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Hotspot Shield vs Bitdefender VPN – Which VPN is better?

Before you decide: Hotspot Shield and Bitdefender VPN offer different advantages. Our test helps you find the provider that best matches your needs.

Our winner

Hotspot Shield

In this head-to-head comparison Hotspot Shield delivers the better overall performance.

See Hotspot Shield deal

Comparison table

Feature
Hotspot Shield
Bitdefender VPN
Speed
86 Mbit/s
82 Mbit/s
Servers
1.800+
4.000+
Countries
80+
49
Streaming
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+
Security
No-logs policy (Premium)
No-logs policy
No-Logs
Yes
Yes
Price
2,99 €/month
2,49 €/month
Apps
Win, Mac, iOS, Android (10 devices)
Win, Mac, iOS, Android (10 devices)
Support
24/7 Live Chat
24/7 Live Chat

Speed – Hotspot Shield vs Bitdefender VPN

Hotspot Shield leads our speed test (86 vs 82 Mbit/s). The gap is most noticeable during 4K streaming and large downloads.

Hotspot Shield
Download 86 Mbit/s
Upload 72 Mbit/s
Ping 20 ms
Bitdefender VPN
Download 82 Mbit/s
Upload 68 Mbit/s
Ping 22 ms

Security – Hotspot Shield vs Bitdefender VPN

Security comes first at Hotspot Shield and Bitdefender VPN. Both providers use AES-256, a kill switch and a strict no-logs policy – the differences are in the details.

Hotspot Shield
  • No-logs policy (Premium)
  • AES-256 Encryption
  • Kill Switch
  • Catapult Hydra protocol
Bitdefender VPN
  • No-logs policy
  • AES-256 Encryption
  • Kill Switch
  • Bitdefender integration

Streaming – which VPN works better?

Hotspot Shield and Bitdefender VPN both work for streaming. Hotspot Shield supports Netflix among others, Bitdefender VPN works well with Netflix. For maximum compatibility we recommend Hotspot Shield.

Hotspot Shield

Netflix
Amazon Prime
Disney+
Hulu

Bitdefender VPN

Netflix
Amazon Prime
Disney+

Pricing

Hotspot Shield

from 2,99 €/month

3-year subscription - Free tariff available

See Hotspot Shield deal

Bitdefender VPN

from 2,49 €/month

1-year subscription - part of Bitdefender Total Security

See Bitdefender VPN deal

Which VPN is better for…

Streaming

Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield unblocks streaming services slightly more reliably.

Security

Hotspot Shield

More security functions and features.

Value for money

Hotspot Shield

Lower price with comparable performance.

Our verdict – Hotspot Shield or Bitdefender VPN?

After our test the verdict is clear: Hotspot Shield is the stronger provider in this duel. Bitdefender VPN still has solid arguments and suits users with more specific requirements.

FAQ – Hotspot Shield vs Bitdefender VPN

Is Hotspot Shield or Bitdefender VPN faster? +

Hotspot Shield is a bit faster on average (86 Mbit/s vs 82 Mbit/s). Both deliver good speeds for streaming and downloads.

Which VPN is cheaper – Hotspot Shield or Bitdefender VPN? +

Hotspot Shield is cheaper (from 2,99 €/month). Bitdefender VPN starts at 2,49 €/month.

Which VPN is more secure? +

Both offer AES-256 encryption and no-logs policies. Hotspot Shield packs a few more security features.

Which VPN is better for streaming? +

Hotspot Shield unblocks streaming services slightly more reliably in our test. Both VPNs work with Netflix and other platforms.

Is Bitdefender VPN still worth considering? +

Absolutely. Bitdefender VPN is a fully featured VPN service with its own strengths and can be the right call for many use cases.

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