Lantern review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Nonprofit, open-source VPN built to get past censorship
Black Friday: is there a Lantern sale?
Lantern report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for a free VPN for getting past blocked sites
Lantern is a nonprofit VPN built to get around censorship, with a free version that needs no sign-up. Free has a daily data limit in most countries that the pricing page never puts a number on, and by default it only sends blocked or sensitive traffic through, so you have to switch on Full Tunnel to cover everything.
Who Lantern is for
- 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
Who Lantern is not for
- 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
Why Lantern gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for money$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.
- CFree plan and trialFree 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.
- CFeaturesSmart 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.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record, but it's an app you install and use with no account. Pick a mode and connect.
- BPlatforms and integrationsAndroid, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux. Phones and computers covered, but no API or integrations are listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lantern's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Lantern? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/lantern#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/lantern.svg" alt="Lantern: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Lantern stands among VPNs
Lantern's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 16 of the 27 other VPNs we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 17 of 27) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3.63 a month, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 5 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 28 VPNs we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lantern’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 17 of 27, level with 8
- CFree plan and trialAbove 16 of 27, level with 6
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 27, level with 11
- BEase of useAbove 7 of 27, level with 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 27, level with 26
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 27 VPNs. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Lantern, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Lantern you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $43.56 a year. Lantern is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Lantern’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Lantern?
Lantern is a VPN made by Brave New Software Project, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit, aimed at getting around internet censorship. By default it sends only blocked or sensitive traffic through its network and lets the rest connect directly; a Full Tunnel mode protects everything. The free version works without an account and has a daily data limit in most countries, and Lantern Pro removes the limit.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Lantern pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lantern has a free plan, and paid plans start at $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years.
- Starts at
- $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years
- 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.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Secure VPN with a daily data allowance and the anti-censorship protocols, on all five platforms. |
| Pro, 1 month | $12per month | Server location choice, faster speeds and unlimited bandwidth, premium servers, up to 5 devices and built-in ad blocking. |
| Pro, 1 year | $4per 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 | $3.63per 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. |
Read from lantern.io on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Lantern before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountLonger 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.
Stated on lantern.io
How people rate the Lantern app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
309 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Lantern alternatives
- Lantern vs Psiphon
Free plan · from $2.88/mo
- Lantern vs Proton VPN
Free plan · from $83.88/yr
- Lantern vs Windscribe
Free plan · from $3/mo
- Lantern vs TunnelBear
Free plan · from $3.33/mo
- Lantern vs Mullvad VPN
From €5/mo
Common questions
Is Lantern open source?
Yes. Lantern is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.