs and HTTP header modifications, which set them apart in the proxy market. However, concerns over slow speeds, outdated infrastructure, and a lack of customer support led to mixed feedback from users. Additionally, allegations of involvement in the Bunitu Trojan botnet raised security concerns, further impacting their credibility. Despite operating for over 15 years, VIP72 shut down in 2021, leaving many users without notice. While their extensive proxy network and privacy tools made them a unique player in the VPN industry, their abrupt disappearance and questionable security practices make them a controversial provider worth deeper investigation.