S VPN's pitch is one tap, no signup, no email. The app uses Shadowsocks under the hood and offers a small set of free servers plus paid upgrades for higher speeds. It is straightforward and the 4.4 rating reflects that. What is missing is the part most reviewers do not check: there is no third-party audit, the privacy policy is brief, and the parent company keeps a low public profile.
If you want a tunnel that is just as easy to use but is backed by something more than text on a marketing page, the seven S VPN alternatives below cover audited free tiers, the fastest free option, and an open Shadowsocks client if you want to point it at your own servers.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Audited | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Audited free, no cap | Unlimited, 5 countries | Yes | Yes (apps) |
| Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP | Raw speed | Unlimited, no account | Partial | Yes (clients) |
| Windscribe | Flexible free with rules | 10 GB/month | Yes | Yes (apps) |
| Mullvad VPN | Anonymous flat-rate paid | None | Yes | Yes |
| TunnelBear | Casual public Wi-Fi | 2 GB/month | Yes | No |
| Psiphon Pro | Aggressive blocks | Unlimited (ads) | No | Yes |
| Shadowsocks | DIY Shadowsocks | Free (you bring servers) | N/A | Yes |
Why people switch from S VPN
- No audit. The no-log claim is unverified. Proton, Windscribe, Mullvad and TunnelBear publish annual audits to back the same claim.
- Free node limits. Reviewers report drops and slow speeds on the free nodes during evenings. That is the same shape as other free VPNs that share a thin pool.
- Paid tier is the upsell. The free plan exists to seed the install base. Real daily use pushes you to the premium plan, which is not differentiated from cheaper audited providers like Mullvad.
- Company transparency is thin. The website lists a product and contact email but no team, no jurisdiction, no warrant canary.
Which S VPN alternative should you pick?
- Proton VPN for an audited free tier with no data cap.
- Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP for the fastest free tunnel.
- Windscribe for real settings on the free plan.
- Mullvad VPN if you can pay €5/month for an anonymous setup.
- TunnelBear for occasional public Wi-Fi use.
- Psiphon Pro on networks that block ordinary VPNs.
- Shadowsocks if you already operate Shadowsocks servers.
1. Proton VPN, best audited free tier
Proton VPN is the only major provider with a free plan that has no data cap and no ads, and that publishes a public audit every year. Free users get five countries, WireGuard, and the same no-log policy as paid users. The Android client source is on GitHub.
For someone leaving S VPN, the most useful upgrades are kill switch, always-on, and a Plus tier that opens 100+ countries and streaming-grade servers.
Where it falls short: free tier does not unblock most streaming. No specific city selection on free.
Pricing: free unlimited (5 countries, 1 device); Plus from around €4/month on the longer commit.
Switching from S VPN: nothing to migrate. Install, sign up with any email, connect.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: the default swap from any unaudited free VPN.
2. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP, fastest free tunnel
WARP is a proxy-style VPN on top of Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 resolver. Free, unlimited, no account. Traffic routes through Cloudflare's global edge, so latency is usually lower than any consumer VPN.
WARP does not give you a country picker, so it does not solve geo-restriction. It does encrypt traffic to Cloudflare and shields DNS when paired with 1.1.1.1 for Families.
Where it falls short: no country selection. Cloudflare retains some connection metadata.
Pricing: free unlimited; WARP+ a few dollars a month.
Switching from S VPN: install, tap, connected.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: the fastest no-friction tunnel, no geo-switching.
3. Windscribe, most flexible free plan
Windscribe's free tier is 10 GB per month, 15 with email confirmation, across 11 countries. The Android app exposes split tunnelling, a firewall, and per-Wi-Fi rules, which S VPN does not. Apps are open source on GitHub, with a published audit.
The Build A Plan option lets you pay only for the locations you need from $1 each.
Where it falls short: Android has fewer protocol toggles than desktop. Free speeds vary more than Proton or Cloudflare.
