Our Verdict
Overall Rating: 1.8/10
Psiphon is a free tool aimed at bypassing content restrictions in heavily censored countries. While it offers some minimal benefits, its significant shortcomings as a VPN are substantial. The service is marred by exceedingly slow speeds, a problematic logging policy, and intrusive trackers. Additionally, the free version is plagued with advertisements, and the paid SpeedBoost option does little to improve performance. Psiphon is not reliable for ensuring online privacy or security.
Ranked #46 out of 61 VPNs
Psiphon Category Ratings
- Streaming: 0.8/10
- Torrenting: 0.0/10
- Privacy & Logging: 0.1/10
- Speed: 0.4/10
- Server Locations: 1.0/10
- Bypassing Censorship: 5.0/10
- Security & Features: 2.5/10
- Ease of Use: 6.8/10
- Customer Support: 4.5/10
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Free apps do not require an email address or payment details.
- Open-source code enhances transparency.
- Capable of unblocking BBC iPlayer.
Cons:
- Limited server network.
- Paid version is slow, and the free version is even slower.
- No applications for macOS, Linux, or routers.
- Ineffective for Netflix streaming or torrenting.
- Explicitly states it is not intended for privacy protection.
- Lacks a VPN kill switch and has DNS leak issues.
Psiphon is known within internet freedom circles, such as Access Now, as a tool for bypassing censorship. However, our testing reveals that it falls short as both a VPN and a proxy in nearly every aspect. It logs your IP address, struggles to bypass censorship in China, offers poor speeds, leaks DNS requests, and lacks a kill switch feature.
The service offers two modes: a circumvention proxy and a VPN. Notably, its free proxy mode performs slightly better than the VPN in some respects. Psiphon’s Free Proxy allows server selection in 27 countries on Android but does not encrypt web traffic, thus failing to secure browsing history. Conversely, Psiphon VPN assigns servers randomly, typically in Singapore, without offering server choice.
Speeds with Psiphon Free Proxy are exceptionally low, often not exceeding 4 Mbps on local connections, making it unsuitable for video streaming or online gaming—although it may suffice for loading basic web pages in certain regions.
Additionally, there are two versions of the app on the Google Play Store: Psiphon and Psiphon Pro. Neither offers a VPN mode; both rely on the insecure Free Proxy service.
Despite its reputation, Psiphon is not recommended for privacy and security purposes. For those in need of a free VPN in highly censored areas, Windscribe Free is a preferable alternative.
Expert Advice: Be cautious of fake apps masquerading as Psiphon, which may contain spyware or malware. To avoid potential risks, we advise against using this service.
Psiphon Key Data
Paid | Free | |
---|---|---|
Data Cap | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Download Speed | 38Mbps | 4Mbps |
Logging Policy | Intrusive Logging | Intrusive Logging |
Data Leaks | Yes | Yes |
Jurisdiction | Canada (Five Eyes Member) | Canada (Five Eyes Member) |
Servers | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
IP Addresses | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Countries with Servers | 27 | 27 |
US Netflix | No | No |
Torrenting | Restricted | Unlimited |
Simultaneous Connections | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Works In China | Unreliable | Unreliable |
Support | Email & Online Resources Only | Email & Online Resources Only |
Cheapest Price | $3.00 over 1 Month | N/A |
Official Website | Psiphon.ca |
Privacy & Logging Policy
Psiphon’s Privacy and Logging Practices
Privacy & Logging Policy Rating: 0.1/10
We strongly advise against using any VPN with a logging policy as concerning as Psiphon’s. The service tracks your browsing activity, bandwidth usage, connection timestamps, and IP address. Given Psiphon’s intended use in highly censored regions, these practices pose significant risks.
Ranked #51 out of 61 VPNs for Privacy & Logging Policy
Data Collection Summary
Below is a summary of the types of data that Psiphon collects:
Data Type | Logged by Psiphon |
---|---|
Account Information | No |
Browsing Activity | Yes |
Date of Last Connection | Yes |
Device Information | No |
DNS Queries | No |
Individual Bandwidth Usage | Yes |
Individual Connection Timestamps | Yes |
ISP | Yes |
Number of Simultaneous Connections | No |
Originating IP Address | Yes |
VPN Server IP | Yes |
VPN Server Location | No |
You can review Psiphon’s complete privacy policy on their official website.
