Amnezia Free vs Hotspot Shield

AFAmnezia Free9.0Visit Hotspot Shield8.7Visit

Higher score AF Amnezia Free #3 in Free VPNs for iPhone 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 1 features Visit Amnezia Free

vs

Hotspot Shield #5 in Free VPNs for iPhone 8.7/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 1 features Visit Hotspot Shield

• Amnezia Free fits best

  Users who want unlimited, ad-free VPN traffic for free

• Hotspot Shield fits best

  iPhone users who want free VPN basics

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Side by side

Feature	AFAmnezia Free 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Hotspot Shield 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.7
Ranking	#3 in Free VPNs for iPhone	#5 in Free VPNs for iPhone
Best for	Users who want unlimited, ad-free VPN traffic for free	iPhone users who want free VPN basics
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free	$6.99/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	7 days
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile, Desktop	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support	Email, Community	Live chat, Email, Docs · 24/7
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amnezia Free 0/1 · Hotspot Shield 0/1
Ads in free app	—	Not checked yet
Specs
Free data limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free server locations	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Simultaneous connections	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported protocols	Proprietary	Not checked yet
Streaming support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
P2P support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Unlimited VPN traffic with no registration required Ad-free service routes selected sites and apps through VPN Open-source project with iPhone and desktop support	Basic includes one U.S. virtual location and 500 MB of data daily Paid plans add unlimited data and locations across 115+ locations Kill switch, Smart VPN split tunneling and multiple protocols
Cons	Only selected websites and apps are routed through VPN Available resources and regions vary Uses vendor-developed AmneziaWG rather than a general protocol option	Basic is limited to one device and speeds up to 2 Mbps Basic data is capped at 500 MB per day Unlimited data and streaming access require a paid plan
Our verdict	Amnezia Free is a no-cost VPN service accessed through the AmneziaVPN app, including on iPhone. It is aimed at people who want to route selected websites and apps through a VPN while leaving other traffic on their normal connection. The… Read the review →	Hotspot Shield is a consumer VPN for people who want to encrypt internet traffic, hide their IP address and connect through virtual locations. Its iOS app makes it relevant to iPhone users, and the free Basic plan offers secure private… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Amnezia Free — where it wins

  • Unlimited VPN traffic with no registration required
  • Ad-free service routes selected sites and apps through VPN
  • Open-source project with iPhone and desktop support

  Where it doesn't

  • Only selected websites and apps are routed through VPN
  • Available resources and regions vary
  • Uses vendor-developed AmneziaWG rather than a general protocol option

• Hotspot Shield — where it wins

  • Basic includes one U.S. virtual location and 500 MB of data daily
  • Paid plans add unlimited data and locations across 115+ locations
  • Kill switch, Smart VPN split tunneling and multiple protocols

  Where it doesn't

  • Basic is limited to one device and speeds up to 2 Mbps
  • Basic data is capped at 500 MB per day
  • Unlimited data and streaming access require a paid plan

• AFAmnezia Free9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, ad-free VPN for selected resources, not a general-purpose all-traffic tunnel.

  Visit Amnezia FreeFull verdict →
• Hotspot Shield8.7/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A limited free iPhone option; paid plans add speed, locations, data and devices.

  Visit Hotspot ShieldFull verdict →