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VPN

Riseup VPN

Free activist-focused

with no account required and tracker blocking

Privacy score 75 Free Technical: Intermediate Open source
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Riseup

is a service to hide your and encrypt your traffic. It helps you keep more control over your data.

🔀

Recommended alternatives

Mullvad VPN IVPN
Android iOS Windows Mac Linux

Who is this for?

✓ Good for you if:

  • • You need a free for activists and marginalized communities
  • • You want no account registration (invite code only)
  • • You need tracker and ad blocking built-in
  • • You prefer volunteer-run, donation-based services
  • • You want open-source software

⚠ Think twice if:

  • • You need the fastest speeds (Riseup may be slower due to limited resources)
  • • You want to choose specific server locations (automatic assignment only)
  • • You need advanced features like or obfuscation
  • • You want extensive customer support (volunteer-run, limited support)
  • • You need an invite code to access (not publicly available)

Key qualities

✓ No account required ✓ Donation-supported ✓ Community-run

Overview

Riseup VPN

is a completely free, open-source VPN service run by volunteers from the Riseup collective. The service is designed specifically for activists, journalists, and marginalized communities who need privacy protection without commercial constraints. What makes Riseup VPN special is that you don't need to create an account - each time you connect, you get a new certificate, so your sessions can't be linked together. This provides maximum anonymity. The service uses OpenVPN protocol with strong encryption (AES-256) to protect your internet traffic. Riseup VPN has a strict no-logs policy: it doesn't log IP addresses, DNS queries, or your online activity. Minimal encrypted logs are kept for up to 5 days for troubleshooting, then automatically deleted. The service automatically blocks known trackers and ads at the network level, giving you extra privacy protection. Because it's run by volunteers and funded by donations, Riseup VPN may have fewer servers and slower speeds than commercial VPNs, but it prioritizes privacy over profit. The software is open source, so security experts can check the code. Server selection is automatic - you can't choose specific locations.

Privacy highlight

This score will be updated after a full review.

Quick facts

Country:
🇺🇸 United States
Pricing:
Free
Platform:
Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux
Technical:
Intermediate
:
Yes
:
Minimal telemetry
:
Yes
Open-source status:
Fully open source
:
No
:
No

Key features

  • WireGuard protocol support
  • No personal information required
  • Anonymous account numbers
  • No-logs policy
  • Cash payment option
  • Multi-hop connections
Security & encryption Click to expand
Yes
Encryption protocols
OpenVPN
Riseup uses OpenVPN protocol with AES-256 and RSA or ECDSA for key exchange. is certificate-based - each session generates a new certificate, preventing correlation between sessions. Keys are ephemeral and not stored long-term. The service implements perfect forward secrecy.
Offline support
No
Telemetry & tracking Click to expand
Minimal telemetry
No
Ip minimal
Riseup does not collect data. Minimal encrypted logs may be retained for up to 5 days for troubleshooting, then automatically deleted.
Jurisdiction & compliance Click to expand
US-based infrastructure with servers in United States. Operated by Riseup collective in Seattle, Washington.
Riseup maintains a no-logs policy with minimal . No IP addresses, queries, connection timestamps, or user activity are logged. Minimal encrypted logs retained for up to 5 days for troubleshooting, then automatically deleted.
Legal frameworks
US jurisdiction (5 Eyes country)
Revenue sources
Donations
Editorial signals Click to expand
75
Trust score
75
Trust breakdown (0–10)
Not specified
Editorial notes
Usability: , Performance: , Family friendly:
User experience Click to expand
Signup requirements
No account registration required. Each session generates a new certificate for authentication.
Onboarding difficulty (1-5)
2
Accessibility features
Support for modern accessibility features depends on the platform version.
Backup & portability Click to expand
No
Migration tools
May offer import or export tools; see official docs.
Account recovery options depend on the provider.

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