#1
Control D (premium encrypted DNS resolver)
A polished, paid DNS resolver with strong filtering, per-endpoint rules and honest no-logging options from the Windscribe team. DNS-only like the rest: it impro
unverified unverified
intro $2 /month
Tools & networks
Tor, circumvention tools and other ways to move traffic that are not VPNs at all.
Short answer: Control D (premium encrypted DNS resolver) is our top pick as of 2026-09-27 (5.1/10) - read why, and who we ranked below it and why.
#2
Hysteria2 (QUIC/UDP-based censorship-resistant proxy)
High-performance UDP/QUIC proxy built for bad networks: brutal speed on lossy connections and brute-force-resistant authentication, popular where UDP throttling
unverified unverified
intro $5 /month
#3
Xray / VLESS REALITY (modern obfuscation proxy core)
Currently the state of the art against deep-packet-inspection censors: VLESS-REALITY borrows real TLS handshake fingerprints so your server looks like a benign
unverified unverified
intro $5 /month
#4
iCloud Private Relay
Apple's dual-hop proxy for Safari traffic; 'not a VPN' by Apple's own words - no region choice, no full-device coverage.
intro $2.99 /month
#5
AdGuard DNS (public + personal encrypted DNS)
The mainstream encrypted DNS with ad/tracker blocking on default resolvers - zero effort and genuinely useful for tracking hygiene. Same hard limit as all DNS t
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
#6
Hiddify (multi-protocol client for censored countries)
Popular Iran-focused auto-proxy client that consumes Sing-box/Xray/Reality/Hysteria/Trojan/SSH configs on all platforms (repo push 2026-08-10). The app is clean
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
#7
I2P (Invisible Internet Project)
Garlic-routing anonymity network with its own internal sites ('eepsites'), actively developed (repo push 2026-09-27). Excellent for in-network anonymity and hid
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
#8
Lantern (Brave New Software)
Verified live 2026-09-27 ('free version has a daily' cap visible). Nonprofit-branded anti-censorship tool with a freemium funnel.
intro $0 /month
#9
NextDNS (configurable DoH/DoT DNS filtering)
Excellent configurable DNS filtering (blocklists, per-device analytics, encrypted DoH/DoT) with a generous free tier - it cuts tracker noise and malicious domai
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
#10
Obscura VPN (no-trust two-hop startup)
A conceptually neat 'you can't trust a single VPN' startup whose domain redirects to a host that no longer answers and has no recent Wayback snapshots - as of 2
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
#11
Pi-hole (self-hosted DNS sinkhole)
The self-hosted network-wide ad blocker that also becomes your local DNS authority - full control, zero recurring cost, great homelab value. As a VPN alternativ
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
#12
Psiphon
Verified live 2026-09-27. Real anti-censorship engineering; free tier ad-supported, throughput-boosts paid via PsiCash.
intro $0 /month
#13
Snowflake (Tor bridges via volunteer WebRTC proxies)
Verified live 2026-09-27; browser-based pluggable transport for censorship circumvention.
intro $0 /month
#14
VPN Gate (public volunteer relay experiment)
A legitimate academic experiment (SoftEther-based volunteer relays) that still publishes live server lists - genuinely free circumvention when your needs are ca
unverified unverified
intro $0 /month
// FAQ
How do you rank tools & networks?
On documented facts and weighted scores. Privacy evidence and ownership weigh heaviest; free apps are judged harder on trust than paid services because the incentive to abuse users is bigger.
What should I check before paying?
The renewal price (not the teaser), the logging evidence class, the jurisdiction, and who owns the brand. Then check whether you need the paid service at all - see the alternatives in every review.