CosmoVPN Us
CosmoGhost, made for heavily censored networks, and CosmoShield, which is hard for networks to detect or block. Auto switches to the mode that works on your network.
Compare VPNs
VPN comparison: censorship, privacy and free plans
How CosmoVPN compares with NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, Windscribe, Mullvad, Psiphon and Lantern. Every fact about another VPN comes from its own website or app-store listings.
Checked on 1 October 2026
At a glance
9 VPNs side by side
The basics: free version, tools for blocked networks, audits, open source, devices and price.
| VPN | Free version | For blocked networks | Audits | Open source | Devices | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CosmoVPN | Yes | CosmoGhost, CosmoShield, Auto | None | No | 5 per account | Free; Premium in the app |
| NordVPN | No | Obfuscated servers, NordWhisper | No-logs audits | Partly | 10 | From $3.49/mo |
| ExpressVPN | No | Automatic obfuscation | No-logs audits | Partly | 10 to 14 | From $2.99/mo |
| Surfshark | No | Obfuscation, NoBorders | No-logs audits | No | Unlimited | From $2.49/mo |
| Proton VPN | Yes | Stealth, Smart protocol | No-logs audits | Yes | 1 free, 10 paid | Free; Plus paid |
| Windscribe | Yes | Stealth, WStunnel, AmneziaWG, Auto | App and server audits | Yes | Unlimited | Free; Pro from $5.75/mo |
| Mullvad VPN | No | LWO, QUIC, Shadowsocks | App and server audits | Yes | 5 | €5/mo |
| Psiphon | Yes | Many automatic transports | Security audits | Yes | Not stated | Free; paid from $2.92/mo |
| Lantern | Yes | Many protocols, P2P proxies | Security audits | Yes | 5 (Pro) | Free; Pro from $3.63/mo |
Prices: the lowest monthly price, on the longest plan, in US dollars unless marked. Checked on 1 October 2026.
Censorship
Getting past networks that block VPNs
Where VPNs are blocked, an ordinary VPN connection is easy to spot and stop. These are the tools each one has to get through.
NordVPN
Obfuscated servers, which hide that you're using a VPN, and NordWhisper, a protocol that makes VPN traffic look like ordinary web traffic.
ExpressVPN
Automatic obfuscation on supported platforms when a network blocks or interferes with VPN traffic; there is nothing to turn on.
Surfshark
Obfuscation of OpenVPN connections (Camouflage mode), applied automatically, and NoBorders mode, which turns on by itself on restricted networks.
Proton VPN
The Stealth protocol makes VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTPS (also on the free plan), the Smart protocol tries other protocols by itself when one is blocked, and alternative routing reaches Proton when its servers are blocked.
Windscribe
Stealth (OpenVPN inside TLS), WStunnel (OpenVPN over WebSocket) and AmneziaWG (WireGuard that hides its fingerprint), a Circumvent Censorship switch and an Automatic mode that picks the protocol and port.
Mullvad VPN
Obfuscation built into the apps (LWO, QUIC, Shadowsocks and UDP-over-TCP), with an automatic mode.
Psiphon
Built for censorship: many ways to connect, chosen automatically, including domain fronting and relays run by volunteers (Conduit).
Lantern
Built for heavily censored networks, with its own protocols (Samizdat, WATER) and peer-to-peer proxies run by volunteers. By default only blocked and unencrypted sites go through Lantern.
Free plans
Which VPNs are free?
5 of the 9 have a free version, each with its own limits. The other 4 are paid, with trials or money-back guarantees.
Free versions
- CosmoVPNNo data cap and no account; each connection lasts 1 hour (then you connect again), with ads and fewer locations than Premium.
- Proton VPNNo data limit and no ads, 1 device, servers in 10 countries chosen for you.
- Windscribe10 GB a month with a confirmed e-mail address (2 GB without), servers in 10 countries, no ads.
- PsiphonWith ads and lower speeds than the paid version; no account needed.
- LanternWithout ads: 244 MB a day (then about 128 kbit/s), unlimited in Iran, Russia and Belarus.
Paid only
- NordVPNNo free plan. A 7-day free trial on 1- or 2-year plans bought on its website (in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and some European countries), a 3-day trial on Android, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- ExpressVPNNo free plan (a separate free app, EventVPN, is available for Apple devices). 30-day money-back guarantee.
