Amnezia VPN vs IPFire

Amnezia VPN is an open-source client for using a VPN service or setting up a VPN server on a server you control. Its self-hosted setup connects to a VPS over SSH, installs Docker, and runs separate containers for protocol connections. The app supports OpenVPN, OpenVPN over Cloak, WireGuard, AmneziaWG, IKEV2, XRay Reality, and ShadowSocks. AmneziaWG adds protection against detection and blocking. Split tunneling varies by platform: Android supports IP and app controls, Windows supports IP and limited app controls, and iOS, macOS, and Linux support IP-only controls. Amnezia Free provides access to Instagram, Facebook, X, and other blocked resources, but not YouTube; speeds are limited to 8 Mbps and location selection is unavailable. Premium offers 20 connection locations, streaming support, P2P on its Switzerland location, and up to seven simultaneous devices. Premium says it does not store visited sites, IP addresses, or session data, and uses RAM-only servers. The client and server are open source. Amnezia says its products passed independent security audits in 2022, 2024, and 2025.

IPFire is a free, open-source firewall and security platform for networks from home offices to global enterprises. Its Linux Netfilter-based firewall supports network zones, port forwarding, NAT, and stateful packet inspection. VPN options include IPsec, WireGuard, and OpenVPN for site-to-site or remote access. A Suricata-powered intrusion prevention system detects and blocks malicious traffic using updated rule sets. IPFire includes a Squid web proxy with optional URL filtering through URLFilter or SquidGuard, and uses Red, Green, Blue, and Orange zones for roles such as trusted networks, DMZs, and Wi-Fi. Its web interface monitors bandwidth, connections, and intrusion attempts. Proxy authentication can use Microsoft Windows Active Directory, LDAP, or RADIUS. The download page offers x86_64 and aarch64 images for bare metal, virtual machines, embedded hardware, USB sticks, and SD cards; cloud images are available for AWS, Exoscale, and other providers. The project says it releases frequent security updates. Documentation, forums, mailing lists, and a bug tracker are available, and Lightning Wire Labs offers professional support.