Speed | 4.0 / 10 |
Servers | 2.0 / 10 |
User Experience | 3.0 / 10 |
Support | 4.0 / 10 |
Pricing | 2.0 / 10 |
HotVPN Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?
HotVPN Overview
While HotVPN is a decent VPN, you can get better quality VPNs at an affordable price. For example, CyberGhost offers premium VPN features and optimized servers for an affordable monthly fee — so you don’t have to settle for less.
HotVPN has a dedicated app for Windows but can also be configured on Mac, iPhone, Android, and Linux. It will keep you protected from ISP monitoring and hackers who hide behind public Wi-Fi’s.
However, while the company claims to not record logs, they clearly state in their privacy policy that they record you name, email address, and history of purchased products and services. HotVPN also does not state where they are based, so we do not know if they are susceptible to government warrants. Since their website is available in both English and Russian, we have a hunch they might be based in Russia.
They have a live chat facility that’s supposed to be 24/7 but we didn’t get a reply there.
They have three price packages – Standard, Pro/Double, and Crazy/Quad. You can connect via one server on a Standard plan, two on the Pro plan, and four on the Quad plan.
By opting for a four-server tier, you can achieve the highest level of protection and ensure maximum anonymity. As you add more layers, your anonymity increases accordingly. However, it’s important to consider the trade-off in terms of reduced speeds. Therefore, it’s recommended to carefully choose the appropriate level that suits your specific speed and anonymity preferences.
All plans have a 7-day money back guarantee. While there is a promise of no logging, the lack of details in their privacy policy makes it suspicious.
They offer a number of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and Bitcoin. HotVPN offers 2048-bit encryption which is difficult to break. It also offers you to automatically change your IP after a certain time.
Speed
- 4.0 / 10Why Most Speed Tests are Pointless & How We Correctly Test VPN Speeds
Speed determines how fast content uploads, so if you're torrenting or streaming, you want the speed to be somewhat identical to your regular internet speed. Since a VPN encrypts your data, it usually takes a bit longer to send your data back and forth, which can slow down your connection. However, if your ISP deliberately slows down your connection (also known as throttling) a VPN might increase your internet speed. Testing a VPN is somewhat pointless because new servers pop up and affect speed. Your speed can also differ according to your location, so your speed test might not match ours. Having said that, we tested the speed in numerous locations to provide you with the average.
Servers
- 2.0 / 10HotVPN has servers in 8 countries.
Server Locations
User Experience
- 3.0 / 10Installing the Windows app is easy. However, you’ll need to manually configure the VPN on other devices, including Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The website mentions the steps that you need to follow, so the setup shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
Once installed, it is pretty easy to use. Just enter your email address and password, and click on Connect. The Windows app is intuitive and comes with a number of settings such as automatic startup. It also has options to check your IP and speed when you’re connected.
Still not sure if HotVPN is the right VPN for you? Check out our top recommended VPNs to learn more.
Support
- 4.0 / 10How We Test Customer Support and Why Should You Care
We personally test the customer support team of every VPN we review. This means asking technical question through the live chat feature (where applicable) and measuring the response time for email questions. Whether you need to connect to a specific server, change your security protocol, or configure a VPN on your router, finding a VPN with quality customer support should be important to you.
Pricing
- 2.0 / 10HotVPN offers the following plans
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.