Cloudflare WARP vs Psiphon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cloudflare WARP grades higher than Psiphon: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cloudflare WARP grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudflare WARP
Free Cloudflare app that encrypts traffic, with an optional paid tier
Psiphon
Free, open-source circumvention VPN with an ad-free paid tier
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudflare WARP if
- Fits if you want a free app that encrypts your traffic and DNS on public Wi-Fi
- Works for people who want family-friendly DNS filtering
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to appear in another country, as Cloudflare says WARP can't
- Not for you if you want anonymity: Cloudflare says WARP doesn't provide it
- Watch out: WARP+ ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not a choice of server country
- Watch out: WARP+ Unlimited can only be bought inside the iOS or Android app
Pick Psiphon if
- Fits if you're on a network that blocks VPNs and need a free one with no sign-up
- Works for phone users who want ads gone for a low monthly price
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're on a Mac, as the native app is still in development
- Too light for everything-on-the-device cover on iOS, where the browser only tunnels what it loads
- Tight if you stay free, because of the ads and the reduced features
- Watch out: the Plus price has no billing term and the page doesn't list what Plus adds
- Watch out: the Windows app is labelled a legacy client with some newer features missing
How we grade them
| 3.2GPACloudflare WARPVery good | 2.8GPAPsiphonGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe 1.1.1.1 app with WARP is free. WARP+ Unlimited is $4.99 a month, close to the category's middle of $5. | BPlus is shown as 'from $2.88 a month', which is inside the cheaper quarter ($3.99), but no billing term is given and there's no plan table. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe core app is free with no cap listed. WARP+ is a paid extra. | BPsiphon Basic is free with no account. It shows ads and has reduced features, and the vendor says it is free without limits where paying is hard. |
| Features | CEncrypted traffic, DNS-only mode, 1.1.1.1 for Families and a local proxy mode, but it can't choose a server country or unblock region-locked content. | CIt tries several protocols on its own, has 50,000 servers in 33 countries and a Conduit sharing option. The gaps: no native Mac app, a legacy Windows client, and the iOS browser only tunnels its own traffic. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 216K App Store ratings. Install the app and switch it on. | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and connect without an account or any protocol to pick. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No browser extension, and the business Zero Trust client is a separate product. | BAndroid, iOS and Windows. Phones and a computer, but no Mac or Linux and no API. |
| Best for | a free, simple encrypted connection | a free VPN that keeps working on blocked networks |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudflare WARP and Psiphon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudflare WARP starts at $4.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Psiphon starts at $2.88 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Psiphon starts $2.11 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than Cloudflare WARP for less, and 1 scores higher than Psiphon for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Psiphon is open source, according to its own site.
- Cloudflare WARP also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| Cloudflare WARP | Psiphon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 per month (WARP+ Unlimited, as shown on the US App Store) | $2.88 per month and up for Psiphon Plus; the billing term is not stated |
| Free plan | The 1.1.1.1 app with WARP is free: it encrypts device traffic to Cloudflare's network or routes DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver. | Psiphon Basic is free with no account: ad-supported, with reduced features. The vendor says it is free and without limits where payment restrictions make subscribing difficult. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cloudflare, Inc. | Psiphon Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | psiphon.ca |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudflare WARP
- Cloudflare states WARP does not provide anonymity and does not let you pretend to be in another country, so it cannot unblock region-locked content.
- Cloudflare's WARP+ page ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not to a choice of server country.
- WARP+ Unlimited can be bought only inside the iOS or Android app, through the Apple or Google store.
- Cloudflare's separate Zero Trust client for businesses is a different product with its own documentation.
Psiphon
- The free version shows ads and has reduced features; the page does not list which features Plus adds.
- The Plus price is shown only as "from $2.88 USD per month", with no billing term or plan table.
- There is no native Mac app yet (listed as in development), and the Windows app is labeled a legacy client with some newer features missing.
- On iOS, Psiphon Browser tunnels only traffic loaded inside the browser, not other apps.
Key features
Cloudflare WARP
- Encrypted traffic to Cloudflare
- In Traffic and DNS mode the app sends device traffic to Cloudflare's network over MASQUE, using post-quantum encryption, according to Cloudflare's documentation.
- DNS-only mode
- Routes only DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver, over DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS, without tunneling the rest of the traffic.
- 1.1.1.1 for Families
- A DNS setting inside the app that, according to its App Store listing, protects against malware, phishing and crypto-mining sites.
- Local proxy mode
- On desktop, an advanced setting sends only the apps you point at the local proxy (HTTPS or SOCKS5) through WARP.
- WARP+ Unlimited
- A paid tier that adds more Cloudflare cities to connect to. Payment goes through the Apple or Google store.
Psiphon
- Automatic connection methods
- The app tries several protocols and obfuscation techniques in turn, with no protocol to pick, so it can keep working where VPN traffic is blocked.
- No account needed
- You install the app and connect without giving an email address.
- Large server network
- The vendor says its network spans more than 50,000 servers in 33 countries.
- Conduit
- Volunteers can share spare connection capacity from their own devices to help others connect; the vendor lists a Conduit station as an unlimited access route, on Android only for now.
- Open source and audits
- Clients and core tunnelling code are open source, and the vendor publishes independent security reviews, naming Cure53.
Plans
Cloudflare WARP
WARP (free)$0
Traffic and DNS, DNS only or traffic only modes on every supported platform.
WARP+ Unlimited$4.99
per month, bought through the App Store or Google Play
Connects through a larger set of Cloudflare cities. One licence key covers up to five devices. $4.99 is the US App Store price.
Psiphon
Psiphon Basic$0
Free, ad-supported and with reduced features; no account needed.
Psiphon Plus$2.88
per month and up; billing term not stated on the page
The full network with no ads and every feature, no account needed. The page says only "from $2.88 USD per month".
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare WARP or Psiphon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Psiphon is cheaper to start with: $2.88 a month, against $4.99 a month for Cloudflare WARP. Cloudflare WARP starts at $4.99 per month (WARP+ Unlimited, as shown on the US App Store), and Psiphon starts at $2.88 per month and up for Psiphon Plus; the billing term is not stated.
Which has a free plan, Cloudflare WARP or Psiphon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cloudflare WARP and Psiphon have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudflare WARP and Psiphon run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Cloudflare WARP lists macOS and Linux apps. Both list Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.