Psiphon’s logging practices are deeply concerning. The service maintains comprehensive records of user activity and connection logs, as detailed in its privacy policy.
Psiphon acknowledges that it monitors the domain names (websites) you visit, although it does not log full URLs. It also records your IP address to assess your location and retains this information for an indeterminate period.
On a positive note, Psiphon does not require payment information or email addresses for accessing the free version of its app.
Psiphon retains all collected data for up to 90 days, which exceeds our preferred retention period. Ideally, such data would either not be recorded or be deleted within 30 days, as exemplified by Hide.me.
Additionally, Psiphon discloses user information to advertisers and sponsors, providing insights into the frequency of visits to their sites and the countries from which these visits originate. This data is aggregated by date, sponsor, and region.
While Psiphon claims it does not share detailed or potentially user-identifying information with partners or third parties, its extensive logging practices undermine its credibility as a privacy tool. Consequently, we do not recommend Psiphon for privacy purposes.
Psiphon explicitly states that its software should not be considered a privacy tool. For a more privacy-focused VPN experience, we recommend exploring options with a strict no-logs policy.
Expert Advice: Psiphon is inadequate from a privacy perspective. For a reliable VPN that does not log your IP address or web traffic, consider reviewing Private Internet Access (PIA) instead.
Speed
Extremely Slow VPN & Proxy Speeds
Speed Rating: 0.4/10
Psiphon delivers the slowest performance we’ve encountered. Psiphon Free Proxy caps connection speeds at just 2 Mbps, which is inadequate for most online activities. Even with the paid SpeedBoost upgrade on Windows, speeds remain severely constrained due to Psiphon’s automatic server selection, which does not align with your physical location.
Ranked #58 out of 61 VPNs for Speed
To evaluate Psiphon VPN’s performance, we purchased the SpeedBoost upgrade for $3.00 per month and compared our internet speeds before and after connecting to a VPN server.
SpeedBoost Performance on a 100 Mbps Connection:
No VPN (New York) | US (New York) | Canada (Toronto) | UK (London) | Germany (Berlin) | Japan (Tokyo) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Server Location | ||||||
Download Speed | 100Mbps | 38Mbps | 3Mbps | 3Mbps | 0Mbps | 2Mbps |
Upload Speed | 100Mbps | 4Mbps | 1Mbps | 3Mbps | 1Mbps | 2Mbps |
Ping | 1ms | 476ms | 322ms | 444ms | 434ms | 1469ms |
Distance | 0mi | 5mi | 300mi | 3,500mi | 4,000mi | 6,700mi |
With SpeedBoost, we observed a significant 62% reduction in speed on local connections. This level of performance is particularly disappointing given the cost of the monthly subscription.
Psiphon is not suitable for HD streaming, torrenting, or gaming due to its extremely slow speeds. The service falls short of meeting the requirements for these activities.
Unfortunately, we were unable to perform our standard tests with Psiphon VPN due to its lack of server selection. Users are randomly assigned servers, frequently located in Singapore, regardless of their actual location.
Psiphon Free Proxy Speed Tests
Psiphon Free Proxy is exceptionally slow, even for a free service. Our tests revealed a staggering 96% speed reduction when connected to a nearby server in the US.
The results indicate that Psiphon significantly throttles its free proxy servers. Out of the 61 VPN services we’ve reviewed, Psiphon Free Proxy ranks as the slowest. In summary, Psiphon Free Proxy is too slow for practical use.
No VPN (New York) | US (New York) | Canada (Toronto) | UK (London) | Germany (Berlin) | Japan (Tokyo) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Server Location | ||||||
Download Speed | 100Mbps | 4Mbps | 3Mbps | 3Mbps | 0Mbps | 2Mbps |
Upload Speed | 100Mbps | 1Mbps | 1Mbps | 3Mbps | 1Mbps | 2Mbps |
Ping | 1ms | 433ms | 322ms | 444ms | 434ms | 1469ms |
Distance | 0mi | 5mi | 300mi | 3,500mi | 4,000mi | 6,700mi |