Psiphon
A free circumvention tool built to get people past internet censorship.
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- Alternatives ranked
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About Psiphon
Psiphon is a free app designed for one job: getting people onto the open internet from countries and networks that censor it. It combines VPN, SSH and HTTP proxy techniques and switches between them automatically to find a route that works, which makes it effective when ordinary VPNs are blocked. It is developed by Psiphon Inc., which grew out of research at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab. The free version is supported by ads and has speed limits in some regions, while Psiphon Pro subscriptions on mobile remove ads and raise speeds. It is not a privacy tool in the same sense as Mullvad or Proton: its focus is access, and it is not meant to make you anonymous. A related project, Conduit, lets volunteers share bandwidth to help others connect. Apps are available on Android, iOS and macOS. It suits people under censorship who need something that keeps working.
Best for: People in censored countries who need a reliable way to reach the open internet.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free to use
- Automatically switches techniques when blocked
- Built specifically for censorship circumvention
Why people leave
- Not designed for anonymity
- Free version shows ads
- Speeds can be limited on the free tier
Top Psiphon alternatives
See all 4- 1
Outline VPN66.5Run your own censorship-resistant server and share it with people you trust.
- 2
Astrill VPN62.6Paid VPN with stealth protocols for restrictive networks.
- 3
Proton VPN59.6Free tier with a stealth protocol and strong privacy guarantees.
- 4
Tor Browser48.9Anonymous browsing over Tor, with bridges for censored networks.
Why people left Psiphon
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Reviews
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Psiphon: common questions
Is Psiphon free?
Psiphon has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Psiphon open source?
No, Psiphon is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Outline VPN, Proton VPN and Tor Browser.
What platforms does Psiphon run on?
Psiphon is available for Android, iOS and macOS.
What are the best alternatives to Psiphon?
The highest-ranked Psiphon alternatives right now are Outline VPN, Astrill VPN and Proton VPN. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.