Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hotspot Shield VS ZeroNet

Compare Hotspot Shield VS ZeroNet and see what are their differences

Hotspot Shield logo Hotspot Shield

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

ZeroNet logo ZeroNet

ZeroNet. Open, free and uncensorable websites, using Bitcoin cryptography and BitTorrent network. Download for Windows 9. 6MB · Unpack · Run ZeroNet. exe.
  • Hotspot Shield Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17
  • ZeroNet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

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.

ZeroNet features and specs

  • Decentralization
    ZeroNet operates without a central server, distributing content across users' devices. This makes it resistant to censorship and DDoS attacks.
  • Privacy
    ZeroNet offers enhanced user privacy with IP obfuscation and peer-to-peer connectivity. Data is decentralized, reducing points of vulnerability.
  • Resilience
    The decentralized nature ensures that sites remain online even if some nodes go down, providing a more resilient network.
  • Content Integrity
    Content on ZeroNet is verified using cryptographic signatures, ensuring that the data has not been tampered with.
  • Offline Access
    Once a site is downloaded, it can be accessed offline, providing continued access even without an internet connection.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source allows for community contributions, transparency in code, and the potential for rapid improvements and security audits.

Possible disadvantages of ZeroNet

  • Performance
    Because it relies on peer-to-peer networking, load times can be slower compared to traditional centralized servers, especially for large files or under low peer availability.
  • Storage
    Users need to store a copy of the sites they visit. This can lead to significant local storage use, especially for popular content.
  • Security Risks
    While cryptographic signatures help with content integrity, there is still a potential risk of malicious users exploiting vulnerabilities or distributing harmful content.
  • Limited Searchability
    There is no global search engine for ZeroNet, making it more difficult to discover new sites and content compared to the traditional web.
  • Legal Concerns
    The decentralized and anonymized nature can be used to host and share illegal content, potentially putting users at risk of legal issues.
  • Adoption and Network Effect
    ZeroNet is not as widely adopted as traditional web technologies, which can limit its usefulness and the variety of available content.

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

ZeroNet videos

crypt skip review of zeronet part 1

More videos:

  • Review - Complete Guide to ZeroNet
  • Review - Cryptskips Review Of Zeronet part 2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hotspot Shield and ZeroNet)
VPN
80 80%
20% 20
Cloud VPN
91 91%
9% 9
Security
65 65%
35% 35
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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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 ZeroNet

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.

ZeroNet Reviews

We have no reviews of ZeroNet yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ZeroNet seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 66 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.

ZeroNet mentions (66)

  • zeronet-conservancy v0.7.9 and status update
    Our views on the project are incompatible. I consider it harmful to the community to: - advertise fork as official continuation (the worst parts of this were eventually removed, but the project's website still completely mimics official and there's no indication it's a fork anywhere - ship binaries presumably made out of builds made by disappeared nofish - copypaste changes without attribution. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Reddit's days are numbered (link inside). Where will we go instead?
    Sure! Here are the domain links to the decentralized alternatives I mentioned: 1 Steemit: https://steemit.com/ 2 Mastodon: https://joinmastodon.org/ 3 Scuttlebutt: https://www.scuttlebutt.nz/ 4 ZeroNet: https://zeronet.io/ 5 Aether: https://getaether.net/ Please note that these links are current as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, and there's a possibility that the domains or... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Ask Anything Thread
    Https://zeronet.io/ (https://zeronet.io/) is 100% censorship proof. How come? Cause it is not centralized, It is 100% decentralized. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Ask Anything Thread
    Https://zeronet.io/ is 100% censorship proof. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Professor of law, Bruce Pardy on Trudeau's upcoming internet censorship in 2023.
    Nothing can be censored here. Nothing. https://zeronet.io. read that again. Nothing can be censored because it is 100% decentralized, that is the opposite of centralized power. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hotspot Shield and ZeroNet, 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.

I2P - The I2P network provides strong privacy protections for communication over the Internet.

OpenVPN - OpenVPN - The Open Source VPN

Freenet - Mae-enjoy mo na ang LIBRENG INTERNET ACCESS mula sa freenet! Ang libreng net na bet! freenet is an app where you can access the internet for free. Get 24/7 free access to our partner apps and sites. FREE INTERNET!

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

Yggdrasil - A proof-of-concept scalable IPv6 meshnet, featuring end-to-end encryption, a unique spanning tree...