Shadowsocks is described as 'A fast tunnel proxy that helps you bypass firewalls' and is a very popular VPN service in the security & privacy category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Shadowsocks for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Android, Mac, iPhone and Linux apps. The best Shadowsocks alternative is Tor, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Shadowsocks are Proton VPN, Mullvad, OpenVPN Connect and WireGuard.
Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security.
Proton VPN provides Swiss-based online security with a high-speed network, free version, and advanced features like VPN Accelerator, AES-256 encryption, a no-logs policy, and support for platforms including PCs and smartphones, enabling content access globally.
Mullvad is a VPN service that helps keep your online activity, identity, and location private.
OpenVPN Connect provides flexible VPN solutions to secure your data communications, whether it's for Internet privacy, remote access for employees, securing IoT, or for networking Cloud data centers.
Implements modern cryptographic standards, maintains a small codebase for security auditing, ensures fast cross-platform VPN performance, supports embedded and enterprise environments, offers easy deployment, IPv4/IPv6, secure key exchange, and mobile app support.
A VPN that grants network-level privacy on mobile by routing app traffic through Tor, assigns each app a separate circuit for improved separation, bypasses app-level censorship, features per-app routing, security via Rust-based implementation, and awaits early adopter feedback.
Windscribe is a desktop application and browser extension that work together to block ads and trackers, restore access to blocked content and help you safeguard your privacy online.
The I2P network provides strong privacy protections for communication over the Internet. Many activities that would risk your privacy on the public Internet can be conducted anonymously inside I2P.
Enjoy unfiltered Internet access globally using Psiphon's open-source VPN. It offers AES-256 encryption, split tunneling, WireGuard support, and more, all without requiring user registration. Perfect for communities in censored regions and those seeking privacy-focused alternatives.
Hyphanet (former Freenet) is free software which lets you anonymously share files, browse and publish "freesites".
Privacy-focused VPN without IP or traffic logs, ensuring user anonymity with random logins; supports Bitcoin payments, uses end-to-end encryption through WireGuard; excels in bypassing internet filters and maintaining user anonymity with two-party protocol involving exit servers operated by Mullvad.
Riseup offers Personal VPN service for censorship circumvention, location anonymization and traffic encryption. To make this possible, it sends all your internet traffic through an encrypted connection to riseup.net, where it then goes out onto the public internet.
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Shadowsocks is a system wide proxy whilst tor's onions are only used in the browser