- SurfsharkNo free plan. A 7-day free trial on 1- and 2-year plans bought on its website; 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Mullvad VPNNo free plan or trial; 14-day money-back guarantee (not for cash payments).
Privacy and security
What each VPN logs, and who checked
A VPN carries all your traffic, so what it keeps matters. Here is what each one says it logs, the audits it has published and who runs it.
CosmoVPN Us
Doesn't log the websites you visit, your DNS requests or the content of your traffic. Keeps a record of each connection: time, server, device identifier and model, app version and connection mode.
NordVPN
Doesn't log browsing, IP addresses or DNS requests; keeps account and billing details.
ExpressVPN
No activity or connection logs; keeps the dates you connected, the location you chose and the total data used.
Surfshark
Doesn't log browsing or traffic; connection details are deleted within 15 minutes after a session ends.
Proton VPN
No logs of traffic, DNS requests or connections.
Windscribe
No IP, session or browsing logs; keeps the last date you used it and the data you used in the last 30 days.
Mullvad VPN
No logs of traffic, DNS requests, connections, timestamps or IP addresses.
Psiphon
Logs connection length, data used and performance, the protocol, app version and server, and the country, city and provider worked out from your connection. Doesn't store your IP address or record the sites you visit (since 28 September 2026). Connection data is deleted on a schedule; aggregated statistics are kept.
Lantern
No logs of browsing, DNS requests or connections; keeps device identifiers and, for Pro, your e-mail address.
Head to head
CosmoVPN compared one by one
Each comparison goes into detail on blocked networks, privacy, free versions, apps and price, with its sources.
CosmoVPNvsNordVPNA large paid VPN with audited no-logs and obfuscated servers. No free plan.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsExpressVPNA premium VPN with automatic obfuscation and KPMG-audited no-logs. No free plan.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsSurfsharkA low-cost paid VPN with unlimited devices and automatic obfuscation. No free plan.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsProton VPNSwiss, open source and audited, with a generous free plan for one device.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsWindscribeA Canadian VPN with a 10 GB free plan and several anti-censorship protocols.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsMullvad VPNA Swedish privacy VPN: no e-mail needed, €5 a month, open source. No free plan.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsPsiphonA free anti-censorship tool with ads, built for getting around blocks rather than for anonymity.Read the comparisonCosmoVPNvsLanternAn open-source anti-censorship app from a US non-profit, with a daily free data allowance.Read the comparison
How we compare
We make CosmoVPN, so we aren't neutral. To keep this fair, every fact about another VPN comes from that provider's own website or app-store listings (pricing, help pages, privacy policy and audit reports), listed below, and was checked on 1 October 2026. Where CosmoVPN is behind, such as audits and open source, we say so.
Prices and features change. If something here is out of date, e-mail [email protected] and we'll correct it.
Questions
Choosing a VPN
Look for tools made for blocked networks: obfuscation or stealth modes that make VPN traffic look like ordinary web traffic, and an automatic mode that switches when one way is blocked. CosmoVPN has CosmoGhost, CosmoShield and Auto; NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, Windscribe and Mullvad have their own obfuscation, and Psiphon and Lantern are circumvention tools. Blocking changes often, so try a free option first.
CosmoVPN, Proton VPN, Windscribe, Psiphon and Lantern have free versions, each with limits: CosmoVPN (no data cap or account; ads, 1-hour connections, fewer locations than Premium), Proton VPN (one device, servers chosen for you), Windscribe (10 GB a month), Psiphon (ads, lower speed) and Lantern (244 MB a day outside Iran, Russia and Belarus). NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Mullvad are paid.
It depends on who runs it and what it logs. Read the privacy policy: a trustworthy free VPN explains what it keeps and how it pays for the service (ads, a paid plan or donations). CosmoVPN's free version is paid for by ads (Google AdMob, which may use your device's advertising identifier, as our privacy policy explains) and by Premium, and it doesn't log the websites you visit.
NordVPN (PwC, Deloitte), ExpressVPN (KPMG), Surfshark (Deloitte) and Proton VPN (Securitum) publish no-logs audits; Mullvad and Windscribe publish audits of their servers and apps. CosmoVPN has not been audited.
Sources
NordVPN
ExpressVPN
Surfshark
Proton VPN
Windscribe
Mullvad VPN
Psiphon
NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, Windscribe, Mullvad, Psiphon and Lantern are trademarks of their owners. CosmoVPN isn't affiliated with any of them.