Outline VPN vs Ultrasurf (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ultrasurf grades higher than Outline VPN: 3.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Ultrasurf grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Ultrasurf
Free censorship-circumvention VPN from UltraReach
Which one is for you
Pick Outline VPN if
- Fits if you want to run your own VPN rather than trust a provider
- Works for sharing one server with friends or family
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want a hosting bill, as you pay your own server host
- Skip it if you want to switch between countries, since traffic exits from one location
- Tight if you only have a phone, because creating a server needs a desktop computer
- Watch out: getoutline.me and a Telegram channel are not affiliated with the Outline team
Pick Ultrasurf if
- Fits if your network blocks much of the open internet
- Works for Windows users who want a portable program with nothing to install
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, as the download page lists neither
- Watch out: the Android app is described as in beta testing
- Watch out: iOS subscriptions of $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year were read from the US App Store only
- Watch out: the quoted reviews on the site date from 2007 to 2022
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAOutline VPNFair | 3.2GPAUltrasurfVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server; the site cites $5 a month or less at many providers. | AThe Windows client and Chrome extension are described as free. The iOS in-app subscription is $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe apps and server software cost nothing, but you also need a server of your own, so it is not free to use. | AThe Windows client and extension are free with no paid tier shown, and the iOS app is free to download. |
| Features | CYour own server, access keys, per-key data limits and an SDK. There is one exit location, with no pool to switch between. | CCircumvention through a TLS tunnel, optional safe browsing, and no location picking listed. It is a smaller job than a full VPN. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record, and you create a server through the Manager on a desktop and manage it yourself. | BNo store rating on record, but the Windows client is a portable program with nothing to install. |
| Platforms and integrations | BManager on Windows, Mac and Linux, and clients for iOS and Android. | BWindows, iOS, Android (beta) and a Chrome extension; no Mac or Linux app. |
| Best for | running your own VPN server for a few people | getting past censorship with a small free tool |
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: Outline VPN and Ultrasurf. How we grade
Price against what you get
Outline VPN has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ultrasurf starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Ultrasurf scores higher, and starts $4.17 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than Outline VPN for less, and 3 score higher than Ultrasurf 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
- Outline VPN is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Ultrasurf also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| Outline VPN | Ultrasurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $6.99 per month, or $49.99 per year, as in-app purchases on iOS |
| Free plan | The software is free and open source. You pay your own server host; the Get Started page says many providers offer plans for $5 a month or less. | The Windows client and the Chrome extension are described as free, and the iOS app is free to download with in-app purchases. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Outline Foundation | UltraReach Internet Corp. |
| Price read from | getoutline.org | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Outline VPN
- You need your own server, so there is a hosting bill, and the site cites $5 a month or less at many providers.
- Your traffic leaves from the one server location you picked, with no pool of locations to switch between.
- The site says getoutline.me and a Telegram channel are not affiliated with the Outline team and cannot help with access keys from those services.
- Outline Manager runs on Windows, macOS and Linux desktops, so creating a server needs a desktop computer.
Ultrasurf
- The Windows client runs on Windows only; the download page lists no Mac or Linux app.
- The Android app is described on the download page as in beta testing.
- Subscription prices were read from the US App Store listing only; the Windows client and extension show no paid tier on the pages read.
- The vendor's own site publishes no pricing page, and its quoted reviews date from 2007 to 2022.
Key features
Outline VPN
- Your own server
- Outline Manager walks you through creating a server at a cloud provider such as DigitalOcean, AWS or Google Cloud, or on your own Linux machine, and lets you pick its location.
- Access keys
- Each person you share the server with gets a unique access key from the Manager, and a key can be managed or deleted from the server.
- Per-key data limits
- The Manager can set a data limit for each key so one user cannot use all of the server's bandwidth.
- Shadowsocks-based
- The server runs a Shadowsocks service with a REST API for key management, which the project says benefits from ongoing work on resisting detection and blocking.
- Outline SDK
- A cross-platform library and tools for building the same blocking-resistant networking strategies into other apps and VPN tools.
Ultrasurf
- Censorship circumvention
- Built to let people reach blocked sites; the vendor says it was first designed for internet users in mainland China.
- TLS tunnel
- The iOS listing says the app uses TLS 1.3, so the traffic looks like ordinary HTTPS to a network observer.
- No-install Windows client
- The Windows version is a single executable that opens a tunnel and the default browser when double-clicked; no installation is needed.
- Mobile apps and extension
- An iOS app covering all apps on an iPhone or iPad, an Android app in beta, and a Chrome extension.
- Optional Safe Browsing
- The Chrome Web Store listing describes an optional feature in the extension that checks visited URLs and blocks sites known for phishing, malware or scams.
Plans
Outline VPN
Outline$0
Free Manager and Client apps and server software. You host the server yourself at a cloud provider you choose or on your own Linux infrastructure.
Ultrasurf
Free$0
The Windows client, Chrome extension and the iOS app's free use. The vendor's site says Ultrasurf is free to users.
iOS Monthly Subscription$6.99
per month, as an in-app purchase in the iOS app
The App Store listing says the subscription adds optimized servers in 60 countries, faster speeds and an ad-free experience.
iOS Yearly Subscription$49.99
per year, as an in-app purchase in the iOS app
The same subscription benefits as the monthly option, billed once a year.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Outline VPN or Ultrasurf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Outline VPN is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.17 a month when paid by the year for Ultrasurf. Outline VPN is free, and Ultrasurf starts at $6.99 per month, or $49.99 per year, as in-app purchases on iOS.
Which has a free plan, Outline VPN or Ultrasurf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Outline VPN and Ultrasurf have a free plan.
Which platforms do Outline VPN and Ultrasurf run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Outline VPN lists macOS and Linux apps and only Ultrasurf lists a browser extension. 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.