Lantern needs your help: Your donation powers a censorship-free internet for millions of people. Donate Now!

Nonprofit VPN trusted by over 250 million people

The VPN that fights censorship

Fast, secure, and reliable access to anything from anywhere.

Start Using Lantern
handshake
Using Lantern supports free access in censored regions.

Unmatched Speed

A smarter VPN that’s seriously fast

Most VPNs slow you down by sending all your traffic through their servers, even when it's unnecessary. By default, Lantern protects only what needs protection: blocked, unencrypted, and sensitive traffic. Everything else stays fast and direct. Want full coverage? Switch to full-tunnel mode anytime.

alt_route

Smart Routing By Default

Smart Routing uses region-specific rules to protect blocked and sensitive traffic. Everything else connects directly, keeping your connection as fast as possible. Switch to Full Tunnel for complete coverage.

dns

Host Your Own Server

Use Lantern’s trusted network or run your own server with Lantern’s Private Server manager. Either way, your connection stays private, flexible, and fully under your control.

public

Reliable Access, Anywhere

Lantern adapts in real time to blocks and censorship with multiple protocols, smart routing, and constant updates. When one method gets blocked, Lantern switches to another automatically.

Built on transparency, trust, and purpose

storm

Proven when it matters most

Lantern has helped people stay online during some of the world’s most extreme censorship events, including the Women, Life, Freedom protests in Iran (2022) and the Hong Kong protests (2019). It enabled millions to reach the open internet when access was nearly impossible.

Learn more about our impact

target

Mission-Driven Nonprofit

Built by a nonprofit with 12+ years of experience advancing internet freedom in the world’s most restricted regions.

Read about our mission

code

Open Source

star15k Stars on Github

Lantern is open source and actively improved in partnership with the global circumvention community.

Follow us on Github

visibility_off

No Logs

We don’t collect your browsing activity, connection history, or any personal data. Ever.

View our Privacy Policy

document_scanner

Audited

Regularly reviewed by independent security experts.

View our Audits

Get access to anything, from anywhere

Join the 250+ million people who've downloaded Lantern.

What makes Lantern different?

What makes Lantern different?

route

Smart routing

Region-specific rules protect blocked, unencrypted, and sensitive traffic. Everything else stays fast and direct.

vpn_lock

Private Server Ready

Use our network or run your own VPN with Lantern’s Private Server manager for complete control over how and where you connect.

waves

Advanced censorship circumvention

Lantern includes more protocols than any other VPN, allowing it to adapt dynamically and bypass censorship in the most restrictive environments.

do_disturb_off

Built-in Ad Blocking

Block intrusive ads and trackers with built-in protection for a cleaner, more private web.

Using Lantern protects global internet freedom

Lantern Pro

When you upgrade to Lantern Pro, you're not just getting a faster, more powerful VPN. You're helping someone else connect. Pro subscriptions fund the infrastructure that keeps Lantern free in censored regions. Just by subscribing, you're part of a global effort to keep the internet open.

Unbounded

Unbounded is now part of the Lantern app and available as an extension at unbounded.lantern.io. It gives you the option to securely share your connection with people facing censorship. It's a simple, private, and safe way to help others get online. Learn More About Unbounded →

Stay connected across all your devices

Testimonials

What people are saying about Lantern

Instead of any other VPN, Just use the Lantern, which allows you to access the internet by bypassing restrictions.

MariaSTsehai

I always choose Lantern; I use it exclusively and have never had a problem, not even for a single day!

Edito_r5

Lantern is the best VPN in the world.

Bluehana86

Lantern FAQ

Lantern is a nonprofit VPN built to bypass internet censorship and provide fast, private access to the open internet. It's developed by Brave New Software Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and has been downloaded over 250 million times since 2013. It's available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Yes. Lantern offers a free tier with daily data caps. Lantern Pro removes those limits and adds features like ad blocking, server location selection, and up to 5 simultaneous devices. Every Pro subscription helps fund free access for people in censored regions.

Yes. Lantern is designed for the world's most heavily censored environments and supports more censorship-resistant protocols than any other VPN. It adapts in real time to maintain access when other tools can't connect. During Iran's 2022 protests, an estimated 13% of all Iranian internet traffic flowed through Lantern.

No. Lantern does not collect your browsing activity, connection history, or personal data. It's open source, independently audited, and built by a nonprofit with no incentive to monetize your data.

Lantern is one of the only nonprofit VPNs. It uses Smart Routing to protect only the traffic that needs protection, keeping everything else fast and direct. It supports more censorship-resistant protocols than any other VPN, and lets you host your own VPN server for free with Private Server. Pro subscriptions directly fund open access in censored regions.