Amnezia VPN vs RiseupVPN

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.

RiseupVPN is a free personal VPN for traffic encryption, location anonymization and censorship circumvention. Clients are available for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, and torrent support is listed. The software is designed to install and run without account registration or configuration. It routes internet traffic through an encrypted connection to riseup.net before reaching the public internet. Riseup describes protection against ISP surveillance, blocking most tracking companies and bypassing government censorship where internet access remains available. Its stated logs exclude IP addresses, DNS requests, traffic flows, browser fingerprints and identifying information; minimal logs are encrypted and rotated within five days. Riseup warns that traffic can face man-in-the-middle attacks after leaving the VPN gateway, so HTTPS remains important. The service is funded by donations and estimates its cost at approximately $60 USD per person per year. Android installation is documented through F-Droid, Google Play or an LEAP APK. Riseup says clients use open-source Bitmask software. Windows lacks a kill switch, and the Linux Snap package is out of support.