In this article, we discuss some of the VPN clients for Linux.

In this digital age, you are not safe. You can be traced & hacked by as little as connecting your Linux system to a unprotected WiFi in a shop. Though Linux distributions are considered the safest and most secure operating system due to its resistance to malware and viruses, if you use internet (and you most certainly do) you are no less a target. Easiest way? Use a VPN to hide your identity and maintain your anonymity.

A VPN or Virtual Private Network allows you to access web anonymously and protects your online privacy. VPN does so, by masking your IP address and creating a secure and encrypted connections over web.

Any insecure connections can reveal a lot about you. It can be your browsing history, IP address and location, your web activity and even the data you send and receive from your devices.

If you reading this, you probably already know the importance of VPN so we will jump directly to top 5 VPN clients for Linux.

Over the years, several VPN client programs have been developed and launched in the market that you can choose based on your needs and requirements. Some of the top VPN client programs have been reviewed in the article where the features, details and pricing have been evaluated to determine the appropriate choice.

Libreswan VPN Client for Linux

The development of the Libreswan VPN software can be dated back to as far as 1997 when Hugh Daniel and John Gilmore working for the FreeS/WAN Project launched the software. Licensed under the GNU Public License (GPLv2), this VPN client program is shipped with several Linux versions like Arch and Fedora and can be installed using the default package managers.

Features

The Libreswan VPN software is one of the most popular and widely supported VPN clients for Linux users that uses the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) as well as the standardised IP-sec VPN protocol. Both of these standardised protocols are further managed and maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Both IKE version 1 and 2 is supported in the Libreswan and can be run on Apple OSX, FreeBSD and Linux 2.4 to 5.x.

It can be downloaded from https://download.libreswan.org/ You may have to build the source code manually once download. The Git Repo lists all the dependencies and steps to compile and install it.

Pricing

Libreswan is completely free and open source – the reason why its #1 in the list of VPN Clients for Linux.

ProtonVPN

Developed and operated by the Swiss company Proton Technologies AG, the ProtonVPN is a popular VPN service provider and is supervised by the same management team as the ProtonMail. While being supported in both platforms of smartphone and PC, it is supported by a wide range of operating system as well like macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux and Android.

We need to build an Internet where privacy is no longer just an option, but the default.

– Dr. Andy Yen, Proton Technologies AG

Features

ProtonVPN service provider passes the user traffic through a secure core network in countries like Iceland and Switzerland due to privacy-friendly status and then pass on the traffic to other networks.

As a result of this, even when compromised, the user IP address will not be revealed to the target client.

Another major feature that makes it unique is the lack of any log file for user activities in the VPN program as the company maintains a strict no-tracking policy and does not record their internet activity.

Due to such extreme measures, there is no way to access this log information by external third parties. Finally, due to the use of strong encryption algorithms like AES-256 and OpenVPN protocols, the client traffic is encrypted through the Perfect Forward Secrecy ciphers.

Pricing

ProtonVPN is free for a limited 2 countries, 1 device model. It has three more plans of Basic, Plus and Visionary depending on the unlocked features.

Private Internet Access VPN

Initially released in August 2010, the Private Internet Access (PIA) is another open-source personal VPN service and supports several VPN technologies like OpenVPN, SOCKS5, PPTP, etc.

The client program is operated by PIA’s parent company London Trust Media and was originally developed by Andrew Lee. The licensing of the software is GPLv3 for desktop clients while it has an MIT License for iOS client and commercial proprietary software for Android client.

In 2019 it was decided that the company would be merged with another VPN service provider company Kape Technologies.

Features

One of the major features of this program is that it has the largest network capacity in the world while offering most encryption and highest speeds. It also has a no-log policy similar to ProtonVPN and is more transparent about its internal operations.

PIA VPN client also offers usual VPN services of browsing anonymously through a private IP. In addition to this, it also offers unrestricted access to its entire VPN network while bypassing any protocol filters or geographic restrictions.

Pricing

With three different billing options, the bargain-basement price of the software is $6.95 which was recently raised by 40% to $9.95 per month. The annual payment is $39.95 while a discount is offered at $69.95 for a two-year subscription.

AirVPN

AirVPN is arguably one of the most popular VPN Clients for Linux based on the OpenVPN protocol. What makes this VPN client program special is that it is operated by activists, especially hacktivists who work in defence of privacy and net neutrality while opposing censorship.

Features

The software offers protection against data miners, snoopers and even privacy intrusive entities. It also maintains a strict no-logging and no-monitoring policy to ensure complete anonymity of users and their data traffic.

It also uses the Perfect Forward Secrecy supported by the Diffie-Hellman key exchange (DHE). Its high-level encryption offers maximum security with 4096-bit RSA key size along with HMAC SHA384 Control Channel and AES-256-GCM Data Channel.

Pricing

With an average server speed and free access to US Netflix, the pricing of $2.75 per month is quite affordable for users across 22 countries.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is another VPN Client for Linux provided by the Express VPN International Ltd. Registered under the British Virgin Islands. Initially launched in 2009, the client program is promoted as a security and privacy tool that masks user IP address and web traffic through high-level encryption.

Features

With 160 VPN server location spread across 94 countries, this VPN client program has a robust network structure. It also allows users to carry out transactions through Bitcoin and offers access to its hidden ‘.onion’ a website with TOR browser.

One of its best features is the easy switching of locations which allows users to get access to blocked and censored content even while travelling. It also has 24-hour chat support in case of troubleshooting.

Pricing

Its three SMB and enterprise pricing plans include $12.95 for 1 month, $9.99 per month for a 6-month plan and $8.32 per month for 1 year.

Read : How to back up and restore Linux.

Conclusion

Though some of these VPN clients for Linux are not free and open source, paying a little doesn’t harm to safeguard your privacy. It’s no more I Have Nothing to Hide internet!

Do you use any of these VPNs? If not, which one you prefer on your Linux system? Let us know in the comments and we will update the list of VPN Clients for Linux.