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Psiphon vs Shadowsocks: catalog facts
Psiphon	Shadowsocks
Freemium Free to connect, with an optional subscription or PsiCash for ad-free, faster connections.	Free Free and open source; you supply your own server.
Windows, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Self-hosted
Several blocking-resilient transports that keep working where standard VPNs fail Free to use with no payment needed	Lightweight with low CPU and bandwidth use Clients and servers for most platforms, including routers
The free tier shows ads and runs at lower speeds Traffic passes through servers run by Psiphon	A proxy rather than a full VPN Split across many separate implementations of varying quality
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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