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Freenet vs GNUnet: catalog facts
Freenet	GNUnet
Free Free to use; the project is funded by grants and donations.	Free Free software from the GNU project with no paid tier.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Web	Linux
No central servers behind the apps Browser demo of River without installing anything	Designed to protect metadata, not only message content Backed by academic research
The browser version keeps your keys on the project's peer Small app ecosystem so far	A protocol stack and framework rather than a polished end-user app Technical to install and understand
Downloadable app, Web application	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.