Psiphon Review in USA | Features, Speed, Security, & More

Psiphon is a free and simple app that helps you access the internet, especially in places where websites are blocked. Based on Psiphon review in USA, while it’s useful in restricted areas, it might not work as fast as you’d like when you’re browsing online.

Psiphon started as a free, open-source tool in 2008 at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab to help people get around internet censorship. Now, it’s a trusted VPN and proxy service that works with groups like Access Now to support digital rights.

Psiphon offers two modes: VPN and proxy, and you can use it on Android, macOS, iOS, and Windows.

During my testing, Psiphon worked well with BBC iPlayer but couldn’t unblock other platforms like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+. Its speed may not be the best for streaming or torrenting, but it’s straightforward to use and offers decent security.

Psiphon Review in USA – My Rating Criteria

Here are the factors I considered during my Psiphon review in USA:

Psiphon Pricing Plans

Here’s a quick comparison of the available Psiphon pricing plans:

Other Features

Privacy – No Guarantees

Psiphon takes an honest approach compared to many VPNs that claim to log no data. When you read their privacy policy, you’ll see a clear section titled What user information does Psiphon collect?”

Here’s a simple breakdown of what Psiphon logs:

• The protocol used to connect
• Your city, country, and ISP
• Session length and data transferred
• The top websites you visit (but not specific pages)

This information is stored for 60 days and then combined into general statistics like:
250 people from New York City using Comcast transferred 500GB.”

Psiphon’s policy explains why logging matters for VPN users. It helps you understand:

• VPNs can see unencrypted traffic
• They might change your traffic, add ads, or share data with third parties

If you’re using the free version, be aware that:

• Psiphon may display ads supported by cookies or web beacons
• Ads may allow advertisers to track some of your usage

Although Psiphon isn’t a zero-log VPN, it’s better than many. They do not:

• Log your personal IP address
• Keep your activity data longer than 60 days

If you’re using the free plan, Psiphon doesn’t collect personal info like your email, which makes it harder to trace any logged data back to you.

Speed – Psiphon VPN Performance

Psiphon’s free plan comes with a 2Mbps speed limit, and my tests confirmed that this is accurate. Speeds averaged between 1.5 to 2Mbps, which isn’t very fast, but Psiphon deserves credit for being honest about it. They clearly state what you’ll get, which is rare in the VPN world.

In terms of streaming, Psiphon surprised me by unblocking BBC iPlayer and US Netflix but couldn’t access Amazon Prime Video or Disney+. However, the free version struggles with smooth playback due to limited bandwidth. Even with BBC iPlayer, we experienced frequent pauses.

Upgrading to Psiphon Pro removes ads and speed limits, but even then, speeds only reached 15-30Mbps on nearby servers. This may work for streaming, but the single-device limit makes it hard to justify the price for some users.

Psiphon VPN Server Locations: 1.0/10

Psiphon offers 20+ locations on mobile devices, but for Windows users, you can’t choose your server. This lack of control can make it difficult for users in regions like Africa, Central or South America, and Oceania, where no servers are available.

The Android app gives access to 27 server locations, while the iOS app offers 25 locations. On Windows, Psiphon provides 27 proxy servers, but the app automatically connects you to a server, meaning you might not get a location that works best for your needs.

Most of Psiphon’s servers are found in Europe and North America, with key locations like the US, Canada, the UK, and France. The only servers in the Asia-Pacific region are in India, Japan, and Singapore. However, there are no servers in South America, Africa, or Australia, and you can’t choose a specific city either.

For users looking to access content from specific countries, it’s essential to check server availability beforehand. Keep in mind, though, that Psiphon limits speeds to 2Mbps on its basic plan. So, no matter where you connect, expect slow performance.

Also, Psiphon does not clearly disclose how many servers it runs or whether it owns or rents them, leaving questions about its transparency.

Security – Decent, but Not the Best

Psiphon clearly states that it doesn’t improve your online privacy and shouldn’t be used as a security tool.

Instead of using Obfsproxy like many other VPNs to make traffic look normal, Psiphon relies on proxy setups to hide your IP address and browsing activity. It cleverly avoids being detected by using special protocols to hide that you’re using a VPN. SSH is its default protocol, with added encryption, called SSH+, to protect your activity.

In proxy mode, Psiphon uses SOCKS and HTTPS over port 443 to keep your data safe. When you enable L2TP/IPsec in transport mode, it uses VPN tunneling for extra protection.

