Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hotspot Shield VS Brave

Compare Hotspot Shield VS Brave and see what are their differences

Hotspot Shield logo Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is a software application developed by AnchorFree, Inc.

Brave logo Brave

Fast and secure, ad and tracker blocking browser.
  • Hotspot Shield Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17
  • Brave Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-29

Brave

Website
brave.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Release Date
2015 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Brendan Eich
Employees
100 - 249

Hotspot Shield features and specs

  • High-Speed Performance
    Hotspot Shield is known for its high-speed connections, making it ideal for streaming, large downloads, and gaming.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application is designed with a simple, intuitive interface that makes it easy for both technical and non-technical users to operate.
  • Large Server Network
    Hotspot Shield provides access to a large number of servers in various locations around the world, which can help bypass geo-restrictions.
  • Strong Security Features
    It offers robust encryption and security features such as malware protection, which enhance user privacy and data security.
  • Free Version Available
    A free version of Hotspot Shield is available, allowing users to try the service before committing to a paid subscription.

Possible disadvantages of Hotspot Shield

  • Logging Policy
    Hotspot Shield’s privacy policy has been criticized for potential logging of user data, which raises concerns for privacy-conscious users.
  • Ads in Free Version
    The free version of Hotspot Shield includes advertisements, which can be intrusive and disrupt the browsing experience.
  • Limited Features in Free Version
    The free version offers a limited set of features compared to the premium version, which may not meet all user needs.
  • Cost of Premium Version
    The premium subscription can be relatively expensive, which may not be affordable for all users.
  • Inconsistent Performance
    Some users have reported inconsistent performance, such as occasional slowdowns or interruptions depending on the server or location.

Brave features and specs

  • Privacy
    Brave blocks trackers and ads by default, providing users with increased privacy and preventing third-party companies from collecting their data.
  • Speed
    Due to its ad-blocking capabilities, Brave loads pages faster compared to browsers that display ads, enhancing the user experience.
  • Ad Blocking
    Brave automatically blocks intrusive ads, which not only helps with privacy but also reduces page clutter.
  • BAT Rewards
    Users can earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) by opting into Brave’s privacy-respecting ads, providing an incentive for users to view ads.
  • Security
    Brave includes features such as HTTPS Everywhere, ensuring secure connections, and a built-in password manager.
  • Open Source
    The Brave browser is open-source, allowing anyone to inspect the code and contribute to its development, fostering transparency and community involvement.
  • Chromium-Based
    Being based on Chromium, Brave supports a wide range of extensions available from the Chrome Web Store.

Possible disadvantages of Brave

  • Extension Compatibility
    While Brave supports many Chrome extensions, there are occasional compatibility issues with certain extensions.
  • Syncing Data
    Brave's data sync feature is still maturing and may not be as reliable or comprehensive as competitors’ syncing services.
  • Advertising Model
    Some users might find the BAT ad model confusing or may not be interested in participating, preferring traditional ad-free browsing.
  • New Ecosystem
    Brave is relatively new compared to other browsers like Chrome and Firefox, which might make users hesitant due to its less established ecosystem.
  • Customization
    While Brave offers various customization options, it may still lack certain features and settings that power-users expect from more established browsers.

Hotspot Shield videos

Hotspot Shield Review - Brutally Honest Review in 2019

More videos:

  • Review - Hotspot Shield VPN Review
  • Review - Hotspot Shield review: Should you get it? | VPNpro

Brave videos

Brave browser review

More videos:

  • Review - Brave Browser Review 2020: Why You NEED To Switch!
  • Review - Does the Brave Browser Really Beat Fingerprinting? Let's Test!
  • Demo - This Is Brave
  • Demo - song

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hotspot Shield and Brave)
VPN
100 100%
0% 0
Web Browsers
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud VPN
100 100%
0% 0
Security & Privacy
19 19%
81% 81

User comments

Share your experience with using Hotspot Shield and Brave. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Hotspot Shield and Brave

