Tomvpn (فیلتر شکن قوی پرسرعت Tomvpn) is one of many free Persian-language filter breakers on the Play Store. It connects fast, works on weak networks, and unblocks Telegram, Instagram, and PUBG when local ISPs throttle them. The privacy story is the standard generic-VPN boilerplate: a no-log promise on the listing, no audit, no jurisdiction details, and an unclear company behind the domain.
For routine censorship-busting that is fine. For anything sensitive, the seven Tomvpn alternatives below offer the same circumvention with cleaner policies, audited claims, and in several cases open-source code you can inspect.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Open source | Built for censorship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psiphon Pro | Strongest circumvention | Unlimited, ad-supported | Yes | Yes |
| Outline | Trusted-friend VPN setup | Free client, your own server | Yes | Yes |
| Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP | Fastest free everyday VPN | Unlimited, no account | Partial | No |
| Lantern | Resilient when nothing else works | Limited free tier | Partial | Yes |
| Proton VPN | Audited free with Stealth protocol | Unlimited, 5 countries | Yes (apps) | Partial |
| Orbot | Tor on Android | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Hotspot Shield | Familiar consumer brand | 500 MB/day | No | Partial |
Why people switch from Tomvpn
- The no-log claim is not audited. Most generic Iranian-market VPNs make the same promise and none publish an audit. Pick a tool that does, especially if you log into accounts through the tunnel.
- Aggressive ads. Free users see full-screen ads at connect and during sessions. On a slow mobile connection that delay is painful.
- Single-source-of-truth risk. Free VPNs in heavily censored markets have been caught injecting trackers or selling traffic. Open-source tools and well-known foundations are safer bets.
- No protocol obfuscation. When ISPs deep-packet-inspect VPN handshakes, vanilla OpenVPN and WireGuard get blocked. The picks below either obfuscate by default or rotate transports automatically.
Which Tomvpn alternative should you pick?
- Psiphon Pro for the strongest free circumvention.
- Outline if a trusted friend can host a server for you.
- Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP for fast everyday browsing.
- Lantern when even Psiphon struggles.
- Proton VPN for an audited free tier with Stealth.
- Orbot for full Tor on Android.
- Hotspot Shield if you want a familiar consumer brand.
1. Psiphon Pro, strongest free circumvention
Psiphon is the tool most journalists and researchers recommend for getting past national firewalls. It rotates between SSH, SSH+, HTTP proxy, and obfuscated transports automatically, so when one path gets blocked it keeps trying others. The Android client is free with unlimited data, ad-supported, and entirely open source on GitHub.
Where it falls short: Psiphon's mission is circumvention, not privacy. It logs aggregate stats and routes through volunteer servers. Speeds vary depending on the selected transport.
Pricing: Free unlimited (ad-supported). Speed Boost subscription removes ads and lifts caps from around $2 per month.
Migrating from Tomvpn: install and tap connect. Auto-mode picks the best transport.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: the default pick for anyone unblocking sites in a heavily filtered market.
2. Outline, trusted-friend VPN setup
Outline is built by Jigsaw (Google's free-internet team). The Android app is just the client. The server is hosted by you or a trusted contact, usually on a $5-per-month DigitalOcean droplet. Traffic is wrapped in Shadowsocks, which looks like regular HTTPS to most deep-packet inspectors.
Where it falls short: there is no commercial server fleet. You either run your own or get an access key from someone who does. The setup is one extra step compared to a one-tap app.
Pricing: Free client. Server hosting is whatever your VPS costs (about $5 a month for a basic droplet).
Migrating from Tomvpn: install the client, paste an access key from your server admin.
Download: Google Play · App Store
Bottom line: the cleanest setup if someone you trust can host a server.
3. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP, fast everyday VPN
Cloudflare WARP is a free proxy-style VPN built on top of 1.1.1.1 DNS. It is unlimited, requires no account, and routes through Cloudflare's edge network. In countries where vanilla WireGuard is blocked it can be unreliable, but as everyday encryption on home or office Wi-Fi it is the fastest free option.
Where it falls short: WARP is not built for censorship circumvention. If your ISP actively blocks it, swap to Psiphon or Outline.
Pricing: Free unlimited. WARP+ adds Argo-routed paths for around $5 per month.
