Hotspot Shield vs Surfshark
Side-by-side comparison based on Reddit & Twitter discussions
Community Pick
Surfshark
Based on community sentiment and discussions
Approval Rate
57%
8 recommend · 6 warn
Data Quality
Medium
Reviews
19
Reviewers
19
Best for:
People who want a simple VPN for school/work network blocks
Casual users who mainly need protection on public Wi‑Fi
iPhone or Windows users who want something straightforward
Hotspot Shield comes up a lot as a quick, easy VPN that can help on sketchy public Wi‑Fi and get around basic blocks at school or on restricted networks. People like that there’s a free option and tha...
Surfshark
Winner
Approval Rate
52%
127 recommend · 116 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
413
Reviewers
344
Best for:
People who want a cheaper VPN that still works for streaming
Households with lots of devices
Everyday users who want something simple on Windows, Android, and iOS
Surfshark comes up a lot as a good-value VPN that’s easy to live with day to day. People like that it’s usually cheaper than the big-name alternatives, works well for streaming (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube...
Performance by Use Case
| Use Case | Hotspot Shield | Winner | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming | 100% (1) | → | 68% (52) |
| Torrenting | - | → | 33% (7) |
| Privacy | 33% (4) | ← | 42% (86) |
| Censorship | 100% (1) | ← | 47% (21) |
| Gaming | - | - | 33% (6) |
| Travel | 33% (3) | → | 50% (2) |
| Work | - | → | 50% (4) |
| Router | - | - | -- (1) |
| Mobile | - | → | 50% (2) |
| Price | - | → | 67% (37) |
Hotspot Shield
Strengths
- Easy to use
- Good for public Wi‑Fi
- Free tier available
- Often feels fast when it connects well
- Works on iPhone and Windows
Weaknesses
- Free tier can be unreliable
- Can be slow at times
- Connection issues and disconnects
- May conflict with Apple iCloud Private Relay/Cloud Relay
- Privacy and ownership concerns
Surfshark
Strengths
- Unlimited devices
- Good value for the price
- Works well with popular streaming services
- Generally fast speeds
- Useful safety features like a kill switch
Weaknesses
- Billing and renewal issues
- Support can be slow or unhelpful
- Some streaming apps still detect/block it
- Trust concerns about company ownership/jurisdiction
- Occasional location/IP accuracy complaints