Hotspot Shield Basic review

Hotspot Shield Basic is the free tier of a large commercial VPN, and it pays for itself with ads. The App Store listing says the free VPN includes unlimited bandwidth and data, a one-tap connection and a no-logs policy, and that you can use it free with ads or upgrade to premium. Premium adds 1800+ servers, 125+ locations across 80+ countries, modes for gaming, browsing and streaming, up to 10 devices and an ad-free experience. For an occasional user, the absence of a data cap is the draw, but you trade it for advertising, which Proton VPN Free and hide.me Free avoid while also offering unlimited data. The upgrade is also on the pricey side: the US App Store lists a 1-month subscription at $9.99 and a 1-year subscription at $95.99, with a 45-day money-back guarantee when you buy directly.

Who it is for

people who accept ads in exchange for unlimited data

Price

Free with ads and unlimited data; premium subscriptions from $9.99 for 1 month on the US App Store.

1 month VPN subscription $9.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Unlimited bandwidth and data on the free VPN
• One-tap connection to the fastest server
• No-logs policy
• Premium adds 125+ locations across 80+ countries
• Premium covers up to 10 devices with no ads

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: No data cap on the free version
• Strength: Simple one-tap app
• Strength: 45-day money-back guarantee on premium
• Weakness: The free version shows ads
• Weakness: Location choice and gaming and streaming modes are premium features
• Weakness: Paid plans cost more than most upgrades here

Key facts

• Free data: Unlimited
• Ads: Yes on the free version
• Premium locations: 125+ across 80+ countries
• Premium devices: Up to 10
• Cheapest upgrade: $9.99 for 1 month on the US App Store

Where it ranks

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