Pricing: free 10 GB/month (15 GB with email); paid from a few dollars a month for unlimited.
Switching from S VPN: sign up, install, log in. Set always-on and the apps you want outside the tunnel.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: the most controllable free VPN on Android.
4. Mullvad VPN, most anonymous paid pick
Mullvad costs a flat €5 per month with no tiers, no annual discount, and no email at signup. Cash payment by post is supported. The Swedish provider publishes regular audits, runs WireGuard and OpenVPN, and offers DAITA against traffic analysis.
No free plan. If €5 fits the budget, this is the most anonymous mainstream provider available.
Where it falls short: no free tier, no streaming-optimised servers, spare interface.
Pricing: €5/month flat, identical every plan.
Switching from S VPN: install, generate a new account number, add credit, connect.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: paid privacy at a fair price, hands down.
5. TunnelBear, friendliest light-use free
TunnelBear caps free use at 2 GB per month. It is for browsing, messaging, the occasional call. The Canadian provider publishes annual audits by Cure53 and the app is the most beginner-friendly here.
For everyday VPN coverage, the Unlimited plan is comparable in price to S VPN's paid tier.
Where it falls short: the 2 GB cap is real. Server network smaller than Windscribe or Proton.
Pricing: free 2 GB/month; Unlimited from a few dollars a month on a longer commit.
Switching from S VPN: install, sign up, connect.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: the easy pick for occasional shielding on public Wi-Fi.
6. Psiphon Pro, best for blocked networks
Psiphon targets networks that block normal VPNs. The free tier is ad-supported and unlimited. The app cycles through SSH, HTTPS, and obfuscated protocols until one connects. The client source is public and the project has a long track record.
Reachability is the point. Strict privacy is not.
Where it falls short: ads on the free plan. Weaker privacy policy than Proton or Mullvad.
Pricing: free unlimited (ads); Pro removes ads and adds speed boost.
Switching from S VPN: install, connect. No account required.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: the right tool when ordinary VPNs cannot connect at all.
7. Shadowsocks, open Shadowsocks client
S VPN runs on Shadowsocks underneath. If you have access to your own Shadowsocks server (a cheap VPS, or a subscription from a provider that sells SS configs), the official Shadowsocks Android client is the open, transparent way to use the same protocol without the closed app wrapper.
The client imports SS URLs and QR codes, supports profiles, and exposes per-app routing. The app source is on GitHub.
Where it falls short: client only. You bring the server.
Pricing: free; you pay for the server you connect to.
Switching from S VPN: only useful if you have a Shadowsocks subscription or server. Paste the URL, connect.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: the open version of the same protocol S VPN uses under the hood.
How to choose
If S VPN's appeal was the no-signup convenience, Cloudflare WARP is the closest match with better speed. If you cared about privacy more than convenience, Proton VPN's audited free tier is the upgrade worth the email signup. Mullvad is the right paid pick when €5/month fits.
Pick Windscribe for real Android-side settings on the free plan. Pick TunnelBear for occasional, light use. Pick Psiphon when your network blocks regular VPNs. Pick the open Shadowsocks client if you already have a server.
Stay on S VPN if you only need a tunnel a few minutes at a time, the free nodes happen to be fast for your route, and you have nothing sensitive going through it.
FAQ
Is S VPN safe to use? The Shadowsocks protocol it uses is mature and encrypted. The weakness is the missing public audit of the operator's no-log claim, which Proton, Windscribe, Mullvad and TunnelBear all publish.
What is the cheapest S VPN alternative? Free options are Proton VPN, Cloudflare WARP, Windscribe, and TunnelBear (capped). For paid, Mullvad's €5/month flat is the cheapest committed price among audited providers.
Is there a free version of S VPN with no premium upsell? Yes, Proton VPN's free tier is unlimited and has no upsell pressure in the connection flow.
What do people use instead of S VPN? Proton VPN for free, Mullvad for paid privacy, and the official Shadowsocks client for users with their own servers are the most common swaps.
