VPN Map

Proton VPN vs Hotspot Shield: where each one has servers

Both providers side by side, based on their official server lists: which countries they share, where only one of them has servers and how their features differ.

Server countries on the map

Only Proton VPN Only Hotspot Shield Both

A country counts even when the location is virtual. The lists further down show which ones are.

Which one to pick

This only uses the data on this page: locations and confirmed features. We don’t test speed or streaming.

Pick Proton VPN if you want:

  • more countries overall (149 vs 85)
  • physical servers in more countries (64 vs 0)
  • open-source apps
  • a physical server in: Albania, Cyprus, Ghana, Guatemala, Nigeria, North Macedonia and 5 more

Pick Hotspot Shield if you want:

  • a smaller share of virtual locations (1% vs 57%)

Side by side

Key factsProton VPNHotspot Shield
Countries 149 85
Countries with physical servers 64 0
Virtual locations 85 1
Locations not confirmed 0 84
Servers (as stated) 20,839 1,800+
Owner Proton AG (Proton Foundation) Pango Group (Point Wild)
Headquarters Switzerland United States
Founded 2017 2008
Devices at once 10 10
Free plan no data cap, 1 device, no country choice (10 countries) 500 MB a day, 1 device, US only
Independent audit published yes yes
Open-source apps yes no
Servers run in RAM only no not confirmed
Obfuscation to bypass VPN blocks yes not confirmed
Locations checked Oct 15, 2026 Oct 26, 2026

Full profile: Proton VPN · Full profile: Hotspot Shield

Server countries on the map

Only Proton VPN (67)

Only Hotspot Shield (3)

Countries in both (82)
  • Algeria virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Argentina not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Armenia virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Australia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Austria not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Azerbaijan virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Bangladesh virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Belarus virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Belgium not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Bhutan virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Brazil not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Brunei virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Bulgaria not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Cambodia virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Canada not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Chile not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • China virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Colombia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Costa Rica virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Croatia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Czechia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Denmark not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Ecuador virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Egypt virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Estonia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Finland not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • France not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Georgia virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Germany not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Greece not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Hong Kong not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Hungary not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Iceland not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • India virtual: Proton VPN virtual: Hotspot Shield
  • Indonesia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Ireland not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Israel not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Italy not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Japan not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Kazakhstan virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Kyrgyzstan virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Laos virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Latvia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Liechtenstein virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Lithuania not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Luxembourg not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Malaysia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Malta not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Mexico not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Moldova not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Monaco virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Montenegro virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Nepal virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Netherlands not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • New Zealand not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Norway not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Pakistan virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Panama virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Peru not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Philippines virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Poland not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Portugal not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Romania not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Russia virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Singapore not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Slovakia not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • South Africa not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • South Korea not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Spain not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Sweden not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Switzerland not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Taiwan not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Thailand virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Türkiye not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Ukraine not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • United Arab Emirates not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • United Kingdom not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • United States not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Uruguay virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Venezuela virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield
  • Vietnam virtual: Proton VPN not confirmed: Hotspot Shield

Other comparisons

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