Psiphon uses AES 256-bit encryption and SHA1 hashes to keep your data secure, though SHA1 isn’t as strong as some other methods like PGP encryption.

While Psiphon owns its DNS servers, during my test, I found that it leaked data while in VPN mode. However, no leaks happened in proxy mode.

The good news is, an audit in 2017 found no major issues with Psiphon’s protocols. But without a kill switch, your IP address could be exposed if the VPN disconnects unexpectedly.

Lastly, since Psiphon is open-source, you can check its code to see exactly what it’s doing.

Streaming – Works with BBC iPlayer & HBO Max, But Too Slow for HD

Psiphon VPN isn’t made for streaming, so I can’t be too hard on it for not excelling in this area. The real issue lies in its server selection—you can’t choose a specific country server, making it almost impossible to access certain streaming platforms reliably.

However, using the Psiphon Free Proxy, I managed to unblock BBC iPlayer, All 4 (Channel 4), Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max. While this sounds promising, the slow speeds make watching Full HD videos frustrating due to constant buffering.

Here’s a quick breakdown of Psiphon’s compatibility with various platforms:

In my tests, Psiphon failed to work with Netflix US, or Disney+.

While I was able to unblock and watch Don’t Worry Darling on HBO Max using Psiphon’s proxy, the video quality was low, and buffering interrupted the experience repeatedly. Similarly, I unblocked BBC iPlayer, but the loading times were incredibly long due to the slow connection speeds.

To be fair, Psiphon wasn’t designed to handle streaming geo-restrictions, but other tools that focus on anti-censorship, like ExpressVPN, have proven they can do it effectively.

Device & OS Compatibility

Psiphon works on Windows, Apple Silicon Macs, iOS, and Android devices. You can easily download the apps from the official website, App Store, or Google Play Store. If you live in a country where access to these platforms is blocked, Psiphon can even send the app to you via email. However, it’s important to note that Psiphon only works on M1 chip Macs, leaving older versions out.

While Psiphon offers basic device compatibility, it’s quite limited compared to competitors like ExpressVPN, which supports additional devices like Linux, routers, and even Apple TV. NordVPN is also compatible with Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, and gaming consoles.

Here’s the comparison of Psiphon’s features across devices:

Psiphon does provide basic setup guides, but they are not very detailed. This means you might struggle a bit if you’re new to using VPNs.

Be Cautious! Some fake Psiphon apps have been discovered outside the official stores, and one of them even contained spyware. To ensure your download is safe, always follow Psiphon’s instructions to verify that you’re getting the authentic version.

Reliability & Support 6.7/10

Psiphon provides customer support mainly through email. While this is helpful, it would be even better if they had 24/7 live chat or phone support for quicker responses.

When I sent an email with a few questions about the service, I got an automated response thanking me for reaching out and giving me a link to download the app. However, after a few days, I still hadn’t received a personal reply from Psiphon.

After trying several times to contact them via email with no luck, I decided to check their social media. Psiphon does have a presence on platforms like Facebook Messenger, so I sent the same questions there. Unfortunately, I received another auto-reply.

Even though their direct support could use some improvement, Psiphon helps make up for this by providing a helpful FAQ section. This section covers topics like downloading, installation, user questions, privacy, and security

VPN Comparison between Psiphon and ExpressVPN

Below you will find a table that lists down some important features and prices of the two VPNs. You devise which one is best:

Alternatives to Psiphon

In case you don’t like Psiphon, I have got you covered in this regard too. Here are some alternatives to Psiphon review in USA you may consider:

1. Review ExpressVPN
2. Review TorVPN
3. KeepSolid Business VPN Review
4. Connecto VPN Review
5. Review CyberSilent VPN
6. Review Private Internet Access
7. Review PureVPN
8. Review Windscribe
9. Review AVG VPN
10. Review Private Tunnel VPN

FAQs – Psiphon Review in USA

Final Verdict

In my Psiphon Review in USA, I found that it does a good job of getting around censorship, but there are a few things to keep in mind. It has a limited number of servers, offers slow speeds, collects user data, and doesn’t work with popular streaming services like Netflix. If you want to use it for torrenting, the experience may not be what you’re hoping for.

If your main goal is to avoid censorship, Psiphon VPN could be useful. However, if privacy and security are most important to you, I recommend ExpressVPN. It’s known for its fast speeds, strong privacy features, and works great with platforms like Netflix.