Lantern vs Psiphon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Psiphon grades higher than Lantern: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Psiphon grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lantern
Nonprofit, open-source VPN built to get past censorship
Psiphon
Free, open-source circumvention VPN with an ad-free paid tier
Which one is for you
Pick Lantern if
- Fits if you live somewhere that blocks sites and apps and need something free to try first
- Works for people who want a VPN from a nonprofit and are fine with open-source code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free VPN with a stated data allowance, because the daily limit isn't given
- Not for you if you want everything tunnelled out of the box, since Full Tunnel is a setting you turn on
- Tight if you're staying free: server choice, faster speeds, ad blocking and 5 devices are all Pro
- Watch out: the 2-year price doesn't say what it renews at, and the yearly total is shown as a calculated figure
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
| 2.6GPALanternGood | 2.8GPAPsiphonGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$3.63 a month on the 2-year Pro plan and $4 a month billed yearly, which is inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs ($3.99). The monthly plan is $12, and the page doesn't say whether the 2-year price renews the same. | 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 | CFree forever with no sign-up, on all five platforms. But there's a daily data limit in most countries and the pricing page doesn't say how much, so you'll find the edge by hitting it. | 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 | CSmart Routing, switching between protocols when one is blocked, an optional private-server mode and ad blocking on Pro. The gap is that it only protects blocked and sensitive traffic until you turn on Full Tunnel. | 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 | BNo store rating on record, but it's an app you install and use with no account. Pick a mode and connect. | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and connect without an account or any protocol to pick. |
| Platforms and integrations | BAndroid, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux. Phones and computers covered, but no API or integrations are listed. | BAndroid, iOS and Windows. Phones and a computer, but no Mac or Linux and no API. |
| Best for | a free VPN for getting past blocked sites | 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: Lantern and Psiphon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lantern starts at $3.63 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 $0.75 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Lantern 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
- Lantern is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Lantern also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Lantern | Psiphon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years | $2.88 per month and up for Psiphon Plus; the billing term is not stated |
| Free plan | Free forever with no sign-up. In most countries it has a daily data limit; the pricing page does not give the amount, and the vendor says the free version is not capped where paying is blocked or unsafe. | 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 | Brave New Software Project, Inc. | Psiphon Inc. |
| Price read from | lantern.io | psiphon.ca |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lantern
- The free version has a daily data limit in most countries, and the pricing page does not state it.
- Server selection, ad blocking and use on up to 5 devices need Pro.
- By default Lantern protects only blocked and sensitive traffic; Full Tunnel has to be switched on to cover everything.
- Payment depends on where the app came from: Google Play and the App Store use in-app purchases, while desktop and direct Android downloads use cards or UnionPay through Stripe.
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
Lantern
- Smart Routing
- Sends blocked and sensitive traffic through Lantern and lets everything else connect directly. A Full Tunnel mode routes all traffic.
- Censorship circumvention
- Supports several protocols and switches automatically when one is blocked, which is what the product is built for.
- Private Server mode
- Lets you run Lantern on your own hardware or cloud account, paying only your own server costs.
- Built-in ad blocking
- Pro includes blocking of ads and trackers inside the app.
- Open source
- The code is public on GitHub, and the vendor says it keeps no logs of browsing activity and has been reviewed by independent security experts.
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
Lantern
Free$0
Secure VPN with a daily data allowance and the anti-censorship protocols, on all five platforms.
Pro, 1 month$12
per month
Server location choice, faster speeds and unlimited bandwidth, premium servers, up to 5 devices and built-in ad blocking.
Pro, 1 year$4
per month, billed yearly
The same Pro plan billed once a year; the page shows the yearly total as a calculated amount, not a fixed figure.
Pro, 2 years$3.63
per month, billed every 2 years
The same Pro plan billed every 2 years. The page does not say whether it renews at the same 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".
Ways to pay less
Lantern
- Annual discount
Longer Pro terms cost less per month
Pro is $12 a month, $4 a month billed yearly and $3.63 a month billed every 2 years.
Psiphon
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lantern or Psiphon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Psiphon is cheaper to start with: $2.88 a month, against $3.63 a month for Lantern. Lantern starts at $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years, and Psiphon starts at $2.88 per month and up for Psiphon Plus; the billing term is not stated.
Which has a free plan, Lantern or Psiphon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Lantern and Psiphon have a free plan.
Which platforms do Lantern and Psiphon run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Lantern 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.