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Hotspot Shield vs ProtonVPN: The Speed Performance Showdown

Discover how the US-based Hotspot Shield and Swiss ProtonVPN stack up in speed. Which VPN delivers faster browsing and streaming for you?

Last updated: March 7, 2026•Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to ProtonVPN?

What You Gain

Gain privacy with GDPR, no Cloud Act, and advanced security features

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

None significant

ProtonVPN matches features
Bottom Line

Switch to ProtonVPN for better privacy; ideal for privacy-focused users

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇨🇭CH

GDPR protected

Pricing

Hotspot Shield

Contact

ProtonVPN

freemium

Migration
Easy difficulty~15-30 minutes

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaHotspot ShieldProtonVPN
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)CH, EU
GDPR Compliance
UnknownFull
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalAll plans
Data Portability
UnknownFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Hotspot Shield is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. ProtonVPN is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Hotspot Shield logo

Hotspot Shield

🇺🇸

Aura

VS
Switching to
ProtonVPN logo

ProtonVPN

🇨🇭

ProtonVPN

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

Open Source
EU-Based
Swiss hosted
GDPR Compliant

Reasons to Switch

  • âś“12,000+ servers in 120+ countries for wide access
  • âś“NetShield blocks ads, trackers, and malware
  • âś“Secure Core routes traffic via privacy-friendly nations
  • âś“Open source apps audited for transparency

Things to Consider

  • !Potential learning curve with new features
  • !Migration process may require time and effort
  • !Some users may miss Hotspot Shield's unknown features
Migration difficulty:
Easy
~15-30 minutes

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Easy
Time Estimate
~15-30 minutes

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create your ProtonVPN account

2

Export data from Hotspot Shield

3

Import to ProtonVPN and verify

Other alternatives to Hotspot Shield

Ready to make the switch?

Start using ProtonVPN today and take control of your data privacy.