Alternatives to Outline VPN

Self-run VPN server built on Shadowsocks, made for censored networks. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Outline VPN.

  • AmneziaVPN

    Sets up your own VPN server on a machine you rent, then connects to it, with obfuscated protocols for networks that block ordinary VPNs.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

    AmneziaVPN also sets up your own server from the client, adding Cloak, AmneziaWG and XRay alongside Shadowsocks plus split tunnelling, under GPL-3.0, but needs your server's SSH root credentials.

  • Algo VPN

    Ansible scripts that stand up a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    Algo VPN deploys WireGuard and IPsec with Ansible scripts and generates client configurations, but setup runs from macOS, Linux or the command line and it is not built for censorship.

  • WireGuard

    A small, fast VPN protocol and set of official clients that connect two machines by exchanging public keys.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSCommand line

    WireGuard provides a fast protocol with official clients, but you configure the server and keys yourself and by default it does not hide VPN use from network operators.

  • OpenVPN Community

    The VPN protocol and client that has been the default for two decades, and still runs on everything.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSCommand line

    OpenVPN Community runs over TCP or UDP on any port to pass restrictive networks and is supported everywhere, but server configuration is complex and slower than WireGuard.

  • sing-box

    A universal proxy platform that speaks WireGuard, Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, Hysteria and more from one binary.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidCommand line

    sing-box can run as a Shadowsocks, Trojan or Hysteria server and client from one binary, but has no graphical interface and its JSON configuration is complex.

  • Shadowsocks

    A fast encrypted tunnel proxy for getting past firewalls, with implementations for most platforms.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSSelf-hosted

    Shadowsocks is the underlying proxy on its own, lightweight with clients and servers for most platforms, but without a manager app and split across many implementations.

  • Xray

    An open-source proxy core from Project X with the XTLS and REALITY protocols for circumventing censorship.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostedCommand line

    Xray is a self-hosted proxy core with XTLS and REALITY protocols for censorship circumvention, with no graphical interface and configuration requiring networking knowledge.

  • WireGuard Easy

    A Docker image that runs a WireGuard VPN server with a web interface for managing clients.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    WireGuard Easy runs a WireGuard server with a browser-based client manager in Docker, easier to share but without Shadowsocks' resistance to blocking.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Outline VPN as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • 3x-ui

    A self-hosted web panel for running Xray-core proxy servers and managing their users and protocols.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    Outline VPN runs a Shadowsocks server managed through a manager application with simple key sharing, instead of an Xray-core web panel with many protocols.

  • Hysteria

    An open-source proxy built on QUIC, designed for speed and resistance to censorship.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    Outline VPN runs a self-hosted Shadowsocks server with a manager application for creating servers and sharing keys, plus clients for desktop and mobile.

  • Lantern

    An open-source censorship-circumvention app that gives access to blocked websites and apps.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Outline VPN uses Shadowsocks on a server you pay for and run yourself, so traffic no longer relies on a provider's infrastructure.

  • NaiveProxy

    A censorship-resistant proxy that uses Chromium's network stack to look like normal HTTPS traffic.

    FreeOpen sourceAndroidCommand line

    Outline VPN offers a self-run Shadowsocks server with a manager app for easy key sharing and graphical clients on desktop and mobile.

  • Psiphon

    A censorship-circumvention app that combines several blocking-resilient transports to reach sites blocked in your country.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsAndroidiOS

    Outline VPN uses Shadowsocks on a server you pay for and run yourself, so traffic no longer passes through servers operated by Psiphon.

  • V2Ray

    A proxy platform for building encrypted proxy connections to get around network restrictions.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostedCommand line

    Outline VPN offers a Shadowsocks-based server with a manager app that simplifies server creation and key sharing, with clients for desktop and mobile platforms.

  • VPN Gate

    A free academic VPN network of volunteer-run public relay servers from the University of Tsukuba.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Outline VPN uses Shadowsocks on a server you pay for and run yourself, so privacy no longer depends on volunteer operators.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.