How to choose a VPN: fast, secure and preferably free. Instructions "Layout"

Let's figure out how VPNs work, whether the free version is enough for most tasks and whether they are as dangerous as pro-government experts claim

Internet censorship, the fight against Western Internet services and the growing threat of online fraud have led to a sharp increase in the popularity of VPN services in Russia. The state is trying to fight them, but it is difficult to completely block them due to the technical features of the Internet. The Layout instructions will help you figure out how to choose a VPN.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

What is a VPN and how does it work?

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that creates a secure encrypted connection between your device and a special server on the Internet. When you use a VPN, all your requests to and from the network go through this secure tunnel.

ISPs and the government generally only know about you that you are contacting the VPN provider's server, but they do not know what exactly you are requesting or what information you are transmitting. Sites, in turn, do not know where you are communicating with them from. This allows you to protect your information, including payment information, watch what the state has not allowed, and bypass geographic restrictions on services, including online cinemas that do not allow use or limit services for users from certain countries.

In addition, as already mentioned, using a VPN makes it more difficult to intercept personal data, including passwords and payment information, and also makes it more difficult to find out the user's real IP and location, which complicates social engineering. This reduces the risk of becoming a victim of cyber fraudsters.

Authorities say VPN services are dangerous. This is true?

The pro-government League for a Safe Internet explains the danger of using VPN services by the possible loss of personal data and children’s access to dangerous sites. “Parents should closely monitor how their children spend time on the Internet to protect them from potentially dangerous information. And the authorities, for their part, are actively blocking VPN services,” says one of their materials.

But it is active blocking by the authorities that creates potential threats for users. VPN services can indeed access user data. Accidentally disabling the service may violate your privacy by revealing your IP address. Encryption must be provided by reliable algorithms.

All these problems can be solved by choosing a reliable VPN provider. Ideally, a company should be well known in the market, have a transparent policy for collecting information about users (or better yet, not collect it at all), support multi-factor authentication, and provide the opportunity to pay for its work using clear and transparent methods. By blocking popular services, the government is actually forcing users to turn to little-known and new market participants who may not be as safe as the big players.

Paid or free VPN? Famous or private?

The bad news: Russia's internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, knows the most popular VPN services and regularly tries to block them. The good thing is that these services know Roskomnadzor and are trying to deal with blocking. Any of the VPN providers below may go down for two or three days, but will almost certainly be back up and running soon.

Free VPNs provide all the necessary services for a user who simply reads websites on the Internet. Problems can begin with large amounts of data - online cinemas, YouTube and video games.

In November 2024, PlanetVPN , Zooq , Browsec and Vpngen operate from Russia (to follow the links to these two services you need to have Telegram installed). They all have a free mode, and almost all can be downloaded as individual applications or as extensions for popular browsers. Vpngen requires a little more technical knowledge, but offers clear instructions for setting up your own server. As of November, it must be used by at least five active users. The service is free, but does not allow the use of torrents.

Redshield VPN , Hidemyname and ExpressVPN don't offer free modes, but are good for online movie streaming. Each of them can claim the title of “the fastest VPN for Russia.” NordVPN , Surfshark , Psiphon , Proton VPN work from Russia (although sometimes there are unexpected interruptions), but their sites do not open without an already installed method of bypassing blocks.

In fact, it is always better to keep two or three of these services on hand in order to switch from one to another in case of temporary blocking. Problems may arise with installing their applications on an iPhone - for this you may need to create an account in a foreign application store (detailed instructions for this are here ).

How to pay for VPN from Russia?

Most services that continue to work with Russia accept payments with Russian cards, for example, Redshield VPN. Hidemyname, PlanetVPN, Browsec, except for Russian cards, you can pay with a QR code through the fast payment system. NordVPN offers payment with cryptocurrency. Proton VPN offers to pay using UnionPay cards, which are issued by some Russian banks, and offers to send them money in cash (Vorstka does not recommend this method). Psiphon and Vpngen are free.

How to use Russian VPN services from abroad?

Russians living abroad have another problem: many Russian government websites have blocked themselves from foreign users. In some cases, the use of IP states that have good relations with Russia (Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) helps.

Access to government services from abroad can be obtained through the free VPN service “ Back to the USSR ”, the extension for Chrome browsers “ VPN in reverse ” or through Redshield VPN and PlanetVPN.

Is it legal to use a VPN in Russia?

Yes, it's legal. From March 1, 2024, it is prohibited in Russia to advertise or popularize bypass tools on various types of blocked sites and Internet services; this also applies to VPNs. However, using a VPN in itself does not mean that the user is trying to visit something prohibited (which in itself is also not prohibited).

VPNs are used not only to bypass blocks; businesses and individuals need secure networks to ensure the security of information. This is why VPN services themselves are not completely banned even in China, a country with one of the most powerful government systems of Internet censorship. The idea of ​​introducing penalties for using secure networks was mentioned by Russian politicians, but was not further developed.

Nevertheless, Roskomnadzor requires VPN providers to connect to the state information system (FSIS) to limit access to prohibited sites, and regularly blocks or tries to block those who refuse. In October 2024, the Public Communications Network Monitoring and Management Center, subordinate to the regulator, reported the blocking of almost 200 services. Authorities are successfully seeking to remove banned VPNs from app stores and prohibit the dissemination of even scientific information about bypassing blocks.

“Layout” told how to protect your data if you left Russia , how to bypass Roskomnadzor blocking and gain access to resources prohibited in Russia, and how to bypass YouTube blocking when it works.

You can support “Layout” from any country in the world - it is still safe and very important. We really need your support now. How to help us →