Outline VPN

A free tool for running your own censorship-resistant VPN server and sharing access keys.

Open sourceSelf-hostableVPN services

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Outline VPN

Outline lets anyone set up a private VPN server and share access with people they trust, aimed especially at journalists, activists and people in censored countries. It was created by Jigsaw, a Google unit, and is now maintained by the Outline Foundation. The Outline Manager app deploys a server to a cloud provider or your own machine in a few steps, then generates access keys you can send to others. Users connect with the Outline Client, which uses Shadowsocks-based protocols designed to be hard to detect and block. Because you or your organisation run the server, you know who controls it and who sees the traffic. The software is free and open source; you only pay for the server. It does not offer location choice beyond where you host it, or the extra features of commercial VPNs. Clients run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and ChromeOS. It suits groups that need reliable access under censorship.

Best for: Newsrooms, NGOs and groups who need their own censorship-resistant server.

What works

Very easy server setup and key sharing
Protocols designed to resist blocking
Free and open source

Why people leave

You pay for and manage the server
No choice of locations beyond your server
Few features beyond basic connectivity

Top Outline VPN alternatives

See all 4

1
Psiphon
Free circumvention app that needs no server of your own.
66.5
2
wg-easy
Self-hosted WireGuard server with a web UI, for less hostile networks.
62.6
3
Astrill VPN
Paid service with stealth protocols if you don't want to run a server.
59.6
4
Proton VPN
Commercial VPN with a stealth protocol and a free tier.
57.2

Why people left Outline VPN

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Outline VPN: common questions

Is Outline VPN free?

Yes. Outline VPN is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Outline VPN open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at OutlineFoundation/outline-apps. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Outline VPN run on?

Outline VPN is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Outline VPN?

The highest-ranked Outline VPN alternatives right now are Psiphon, wg-easy and Astrill VPN. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Outline VPN alternatives

Outline VPN facts

3 of 3 verified

What it does: Create and share your own VPN server; Checked Oct 25, 2026getoutline.org(opens source in a new tab); “Outline makes it easy to create a VPN server, giving anyone access to the free and open internet.”
Licence: Apache-2.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: Apache-2.0 (Apache License 2.0).”
Self-hosting: Yes, run your own server; Checked Oct 25, 2026getoutline.org(opens source in a new tab); “Outline enables anyone to access the free and open internet more safely by running their own VPN.”