We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
Advertising Disclosure

vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

Psiphon vs Opera VPN Pro vs Lantern 2024

Table of Contents
    Our Score: 4.2/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 5.2/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 4.5/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info

    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Kate Richards
    Kate Richards

    Former Managing Editor

    As a free and open source anti-censorship tool, Lantern uses strong AES-256-CBC encryption to enable access to any blocked websites, including Netflix. Lantern is available for Mac OSX, Linux and Windows. Like Lantern, Psiphon is a free Android app and utilizes robust technologies including VPN, SSH and HTTP Proxy to circumvent government censorship in countries such as China. Although its VPN speeds are shifty at best, Psiphon’s best draw lies in its use of several protocols, allowing users to switch in the event that one protocol is blocked.
    At the core of it, Opera is more of a proxy service than it is a VPN, so using this client does not protect BitTorrent downloads and online activities conducted outside the Opera browser.
    While Opera has no data limits and offers impressive speeds, it has a limited server network and collects some logs, which puts to question its ability to provide solid online security and anonymity.

    Our Score

    Features 4.2/10
    Pricing 6.7/10
    Ease of Use 6.6/10
    Reliability & Support 6.7/10
    Features 5.2/10
    Pricing 5.4/10
    Ease of Use 5.0/10
    Reliability & Support 5.4/10
    Features 4.5/10
    Pricing 9.0/10
    Ease of Use 6.0/10
    Reliability & Support 5.0/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Maryanne Gaitho
    Maryanne Gaitho

    Former Cybersecurity Researcher

    Our Score: 4.2/10

    Psiphon is a free, open-source, Canadian-born VPN that started as a project to bypass censorship in 2008 at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. Today, Psiphon has grown to become an independent corporation offering VPN and proxy services among digital civil rights groups such as Access Now. It is “a circumvention tool that utilizes VPN, SSH, and HTTP Proxy technology, to provide you w...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    O
    Offler
    8.0/10
    Working in Cuba

    My girlfriend is using Psiphon in Cuba and it works even after the internet was cut because of riots. ...  The downside is she cannot send me videos, and we couldn't have video calls, Of course, it is great, as we were worried we could not have any communication these days, and it is good enough for WhatsApp and pictures. You cannot ask more for a free serviceMore

    Latest negative user review
    M
    M.Pool
    6.0/10
    First experience

    First experience, the firm is bothering me with attempts to make me pay some amount while installing t... he free version on iPhone 5c. So I uninstalled Psiphon. I did read the manual and the reviews. So I will give it another try. I am missing a version for Linux. So I ask the developers to make that version.More

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image Doris Muthuri
    Doris Muthuri

    Former Senior Writer

    Our Score: 5.2/10

    Opera is seen as one of the more trustworthy browsers, making its free VPN popular. Opera VPN Pro is the premium version, which claims to be faster and more secure than the free option. But how does it compare to the best VPNs on the market? After my global team and I ran various tests, I can’t recommend Opera VPN Pro. It lacks several crucial security features, and its privacy policy is vag...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Anonymously
    10.0/10
    This is really good

    It has so many ads and trackers blocked for me. There are a couple of games etc that are blocking me f... rom using the ex: my cafe restaurant recipes and stories also Netflix is blocking the use of a VPN and if you are blocking trackers, it won't work. Google also does not like it. I'm seeing issues, where I will need to change some settings. But, I see that it is working...and I'm seeing the culprits that are the problems...More

    Latest negative user review
    S
    Sleepy
    4.0/10
    Hiding free trials .-.

    Hiding free trials and pulling in people saying it's there and now it's just a normal payment page. Wa... nted to test out the newer option and see if it was "okay" enough for minor things, then got sent to a page where I could find no trial listed unless you refund-? gross :/More

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image Kristina Perunicic
    Kristina Perunicic

    Former Managing Editor

    Our Score: 4.5/10

    Lantern tells you from the start that it isn't a VPN. It's an open-source proxy that claims to give unrestricted access to sites while routing all your other activity through your local IP address. Lantern also states it's better and faster than a VPN altogether. Can it be true? After conducting a full review of Lantern to see what it really offers, I can confirm that you should stay away. Lanter...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Alice Woodstock
    8.0/10
    Serves to it's purpure

