Conduit asks something most VPN apps don’t: would you donate spare bandwidth so someone in a censored region can read the news? Psiphon’s team built it so any Android device can run a local relay station, encrypting and forwarding traffic for users behind a firewall. The 4.8 star rating reflects how unusual that proposition is and how clean the execution feels. But Conduit only does one thing, and many readers want either a way to use the network they’re supporting, or a way to run the relay differently.
The seven Conduit alternatives below split between two intents: apps that let a user contribute infrastructure (Orbot’s Kindness Mode, Outline self-hosting), and apps that consume the kind of circumvention network Conduit feeds (Psiphon Pro, Tor Browser, Proton VPN). Most readers end up running one of each.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Paid starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbot | Contributing to Tor on Android | Fully free | None | Kindness Mode runs a Snowflake proxy |
| Outline | Self-hosting your own access | Free, VPS extra | VPS only, around $5/mo | You own the keys, no shared infrastructure |
| Lantern | Peer-to-peer model, broader access | 500 MB/mo | About $4/mo | Unbounded uses volunteer WebRTC peers |
| Psiphon Pro | Using the same team’s network | Unlimited, 2 Mbps | About $10/mo | The user-side complement to Conduit |
| Tor Browser | Anonymous browsing on Android | Free | None | The network Snowflake and Kindness feed |
| 1.1.1.1 + WARP | Fast safer-internet baseline | 10 GB/mo | Region-priced | Cloudflare’s WireGuard tunnel |
| Proton VPN | Audited privacy with no data cap | Unlimited data | $4.99/mo | Stealth protocol obfuscates VPN traffic |
Why people look past Conduit
Conduit is one of the better-loved circumvention apps on the Play Store. The complaints are real but few. Three themes show up.
The first is platform reach. Conduit is Android only. A user who wants to contribute from a desktop, an iPad, or a small home server needs a different tool. The Psiphon team has been clear that Conduit is mobile first by design, but that leaves desktop volunteers without an option.
The second is battery and bandwidth control. The settings let users cap both, but some hosts want finer-grained scheduling, like only during overnight hours or only on Wi-Fi. The current interface keeps it simple, and that’s a trade-off.
The third is use versus contribute. Conduit relays traffic but the host can’t browse through it. To use a circumvention network on the same device, you still need Psiphon Pro or Tor Browser installed alongside.
The alternatives
Orbot — Best for contributing on Android (closest match)
Orbot is the closest one-for-one swap for Conduit on Android. Its Kindness Mode runs a Snowflake proxy that helps users in censored regions connect to the Tor network. The mechanics are similar to Conduit: your device becomes a bridge, encrypted traffic flows through it, and you don’t see what passes. In most countries, running a Snowflake proxy is treated like a VoIP relay and is legal.
Where it falls short: Snowflake proxies feed Tor specifically, not Psiphon, so the audience served is different. Orbot’s Tor traffic is slower than Psiphon’s network for the people on the receiving end.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, no premium tier
- Paid: None
- vs Conduit: Same model, different network. Some users run both side by side
Migrating from Conduit: Install Orbot, open the menu, enable Kindness Mode, set bandwidth and data caps to your taste.
Bottom line: Orbot vs Conduit is a choice of which network to feed: Tor or Psiphon. Both are legitimate. Some users alternate between them weekly.
Outline — Best for self-hosting access for friends and family
Outline is the Jigsaw-built toolkit for running a private Shadowsocks server. The pattern is the inverse of Conduit: instead of relaying for strangers, you set up a server on a $5 VPS, generate access keys, and hand them to people you trust. The protocol is hard to fingerprint, so the server stays usable in restrictive networks. Outline has been audited twice by Cure53 and twice by Radically Open Security.
Where it falls short: Setup happens on a desktop with Outline Manager, not on Android. The Outline Foundation took over stewardship in 2026 after Jigsaw stepped back, and although the foundation is independent and non-profit, some long-time users want to see how the transition shakes out.
Pricing:
- Free: Client app and server software are free
- Paid: VPS cost only, typically $5 to $10 per month
- vs Conduit: Different model. You operate the infrastructure for a fixed group, not the open network
Migrating from Conduit: Install Outline Manager on a laptop, deploy a server in a few clicks (DigitalOcean, Linode, or any Docker host), generate access keys, paste them into the Outline app on each device.
Bottom line: Outline vs Conduit answers different questions. Conduit helps strangers; Outline helps specific people. If both matter, run both.
Lantern — Best for peer-to-peer routing
Lantern is a nonprofit project (501(c)(3) Brave New Software) downloaded over 250 million times since 2013. Its Unbounded mode uses WebRTC to turn volunteers’ devices into proxy endpoints, similar in spirit to what Snowflake does for Tor. The model is closer to Conduit than most VPN apps, because volunteer infrastructure is the point, not a side effect.
Where it falls short: The free tier is capped at 500 MB per month. Lantern’s engineers acknowledged that Unbounded had limited reach during the January 2026 Iran blackout, so the network isn’t bulletproof in worst-case conditions.
Pricing:
- Free: 500 MB per month
- Paid: Lantern Pro from approximately $4 per month
- vs Conduit: Lantern is the user-facing side of a similar peer model; Conduit is the contributor side of Psiphon’s
Migrating from Conduit: Install, tap the lantern icon. Pro plans need an email.
Bottom line: Lantern vs Conduit is the mirror choice: Lantern primarily helps users access the network; Conduit primarily helps the network help users.
