Psiphon Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Painfully Slow Speeds on the Free Version

Psiphon’s free version often delivers painfully slow speeds, which can cause buffering issues while streaming high-quality videos. Upgrading to the professional version with faster internet speeds is recommended for a smooth streaming experience without interruptions.

Speed Test Results

I had a download speed of 40Mbps and an upload speed of 12Mbps before connecting to Psiphon. But, after connecting to Psiphon’s free servers in the US, the UK, Japan, and Austria using its Windows app, my download speed dropped by over 90%. This is because the free version of Psiphon caps data speeds at 2Mbps.

To enhance my internet speed, I decided to upgrade to a pricier internet plan. Curious to see if the investment paid off, I conducted several tests to measure my internet speed. As I analyzed the results, I found that my speed with the paid plan was actually quite better, averaging at 20Mbps, which was closer to my usual speed of 40Mbps. However, my enthusiasm diminished when I connected to a server in Japan, and my speed decreased dramatically to a meager 0.69Mbps.

If you want little to no buffering during your shows on both your PC and mobile, I recommend you try ExpressVPN for its super-fast speeds that allow you to stream in UHD on all your devices.

Is Psiphon Fast Enough for Gaming? No!

While playing Call of Duty, I noticed that Psiphon Free and Premium didn’t perform well. With nearby VPN connections, there was a delay of over 100 ms, and when I connected to a far-off server like Tokyo, my ping increased to 921 ms. This problem greatly affected my gameplay, causing clear delays.

Additionally, Psiphon lacks features like port forwarding, custom DNS servers, or unique VPN IP addresses that can improve online gaming. This lack of customization can, unfortunately, lead to a gaming experience that may not reach its full potential or prove as enjoyable as one would hope.

Server Network — 20+ Server Locations on PC and Mobile Apps

Psiphon provides a means for browsing anonymously through a network of servers situated in 27 distinct locations. The exact number of servers remains undisclosed, but it is generally sufficient for most users’ basic needs. However, if you require multiple IP addresses or access to geo-restricted content, this number may be limiting.

The server list is quite extensive and diverse for a free VPN, with servers from Europe, North America, and Asia. Sadly, the company does not have any server presence in Oceania, South America, and Africa. Server options are listed alphabetically based on country, but there are no city-level options available.

Psiphon provides an option for ‘Best Performance’ in its server list. Choosing this option should give you access to the country that will provide the best internet speed based on your location. It appears, however, that I was connected to the closest server, which was not necessarily the fastest.

CyberGhost has one of the best server footprints in the market today, which is why they have a dominant position and a large share of the VPN market. With over 11,800 servers in 100 countries, they provide reliable service as advertised.

Security — Few Security Features

Psiphon, primarily designed to bypass internet censorship constraints, places less emphasis on security and privacy during online browsing. This focus is evident in the absence of sophisticated security functions, such as a kill switch mechanism, which would halt internet access in the event of a lost VPN connection. Furthermore, Psiphon does not employ robust protocols that are commonly associated with improved online security, leading to a more basic level of protection for users.

Security features offered include:

• Solid security – data is encrypted using AES 256-bit encryption and SHA1 cryptographic hashes. It tunnels data in proxy mode using SOCKS and HTTPS over port 443.
• L2TP and SSH – you can set your Windows and Mac applications to use L2TP/IPsec in Transport mode to transmit double-encapsulated VPN traffic. In addition, Psiphon uses SSH as its default transport protocol, along with obfuscation encryption to protect against protocol fingerprinting.
• Split tunneling – Psiphon offers a split tunneling feature that keeps local sites or apps outside the encryption tunnel for increased speeds. To activate Psiphon’s VPN tunneling feature on the Windows app, you will need to go to the “Settings” tab.

Psiphon uses a “one hop” architecture that connects devices directly to the server without any intermediate steps. To maintain this architecture, Psiphon relies on cloud providers to host and manage its infrastructure. This approach enables Psiphon to quickly scale its infrastructure and provides users with a fast, reliable, and secure way to access the internet without restrictions.

To ensure secure browsing, Psiphon also runs its own DNS servers. When you use Psiphon on a Windows device, it automatically modifies your DNS settings to connect to a group of trusted servers. This prevents any DNS leaks while using Psiphon and guarantees a smooth, secure internet connection.

Although L2TP/IPSec may not provide the same level of security as more renowned protocols like OpenVPN, my tests revealed that Psiphon’s US server effectively concealed my IP and DNS information. Furthermore, I performed WebRTC leak tests during my Psiphon assessment, and the results indicated no leaks. This demonstrates that Psiphon is a reliable and secure VPN service, giving you confidence in your online privacy.