    It works very well when you behind a firewall that blocks VPN, actually is the only one that worked on...  Linux for me. Although it doesn't work on streaming sites, it works to access Geforce Now in Brasil.More

    Latest negative user review
    A
    Ana
    4.0/10
    Do not recommend

    It rarely works. And it doesn't work if you'd like to watch Netflix contents that are available in oth... er countries. Also, it doesn't have a price advantage. You can find a better one. I have subscribed Lantern for 2 years and become much more disappointed. The connection and the service get much worse.More

    Read the full review

    Pricing

    Starting price $2.99/week
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 2 Days
    Number of devices per license 1 devices
    Starting price $4/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 6 devices
    Starting price $3.62/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 0 Days
    Number of devices per license 3 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    All three services offer basic features to encrypt your traffic and overcome geo-restrictions. Lantern and Opera VPN aren’t exactly VPNs, more like proxy services. Psiphon, on the other hand, is a free VPN service which provides reasonable speeds. With Opera VPN, you get unlimited bandwidth and 1 connection per account, while Lantern is limited to 500GB per month, but offers 3 simultaneous connections. None of the three providers offer the advanced security features you will find in premium VPN services, such as a kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, double VPN, or split tunneling. However, Psiphon works very well in heavily restricted countries like China.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    Lantern, Opera VPN, and Psiphon aren’t the best options when it comes to torrenting and P2P. If you use one of these services, you'll find a lot of torrent sites are blocked, and the speed isn’t ideal for downloading large files. It's also important to note that Psiphon keeps partial logs, and Lantern isn’t just slow, but also has bandwidth limits.

    Best VPN for Windows

    Even though it offers only a limited selection of features, Lantern’s app for Windows is very simple and lightweight (less than 5MB). Opera VPN doesn’t have a client for Windows, but a browser extension with an adblocker. Psiphon, on the other hand, offers a Windows app that may be less attractive than Lantern's, but unlike Lantern, you can switch between several different protocols.

    Best VPN for Android

    Opera VPN for Android was shut down in April, 2018. Lantern, on the other hand, has a very basic but nicely designed app for Android users. However, it doesn’t come with any advanced features like a kill switch or the ability to switch between different protocols. Psiphon’s Pro app for Android is more advanced, with the ability to choose between several protocols and the option to select which apps you want to tunnel through the VPN connection.

    Best VPN for Mac

    Opera offers its VPN proxy service on Mac through its browser instead of a standalone software application. Just install Opera browser on your Mac and enable the VPN option. Lantern and Psiphon, on the other hand, offer only very basic software for Mac users.

    Best VPN for iOS

    Lantern doesn’t have an iOS client, and Opera VPN for iOS was discontinued in April, 2018. As for Psiphon, it offers a nice-looking app for iOS devices that’s easy to use - despite its lack of advanced security features.

    Best VPN for USA

    All three VPNs have servers in the US and may help you unblock some geo-restricted services and websites. However, you may sometimes face problems while trying to stream popular geoblocked streaming services like Netflix US, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

    The Bottom Line

    See Plans & Pricing

    For a free anti-censorship tool, Psiphon scores pretty well on many fronts. Although VPN speeds may not be as great and the browser is quite basic for general use, Psiphon offers meaningful security for users looking to bypass censorship. Accessing a good quality commercial VPN package may be a hassle for many users in countries with robust censorship regimes. As a free service, Psiphon lends itself as a perfect tool for unrestricted access to the internet for users in these countries.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with Psiphon
    Go with Opera VPN Pro
    Go with Lantern
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is Psiphon better than Opera VPN Pro and Lantern?

    Yes, Psiphon is better overall than Opera VPN Pro and Lantern. It has 1000 servers in 20 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $2.99 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between Psiphon, Opera VPN Pro and Lantern?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then Psiphon may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests.

    Is Psiphon faster than Opera VPN Pro and Lantern?

    Yes, Psiphon is faster than Opera VPN Pro and Lantern. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free.. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do Psiphon, Opera VPN Pro or Lantern offer any deals?

    Psiphon, Opera VPN Pro, and Lantern offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 82% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

    About the Author

    Kate is a former Managing Editor at vpnMentor. Kate promoted the use of VPNs as a means to achieve unhindered access to the internet, as she strongly believes in online freedom for everyone.