Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Lantern VS Freenet

Compare Lantern VS Freenet and see what are their differences

Lantern logo Lantern

Lantern delivers fast, reliable and secure access to the open internet. Download Lantern for free access to blocked videos, news, social media and more. Available for Windows, Android, Mac, Ubuntu.

Freenet logo Freenet

Mae-enjoy mo na ang LIBRENG INTERNET ACCESS mula sa freenet! Ang libreng net na bet! freenet is an app where you can access the internet for free. Get 24/7 free access to our partner apps and sites. FREE INTERNET!
  • Lantern Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-23
  • Freenet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

Lantern features and specs

  • Speed
    Lantern uses advanced techniques to find the fastest possible routes to deliver content, which can result in quicker access and data retrieval compared to other anti-censorship tools.
  • User-Friendly
    Lantern offers a straightforward, easy-to-use interface that even non-tech-savvy users can navigate with minimal guidance.
  • Automatic Censorship Detection
    Lantern can automatically detect when content is blocked and redirect users to an accessible source, providing seamless browsing without interruptions.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available for multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, allowing users to access censored content across devices.
  • Freemium Model
    Offers a free version with basic functionalities, making it accessible to users who cannot afford to pay for anti-censorship tools.

Possible disadvantages of Lantern

  • Privacy Concerns
    Lantern is not a VPN and does not encrypt all internet traffic, which might expose users to privacy risks and surveillance.
  • Limited Data for Free Users
    The free version of Lantern has data limitations, which can be restrictive for users who require extensive use.
  • Potential Network Instability
    Depending on network conditions and server load, users may experience varying levels of connectivity and reliability.
  • Subscription Costs
    While the basic version is free, advanced features require a subscription, which may not be affordable for all users.
  • Not Fully Open Source
    Lantern's core is open source, but some components are proprietary, which can be a concern for users who prioritize complete transparency.

Freenet features and specs

  • Privacy and Anonymity
    Freenet is designed to allow users to publish and retrieve information with strong privacy guarantees. This is achieved through decentralized data storage and routing, which makes it difficult to trace the source or destination of data.
  • Censorship Resistance
    Due to its decentralized nature, Freenet is built to resist censorship. Data is spread across various nodes, making it hard for any single entity to control or block access to information.
  • Decentralized Network
    Freenet does not rely on centralized servers; instead, data is distributed across a network of volunteers. This reduces single points of failure and lowers the risk of network shutdown.
  • Self-Healing Technology
    Freenet incorporates self-healing algorithms to ensure data redundancy and resilience. If a node goes offline, the network automatically redistributes the data, maintaining availability.
  • Free Software
    Freenet is open-source software, meaning its code is freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. This openness fosters transparency and collaboration among developers around the world.

Possible disadvantages of Freenet

  • Performance Issues
    Due to the encryption and decentralization methods used, Freenet can be slower than traditional internet services. Users may experience longer wait times for data retrieval and downloads.
  • Complexity
    Setting up and using Freenet can be more complex compared to conventional internet applications. Users may need to invest time to understand the system and properly configure it.
  • Limited Content Availability
    Freenet's user base is smaller compared to the traditional internet, leading to less content being available. Additionally, because it's decentralized, finding specific content can be more challenging.
  • Storage Load
    As a node in the Freenet network, users contribute storage space to help host distributed data. This can consume significant disk space, affecting the performance of the host machine.
  • Potential for Malicious Content
    The anonymity and decentralization that protect privacy and resist censorship can also be exploited to distribute illegal or harmful content. This raises ethical and legal concerns.

Lantern videos

REI Co-op Gear Guide: Best Camping Lanterns

More videos:

  • Review - Lantern Reviews - Coast vs. Ozark vs. LifeGear
  • Review - Hurricane Lantern Review- The Feuerhand 276

Freenet videos

Aaron Jones: Introduction To Freenet

More videos:

  • Review - Internet Security: TOR and Freenet

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Lantern and Freenet)
VPN
23 23%
77% 77
Security & Privacy
36 36%
64% 64
Cloud VPN
27 27%
73% 73
Security
18 18%
82% 82

User comments

Share your experience with using Lantern and Freenet. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Lantern and Freenet

Lantern Reviews

8 Online Alternatives That Are Cheaper Than Traditional In-Person Therapy
Lantern costs $49 per month and you can cancel at any time. Download Lantern for iOS or Android.
Source: themighty.com

Freenet Reviews

The 10 Best Open Source VPN Apps
Although you can get this VPN free of cost, the creators recommend making donations so that the software can be updated more frequently. Lastly, you can install this application on Windows, Linux, and macOS, but Freenet is not available on mobile platforms like some of the other entries on our list.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Freenet should be more popular than Lantern. It has been mentiond 33 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Lantern mentions (4)

  • For some reason, the recommended vpns on this sub (mullvad, IVPN, etc) are all banned in my country. Any good alternatives?
    I still think it's quite odd you can't access the website even with different DNS and Tor. You can also try something like https://getlantern.org/ but sure, feel free to check other VPNs like AirVPN and OVPN. Source: over 2 years ago
  • VPN for China
    Lantern - https://getlantern.org/ (different technology compared to VPNs, therefore sometimes works when VPNs don't work). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Secure Internet Access
    For those of you who may need secure internet access - https://getlantern.org. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What VPN works best in China as of September 2021
    Another good choice would be lantern with single click activation. It's reliable most of the times except the big days. Source: over 3 years ago

Freenet mentions (33)

  • We're getting some positive attention on HN right now
    You are linking "original Freenet" to a PDF on freenet.org instead of linking to freenetproject.org ? Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Freenet 2023: A drop-in decentralized replacement for the world wide web
    It clashes with the Freenet project https://freenetproject.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What Are Alternatives to the Internet?
    There's a few abstractions of the web you can use today. https://freenetproject.org/ https://geti2p.net/en/ https://www.gnunet.org/en/ https://www.ipfs.tech/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • A player-owned RPG - would you want to participate in such a game?
    Instead of use of Blockchain you could also use Freenet . The only bad thing here data could be lost, but mostly only data is lost when not used. This could be used to auto purge forks that most people dislike. If for example some reason there are multiple alternatives how the story goes some of them will die after a while and removed from system. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Internet Archive Takes Down BBC’s Documentary on PM Modi: Report
    An automatically space balancing solution would be Freenet. Given that it's content addressing, it's possible to push data into it and have it deduplicate automatically. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Lantern and Freenet, you can also consider the following products

Psiphon - Psiphon is circumvention software for Windows and Mobile platforms that provides uncensored access to Internet content. Read more about Psiphon.

I2P - The I2P network provides strong privacy protections for communication over the Internet.

PureVPN - PureVPN is a premium VPN service provider. As one of the first movers in the cybersecurity network, we provide you with the tools, services and knowledge to be the best version of yourself online.

Tor Browser - Tor is free software for enabling anonymous communication.

Hotspot Shield - Hotspot Shield is a software application developed by AnchorFree, Inc.

Yggdrasil - A proof-of-concept scalable IPv6 meshnet, featuring end-to-end encryption, a unique spanning tree...