Psiphon Pro — Best for using the same team’s network
Psiphon Pro is what someone uses on the receiving end of Conduit. Same team, same network. The free tier is unlimited on data, capped at 2 Mbps, and shows ads. Built for users in censored regions for 15 years and still actively maintained.
Where it falls short: The 2 Mbps free cap is enough for messaging and web but rough for video. Subscription billing has been inconsistent in some regions where Google Play purchases are restricted.
Pricing:
- Free: Unlimited data, 2 Mbps cap, ads
- Paid: Approximately $10 per month, or $72 per year
- vs Conduit: Complementary. Run Conduit on your home phone, run Psiphon Pro on the device you actually use
Migrating from Conduit: Install, tap Start. No account needed.
Bottom line: Psiphon Pro vs Conduit is a matter of role. Most readers should install both.
Tor Browser — Best for anonymous browsing on the network you support
Tor Browser for Android is the official user-side app for the Tor network. Same goal as Psiphon Pro but a different threat model: Tor focuses on anonymity, not just access. Built-in bridge support helps users in countries where Tor itself is blocked. Standard, Safer, and Safest security levels let users trade convenience for hardening.
Where it falls short: Tor is slow on mobile. Many sites block known Tor exits, so streaming and shopping sites often won’t load. Not a daily browser; a tool for specific sessions.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free
- Paid: None
- vs Conduit: Tor Browser is the user side of the network Orbot Kindness Mode helps feed
Migrating from Conduit: Install, tap Connect, use bridges if direct connection fails.
Bottom line: Tor Browser vs Conduit is a complementary pair. The browser uses the network; running Orbot’s Kindness Mode (or Conduit) helps the network exist.
1.1.1.1 + WARP — Best for a fast, easy baseline
1.1.1.1 + WARP is Cloudflare’s free safer-internet app. The WireGuard-based tunnel routes traffic through Cloudflare’s network and pairs with the 1.1.1.1 encrypted DNS resolver. Not a censorship tool by design, but lighter filtering layers do fall to it, and the performance is good.
Where it falls short: Free WARP throttles after 10 GB per month. WARP+ Unlimited removes the cap but is regionally priced. As a US-based commercial provider, Cloudflare is subject to legal process in a way that volunteer networks are not.
Pricing:
- Free: 10 GB per month, then throttled
- Paid: WARP+ Unlimited, regionally priced
- vs Conduit: Cloudflare’s centralized network rather than a volunteer mesh. Use as a daily baseline alongside Conduit
Migrating from Conduit: Install, slide the toggle to ON, accept the VPN profile.
Bottom line: 1.1.1.1 vs Conduit is a different question entirely. WARP is a daily baseline; Conduit is a contribution. Run both.
Proton VPN — Best audited privacy choice for users who can’t host
Proton VPN sits at the user end of the open-internet conversation. Audited privacy, no-logs policy, and a free tier with no data caps in 10 countries. The Stealth protocol obfuscates VPN traffic and helps in networks that block on protocol fingerprint. For users who can’t or don’t want to run infrastructure, Proton is the strongest paid-grade choice with a free tier worth using.
Where it falls short: Free tier picks the exit country automatically and is limited to one device. Stealth requires a paid plan to use on every server.
Pricing:
- Free: Unlimited data, 10 countries, one device
- Paid: From $4.99 per month on the two-year plan
- vs Conduit: Proton is what the people you’d help with Conduit might run on their phones. Not a contributor; a consumer
Migrating from Conduit: Install, sign in, tap connect. Free plan needs only an email.
Bottom line: Proton VPN vs Conduit is the user-versus-contributor question. Most readers should use Proton on their everyday device and run Conduit on a spare device.
How to choose
Pick Orbot Kindness Mode if Conduit’s contributor model appeals but you’d rather feed Tor than Psiphon. Same shape, different network.
Pick Outline if you have a friend or family member behind a firewall. A $5 droplet and a few generated keys gets them connected through a server only they (and you) can use.
Pick Lantern if you want a peer-to-peer experience as a user rather than a host. The Unbounded mode is closest in spirit to what makes Conduit interesting.
Pick Psiphon Pro alongside Conduit. They’re the two halves of the same network. Most readers should install both.
Stay on Conduit if your goal is the simplest, most legal way to donate spare phone resources to internet freedom. Nothing else matches its setup cost (close to zero) for that specific purpose.
FAQ
Is Conduit better than running a VPN?
Conduit and a VPN solve different problems. A VPN connects you to the open internet from a restricted region; Conduit lets your device help someone else do the same. Many users run both: a VPN for daily browsing, Conduit on a spare phone to give back.
Can I use Conduit and access the internet through it myself?
No. Conduit relays for other Psiphon users; the host device does not browse through its own relay. To use Psiphon’s network yourself, install Psiphon Pro alongside Conduit.
What’s the difference between Conduit and Orbot’s Kindness Mode?
Both run a proxy on your Android device that helps censored users connect. Conduit feeds the Psiphon network. Kindness Mode feeds the Tor network through Snowflake. The mechanics are similar; the network downstream is different.
Is running Conduit legal?
In most countries, yes. Conduit’s traffic is encrypted, the host can’t see what passes through, and the activity is comparable to running a VoIP call. The Psiphon team recommends checking local law in jurisdictions with explicit VPN bans before contributing.
Does Conduit use a lot of battery and data?
It can. The app lets users set hard caps on both, and most contributors run it on a spare phone or only while charging. Default limits are conservative.
What apps do people run on the receiving end of Conduit?
Psiphon Pro for general access. Tor Browser when anonymity matters. Some users in restricted regions install Proton VPN or Outline (with a friend’s server key) as a second line.