Hotspot Shield Reviews

The Best Top 10 VPNs for Spotify 2025
Hotspot Shield is a popular VPN solution for Spotify users, offering fast and secure connections to its vast network of servers. With a user-friendly interface and 24/7 customer support, Hotspot Shield is perfect for music lovers.
Turbo VPN Alternatives – Best Free VPN Apps For Android in 2022
Hotspot Shield is the best and most popular VPN proxy application for Android smartphones. It takes security and privacy very seriously. Since it’s a VPN app, it can be used to unlock geo-restricted websites and content.
Source: techviral.net
112 Best Chrome Extensions You Should Try (2021 List)
Hotspot Shield extension is a freemium security tool. It uses WebRTC technologies to hide your IP and uses military-grade encryption to protect your data. Yes! it offers both free and paid plans, but as free, it only connects to one location and provides primary security. But premium subscription plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee. However, for beginners, the free...
8 Best Turbo VPN Alternatives for Android and iOS
HotSpot Shield is yet another VPN that offers unlimited data just like Turbo VPN. It does not throttle the speed and the servers are always up which translates to excellent performance. However, bear in mind, under the free service, you have servers only from the US region which could be a bummer for some. Nevertheless, the best part about Hotspot Shield is that it offers...
Source: beebom.com
8 Similar Apps like Psiphon that are Actually Better
Hotspot Shield VPN is yet another incredible app like Psiphon. However, it does require you to subscribe to a plan to be able to utilize the VPN service. The pricing plans are similar to the ones offered by other VPN providers.

Brave Reviews

The 7 best web browsers in 2025
Unlike ad blockers, though, Brave doesn't just ban advertisements: it replaces them with its own, far less intrusive and private promotions. Every time you browse Brave and see its ads, it rewards you with points, which you can then use to compensate your favorite publishers and creators. For this to work, the website must be a Brave partner. Many popular ones, like The...
Source: zapier.com
Brave Alternative - 8 Privacy-Focused and Reliable Options
Performance-wise, I found it to be a bit better than the Brave browser, but it doesn’t receive as frequent updates as Brave.
Source: mspoweruser.com
Best Tor Browser Alternative for Risk-Free Web Surfing
Brave Browser is a relatively newer entrant in the world of privacy-conscious browsers. Known for its aggressive approach to blocking advertisements and trackers, Brave Browser aims to deliver a fast and secure browsing experience. Additionally, Brave Browser supports Basic Attention Token (BAT), a cryptocurrency reward system for viewing privacy-respecting ads.
5 Most Privacy Focused Web Browsers
Brave features numerous privacy-centric settings, like the ability to sync browser data securely, without needing to create an account. The browser effectively blocks trackers to give you a private web experience.
Source: itsfoss.com
Avoid The Hack: 6 Best Privacy Browser Picks for Windows
Brave has a native adblocker ("shields") enabled by default. Brave proxies all/any requests to Google, effectively substituting Google Services with "Brave Services." For example, when "Safe Browsing" is enabled, Brave proxies the request to the Google Safe Browsing service.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Brave seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 585 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hotspot Shield mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Hotspot Shield yet. Tracking of Hotspot Shield recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Brave mentions (585)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hotspot Shield and Brave, you can also consider the following products

ProtonVPN - ProtonVPN is a security focused FREE VPN service, developed by CERN and MIT scientists. Use the web anonymously, unblock websites & encrypt your connection.

Mozilla Firefox - Get the browsers that put your privacy first — and always have

OpenVPN - OpenVPN - The Open Source VPN

Google Chrome - Google Chrome is a fast, secure, and free web browser, built for the modern web. Give it a try on your desktop today.

TunnelBear - Really simple VPN to browse the web privately & anonymously.

Vivaldi - Vivaldi is a free, fast web browser designed for power-users. You decide how you browse. Download Vivaldi's fully customisable browser now and browse your way.