Migrating from Tomvpn: install and tap connect. No signup.
Download: Google Play · App Store
Bottom line: the right pick for fast everyday browsing when the ISP allows it.
4. Lantern, resilient fallback when nothing else works
Lantern is a Brave-backed circumvention tool that combines proxy networks with peer-to-peer routing. It is designed to keep going when commercial VPNs and even Psiphon get blocked. The Android client is small, fast, and has a free tier that throttles after a few GB.
Where it falls short: the free tier is small for video. Speeds drop substantially compared to Cloudflare or Proton.
Pricing: Free with a soft cap. Lantern Pro starts at around $32 per year.
Migrating from Tomvpn: install, tap connect.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: a useful second tool when the main one stops working.
5. Proton VPN, audited free with Stealth protocol
Proton VPN's free tier gives you unlimited data and servers in five countries. The paid plan adds Stealth, a protocol that hides the WireGuard handshake inside a standard TLS connection. Even on the free tier you get an audited no-log policy and an open-source Android client.
Where it falls short: Stealth protocol is paid-only. The free tier may struggle in countries that block WireGuard at the protocol level.
Pricing: Free unlimited (5 countries). Paid from around €4 per month for Stealth, 100+ countries, 10 devices.
Migrating from Tomvpn: sign up with a throwaway email, install, connect.
Download: Google Play · App Store
Bottom line: the strongest privacy-first pick that also handles light circumvention.
6. Orbot, full Tor on Android
Orbot is the Tor Project's official Android client. It routes any app's traffic through the Tor network, which means three hops, strong unlinkability, and the highest anonymity bar of any tool here. Pluggable transports (obfs4, meek, snowflake) make it harder to detect.
Where it falls short: slow. Tor is not built for streaming or gaming. Some sites block Tor exit nodes outright.
Pricing: Free, donation-funded.
Migrating from Tomvpn: install, tap connect, optionally enable VPN mode to route all apps.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: the right pick when anonymity matters more than speed.
7. Hotspot Shield, familiar consumer brand
Hotspot Shield is a long-running consumer VPN owned by Pango. Its proprietary Hydra protocol holds up reasonably well against light censorship and its server fleet is large. The Play Store listing has tens of millions of installs and the free tier is the easiest on-ramp for non-technical users.
Where it falls short: the free plan caps you at 500 MB per day and a single US exit. The privacy policy is murkier than Proton or Mullvad.
Pricing: Free 500 MB/day. Premium from around $7.99 per month with a long commit.
Migrating from Tomvpn: sign up, install, connect.
Download: Google Play · App Store
Bottom line: a workable consumer-grade swap if you trust the brand.
How to choose
- Pick Psiphon Pro for everyday circumvention when ISPs are actively interfering.
- Pick Outline if you have a technical friend who can spin up a $5 server.
- Pick Proton VPN for the best balance of privacy and circumvention.
- Pick Orbot if anonymity matters more than speed.
- Stay on Tomvpn only for unblocking video calls and games where ad friction is tolerable and you accept the unverified privacy story.
FAQ
Is Tomvpn safe to use?
Tomvpn encrypts traffic with standard protocols, but the developer has not published an audit, jurisdiction details, or a transparency report. For unblocking entertainment apps it is acceptable. For logging into financial or work accounts, switch to an audited alternative like Proton VPN.
What is the best free Tomvpn alternative for Iran?
Psiphon Pro is the strongest free choice because it rotates obfuscation transports automatically. For a faster everyday VPN, Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP is the easiest swap when the ISP allows it.
Can a VPN bypass Iranian internet filters?
Some can. Psiphon, Outline, and Lantern are designed for it. Consumer VPNs without obfuscation often get blocked at the protocol level during outages, so keeping a second tool on hand is a good idea.
Is using a VPN illegal in Iran?
Only government-approved VPNs are technically legal under Iranian law, but use of unauthorised tools is common. Enforcement is rare for individuals and focuses on commercial sellers. Use sensible operational practices regardless.
Which alternative is open source?
Psiphon, Outline, Orbot, and the Proton VPN apps are all open source. Cloudflare publishes its client code. Lantern publishes parts of its client. Closed-source clients in this list are Hotspot Shield and Tomvpn itself.