A 2017 security audit by Cure53 emphasized Psiphon’s dedication to open-source development. This comprehensive review spanned 22 days, involving nine testers who scrutinized various aspects of Psiphon’s software. The results of the audit were quite positive, as no major risks were uncovered. Out of the two major vulnerabilities found, one has already been fixed, while plans are in place to address the other in upcoming releases.

Additionally, the audit brought attention to seven other minor issues. So far, four of these have been resolved. The team at Cure53 praised the quality and neatness of Psiphon’s code, which speaks to their commitment to excellence. Notably, this was the second security audit that Psiphon has undergone within a three-year period, further emphasizing its dedication to maintaining a secure and reliable platform.

Privacy — Huge List of Logged Data

Psiphon will not keep your internet activity private. The VPN logs personally identifiable information, like your chosen connection protocols, the length of time the device was connected, the number of bytes transferred during a session, and which city, country, or ISP the connection came from.

Psiphon collects some information like server IP addresses and the number of bytes transferred, but it doesn’t store full URLs or user IP addresses, which makes it difficult to trace activity back to you. The data it collects is only kept for 90 days and won’t be shared with third parties, so after that time, no one can trace the information back to you.

While Psiphon does share some aggregated data with third parties, it takes steps to ensure that it can’t be used to identify individual users. However, the free version of the software does allow advertisers to collect some user information because it relies on ads.

Psiphon is a VPN service provider based in Canada, which is part of intelligence-sharing alliances. These alliances consist of countries that collaborate on intelligence sharing and surveillance activities. This means that Canada, as a member of these alliances, may be asked to share digital information with other member countries. As a result, Psiphon may also face pressure to do the same, particularly if the Canadian government demands access to Psiphon’s user data.

If you value your privacy, it’s essential to be aware of the potential risks associated with using a VPN service based in a member country of these alliances. For this reason, I recommend choosing a VPN service that doesn’t keep sensitive logs and isn’t a part of these intelligence-sharing alliances. ExpressVPN is a great option since it doesn’t keep logs and isn’t associated with these alliances.

Torrenting — Supported But Not Advised

While Psiphon may allow torrenting, I would strongly recommend avoiding it for several reasons. Firstly, it lacks a kill switch which could potentially expose your private P2P activities to your ISP or other third parties. Additionally, the speed of the service is notoriously slow, meaning that any files you attempt to download could take a significant amount of time to complete the download process.

Furthermore, Psiphon logs personally identifiable information, which could be used to identify you based on your P2P activities. All things considered, it’s best to steer clear of Psiphon for your torrenting needs. If you’re often downloading large files simultaneously, CyberGhost is a better choice for high-speed torrenting, and it does not keep any logs. As a team, we do not endorse engagement in any unlawful actions. To ensure that you are not breaching any legal requirements in your country, kindly review the regulations and statutes applicable to your location.

Editors' Note: CyberGhost VPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

Does Psiphon Work in China? Yes!

Although I haven’t personally tested Psiphon in China, its customer support team assured me that the software is accessible to everyone worldwide, including Chinese citizens. The provider claims to use a proxy service that utilizes the SSH obfuscation protocol to bypass government firewalls and evade Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). As a result, the software has gained popularity not only in China but also in other countries that have a history of censorship, such as Iran, Turkey, and North Korea.

Due to the Chinese government’s strict internet censorship policies, access to VPN sites is often blocked by their firewalls. However, Psiphon provides a solution to this problem by offering the ability to download their service through email. By sending an email to the company’s official email address, you can easily obtain the download file for Psiphon without having to go through a web browser, which adds an extra layer of protection against potential monitoring or interception. This feature not only allows you to access your favorite content while on a trip to China, but also ensures their privacy and security while doing so.

While it is true that non-government-approved VPNs are considered illegal in China, it is worth noting that tourists have not faced any penalties from the Chinese government for using them. Exercise caution when accessing the internet in China as the government monitors online activity and may take action against violators of internet regulations.

Psiphon offers limited guides that only cover the setup process and some basic troubleshooting on the FAQ page on its website. For further support, the only way to get in touch with Psiphon is through email.

I reached out to Psiphon customer support to ask about port forwarding (to try and get around a known port restriction regarding email service) and waited 3 days for a response. The answer I got wasn’t very useful since the agent sent me the same article I’d already seen in the FAQ without providing additional troubleshooting steps.

If you’re looking for another option, the Psiphon Chatbox on Facebook is worth considering. Keep in mind that if you link your Facebook account to Psiphon, the VPN will have access to your profile details, like your contacts and location.