Psiphon 3 Build 189 for Windows

Psiphon 3 Build 189 is a free and open-source tool for Windows that helps you reach websites and services blocked by internet censorship. You can download Psiphon for Windows from the official website psiphon.ca; the same service also has apps for Android and iOS.

Specifications

How Psiphon works

Psiphon started in 2004 within the OpenNet Initiative, a project that studied internet filtering around the world, and later grew into a separate company. Its purpose is narrow and clear: when a government, provider or network administrator blocks certain sites, Psiphon routes your traffic through its own servers so that the connection looks different and gets through. Unlike many commercial VPN services, it is not sold as a way to change your country for streaming, but as a circumvention tool for people in places with heavy filtering. The source code is published on GitHub under the GPL, so specialists can check what the client does. On Windows it is a small program that you start when you need it and close when the network works normally again.

Installation

1. Open the download page on psiphon.ca and get the Windows client.
2. Run the downloaded file and allow it through Windows SmartScreen only if it came from psiphon.ca.
3. Wait until the status shows a connection, then browse as usual.
4. Close the program when you no longer need the tunnel.

If the official site is blocked in your country, ask someone you trust to pass you the file from psiphon.ca or GitHub rather than using random download sites.

Security and privacy

Psiphon is a circumvention tool, not an anonymity tool: the operator of the network can see which connections pass through it, and the websites you open still see your activity. For sensitive tasks, combine it with HTTPS sites and sign in to accounts only when needed. Download the client exclusively from psiphon.ca or the official GitHub repository, because fake builds of censorship tools are a known threat.

Psiphon or a regular VPN?

A commercial VPN is usually chosen for privacy on public Wi-Fi or to change the visible location. Psiphon is chosen when the problem is blocking itself: sites that do not open, messengers that stop connecting, or VPN services that are themselves blocked. If you only need a secure connection in a café, a VPN from a trusted provider is enough. If you are in a network where many tools fail, Psiphon is worth keeping on the PC as a backup. It costs nothing, so there is little reason not to have it ready.

Pros and cons

• Pro: free and open source.
• Pro: small, starts in seconds.
• Pro: built for heavily filtered networks.
• Con: not designed for anonymity.
• Con: speed depends on server load.

Alternatives

Other circumvention and VPN tools for Windows in our listings include Proton VPN, Windscribe VPN, Freegate, UltraSurf and OpenVPN Connect.