Best Free Open Source VPNs for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android 2024

With digital transformation accelerating, the demand for online security has never been more important. The emergency of virtual private network (VPN) services, to some extent, can secure your internet. This service builds a secure connection between your device and the internet, allowing you to browse the web without exposing your IP address or other personal information. In short, it protects your privacy from any prying internet eyes. There are tons of VPNs for you to choose from, ranging from paid services with advanced features to open source options for budget users, there should be one that can meet your needs. In this article, we will show you some open source VPNs and a free alternative for those who are worried about the security of open source VPNs. Now, read this post and pick the best VPN that’s best for you.

There are many benefits of using an open source VPN, such as:

• Bypass firewalls

• Increase security and privacy

• Hide your IP address

• Protect your private information

• Access blocked data

No matter what your purpose is for using an open source VPN, just apply any of the following introduced VPNs to do it with ease.

1. OpenVPN

The first VPN we will introduce in this list is OpenVPN, a free open source VPN with encryption protocols such as SSTP, L2TP, and PPTP. You can use it to browse any blocked web, fake your IP address, or deal with your business. Compared with its competitors, this VPN has better compatibility, supporting all devices and operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, and more. 

Besides, OpenVPN also provides the following features:

• It provides a multi-factor authentication feature.

• It provides an API integration.

• It can be used on any port that works on TCP or UDP.

• It offers a user-friendly interface.

• It provides a security model to protect against attacks.

2. SoftEther VPN

SoftEther VPN is another free and open source VPN that provides a flexible and secure solution for internet security. Its flexibility makes it one of the most worthy downloaded open source VPNs for Windows. With it, you can fake your location from a list of countries and IPs without the fear of data breach. Besides, it supports multiple protocols, including SSL-VPN, OpenVPN, IPSec, L2TP, and L2TPv3. All of these features distinguish SoftEther from other VPN services. 

To learn more about SoftEther VPN, you can check the list of its features.

• It is easy to set up and fast to use.

• AES 256-bit and RSA 4096-bit encryption.

• It has SSL-VPN tunneling on HTTPS protocols that can bypass firewalls.

• It offers dynamic-DNS and NAT-traversal features.

• It supports SSL-VPN L2TP, MS-SSTP, L2TPv3, and EtherIP protocols.

3. WireGuard VPN

WireGuard, as its official site claims, is a modern VPN that has some great abilities. It functions similarly to other VPN services. However, unlike other VPNs that use AES-256, WireGuard uses ChaCha20-authenticated encryption, which allows for faster encryption and decryption. As we all know VPN inevitably slow down our internet connection because there is an extra step to connect the client device and the internet. So a fast VPN service is needed if you want to browse the web without buffering.

Read the following list to learn more features about WireGuard VPN.

• It is fast to run.

• It is easy to deploy and to troubleshoot.

• It provides very strong encryption.

• It can establish a new connection very quickly.

4. Freelan VPN

If you want an easy-to-use VPN, then you can consider Freelan, which allows you to create three types of VPN, client-server, peer-to-peer, and hybrid including the two types mentioned above. It supports Windows, Linux, and macOS. What makes this service different from other VPNs is that it allows you to create local network. 

Beyond that, here are many other features of Freelan VPN:

• Its configuration allows you to set up a computer as a server and connect other computers as its clients.

• It has a peer-to-peer configuration feature.

• Its hybrid configuration allows you to create more than one server and have nodes connected to each other.

Though there are many benefits of using open source VPNs, they are not perfect. There are still some potential risks to using them.

One of the biggest risks is the security issue. As we all know using a VPN requires extensive IT knowledge. If you’re not very familiar with codes, then you’re likely to import some viruses and cause some internet security issues. 

Another risk is that all VPNs won’t protect you from malware or virus attacks. To use free VPN to change location and avoid being attacked by viruses or hackers, you’d better opt for a reliable and reputable VPN service like iTop VPN. And in the following part, we will show you how to use iTop VPN.

The open source VPN is free to use, but on the other hand, it has some downsides, such as a lack of extra features, potential malware, DNS leak, and more. If you want a VPN that has malware blockers, DNS leak protection, and more, this free open source VPN alternative - iTop VPN can satisfy your needs.

iTop VPN - Private VPN to Stay Anoymous Online

• Get 3200+ servers to visit sites freely worldwide
• Hide your IP address to protect your privacy
• Automatic kill switch to protect your data
• Double VPN & dark web monitor for extra security

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iTop VPN is far more secure and has a much higher reputation than open source VPNs introduced above. With it, you can hide your identity, block someone else’s hack, and unblock any content anywhere. On top of that, it also works as a VPN for streaming. That means you can use it to watch your favorite show.

To learn more about iTop VPN, you can refer to the following list of features.

• It uses the most sophisticated encryption method like AES-256.

• It works well on Windows, Mac, and iOS devices.

• It offers 3200+ servers in 100+ locations for you to choose from.

• Its P2P servers offers a secure and fast transfer.

As you can see, iTop VPN is a free VPN for Windows and Mac that can help you unblock any barriers of the internet. You can download it on your computer to give it a try.

If you have more questions about open source VPNs, you can read the following FAQs to learn about them.

1. What is an Open Source VPN?

Open source VPN, short for open source virtual private network, is a kind of service that lets you create and join in a private network securely. It uses the SSL/TLS protocol for encryption, generally.

2. How To Use an Open Source VPN?

The steps of using an open source VPN will vary depending on the software you’re using. Let’s take OpenVPN as an example and see how it works.

Step 1. Download and install OpenVPN client on your computer.

Step 2. Install a connection setting file (.ovpn file) of OpenVPN.

Step 3. OpenVPN GUI icon will appear on the taskbar of Windows. Left-click at the icon, the “Profile” will show up and you can find the VPN setting imported from the .ovpn file you have downloaded.

Step 4. Connect to the VPN network by left-clicking the “Switch” button.

3. Are Open Source VPNs Safe?

Not really. Some open source VPNs gather money by selling your data to third parties or showing you many ads. Additionally, open source VPNs are usually lack of money to maintain, which makes they’re easy to be hacked. Given that, you’d better use a safe VPN like iTop VPN to fake your IP address or protect your business.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many open source VPNs for you to choose from. These services claim that they are safe and reliable, as most secure VPNs claim. If you want to know if they really work as they claim, you can download them one by one to try. Or you can also go to Reddit to find an ideal VPN. To do this, you just need to use some keywords like “open source VPN Reddit” or “open source VPN clients” and more to search for one. These services are free and easy to use. No cost is needed. You can use an open source VPN for free. But an obvious disadvantage of using such services is that they offer limited services. 

If you have a higher requirement for privacy protection, then this fast and free VPN - iTop VPN is more advisable. Whether you’re a regular user or enterprise, this VPN is suitable for you