Recommended Tools for a Free and Open Internet

Note: The following content applies only to users in mainland China

1. Lantern

The reason Lantern comes first is simple: when you are completely cut off from the outside internet, or on a brand-new computer with no circumvention tools at all, you can download it from GitHub with no complicated configuration — install it and it works. Lantern provides free traffic, 1 GB per month; you can also buy the paid version, though I personally don’t recommend it, since there are cheaper, more stable options.

In many situations, when I’m using someone else’s computer and need to reach the outside internet right away, I tend to open GitHub, search for Lantern, and use it straight after installing.

Note: The iOS version requires a non-mainland-China (US/Hong Kong) account.

Supported operating systems: iOS, MacOS, Windows, Android.

2. ClashX & Shadowrocket & V2Ray

The ones listed here are what I actually use day to day:

• On iOS, use: Shadowrocket

• On MacOS, use: ClashX

• On Windows, use: V2Ray

• On Android, use: V2RayNG

All of the above need to be paired with nodes, so strictly speaking they are really the same method. Here’s how to get nodes:

Paid nodes: One-Yuan Airport

Free nodes: Click to get them

3. Windscribe

Not recommended; listed here only as a backup option.

4. ExpressVPN

Not recommended. It used to be my regular solution, but since September 2022 it has been unusable in mainland China.