Lantern VPN (Лантерн ВПН): what it is, how to download it for PC and does it work in Russia

Lantern is a free open-source VPN from the American non-profit Brave New Software Project. There is a paid version, Lantern Pro. Apps are released for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone; the latest version, 10.0.0, came out on September 18, 2026. Lantern switches between dozens of protocols on its own and suits those who need a free desktop client. But it isn't in the Russian App Store, and the free mode has a daily traffic limit.

If you need a VPN for your phone or TV that disguises traffic as ordinary HTTPS and doesn't require registration, we recommend BessyConnect. Below we honestly go through where Lantern is stronger.

What is Lantern VPN and who develops it?

Lantern is made by Brave New Software Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit from Boulder, Colorado, USA. The project's GitHub repository has existed since February 2011, and the code is open under the GPL-3.0 license. The lantern.io domain was registered to the same organization in January 2014.

Lantern's main feature is that it doesn't stick to one protocol. On its protocols page, the company lists more than twenty options and writes that the app itself checks which one works on your network and switches between them. The Google Play description is more modest: more than 15 obfuscation protocols. The claim of "more protocols than any other VPN" comes from the company itself; nobody has verified it independently.

The second feature is smart routing. By default, only blocked and unencrypted websites from the list for your region go through Lantern's servers; everything else goes direct. The lists for Russia, Iran and China are published on GitHub. "Full Tunnel" mode is turned on manually.

Is Lantern free? How much Lantern Pro costs and what an activation code is

Yes, Lantern can be used for free and without an account. But in most countries the free version has a daily traffic limit, the size of which isn't stated on the website. Lantern Pro removes the limit and adds server selection, ad blocking and up to 5 devices at once.

There are no prices on the website: Pro is bought inside the app. In the US App Store on October 26, 2026, subscriptions cost:

• a month — $12.00 or $12.99 (the listing has two monthly plans);
• a year — $48.00 or $55.99;
• two years — $100.99.

Payment depends on where the app was installed from. In the App Store and Google Play versions, you pay through the store. In the desktop versions and the APK from the website, according to Lantern's FAQ, bank cards and UnionPay are accepted via Stripe, plus "regional payment methods" — which ones isn't specified. Mir cards and SBP (Russia's Faster Payments System) aren't on the list.

Two caveats from the same section. In countries where paying for Pro is impossible or unsafe, Lantern promises not to limit the free version, but it doesn't publish a list of such countries. And Pro can be obtained for free: inviting friends earns up to two months.

The query «lantern pro код активации» (lantern pro activation code) relates to licenses. A license code is entered like this: "Upgrade to Pro" → three-dot menu → "Lantern Pro License". The website doesn't explain where such licenses are officially sold. We don't recommend "free codes" and cracked builds from the internet: why they are dangerous is covered in the article on fake VPN apps.

Download Lantern VPN for PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) and Android: where is the official version

There are three official sources: the lantern.io download page, the getlantern GitHub repository and the app stores. No account is needed to install it. If the website won't open, Lantern offers GitHub, an email autoresponder with direct links and an official Telegram bot; the link to it is on the download page.

How to install Lantern on a Windows computer:

1. Open the "Download" section on lantern.io and choose Windows. For Windows 10 and 11 there is the main installer; for Windows 7 there is a separate build.
2. If the website is unavailable, download lantern-installer.exe from the Releases section of the getlantern/lantern repository on GitHub. The latest stable release is v10.0.0 of September 18, 2026.
3. Run the installer and connect with the main button. Free mode works right away, without registration.
4. On a Mac, the first time you connect, macOS will ask you to approve a system extension. You only need to do this once.

For Linux, GitHub has .deb, .rpm and .pkg.tar.zst packages. On Android, the app is on Google Play and available as an APK on the website. There is no official Lantern on RuStore. On iPhone the usual route is the App Store, but not the Russian one; more on that below.

A separate note on lookalikes. A search for "lantern" on RuStore turns up Lotus Lantern and Magic Lantern: these are apps for controlling LED strips and have nothing to do with VPNs. Lotus Lantern has been downloaded more than 100 thousand times, and in Yandex suggestions «lotus lantern на пк» (lotus lantern for pc) sits next to «lantern vpn на пк» (lantern vpn for pc). APK catalogs carry the app's old name, "Lantern: Better than a VPN". The publisher is the same, but a file from a third-party catalog may be modified, so take the APK only from lantern.io or GitHub. How to choose a desktop client in general is covered in our article on VPNs for PC.

And «lantern vpn расширение для браузера» (lantern vpn browser extension) isn't a VPN. The Unbounded extension (Action Mode) is for volunteers in uncensored countries: it shares their connection with Lantern users in restricted countries. To open a blocked website yourself, you need the app.

Does Lantern work in Russia in 2026?

Lantern itself says on its website that it works in Russia, China and Iran. We found no independent 2026 tests specifically of Lantern in Russia. The verified facts are: the app isn't in the Russian App Store, the service's Russian-language channel has been silent since October 2025, and a new generation of the app (version 10) came out in September 2026.

We couldn't establish exactly when Lantern disappeared from the Russian App Store. Among the reviews Google Play shows first, the recent one concerns the client itself, not blocking: on September 2, 2026, a user complained that after an update the VPN wouldn't turn off; the developer replied and asked them to contact support. How blocking in general is changing in 2026 is covered in our article why a VPN isn't working.

Lantern VPN not working: what to do

Most often the cause is one of three things: the website isn't on the smart routing list, another VPN or a firewall is interfering, or the carrier is blocking the current protocol. You can fix the first two yourself; Lantern should handle the third automatically.

The order from Lantern's help center plus a general network check:

1. Update the app. Lantern updates protocols on the server side, but major fixes come with a new version. Compare the number in "Settings → Support" with the release on GitHub.
2. Turn on "Full Tunnel". If a particular website won't open while Lantern is connected, the site is most likely not on the list for your region. The help center advises reporting it via "Support → Report an Issue".
3. Check split tunneling. If a website has been added to the exclusions, it bypasses the tunnel. We explained how this feature works in the article on split tunneling.
4. Turn off other VPNs and check the firewall. Two VPNs running at once conflict.
5. Restart the connection and the app. On Pro you can change the server location.
6. Try another network. If it works on Wi-Fi but not on mobile internet, the restriction is on the carrier's side.

If a bank or marketplace won't let you in with the VPN on, Lantern isn't to blame: such services check for themselves whether the connection comes through a VPN. In smart routing mode, Russian websites usually go direct, which is more of a plus.

Is Lantern VPN safe?

Based on public data, Lantern looks more transparent than most free VPNs: the code is open, the clients have been audited twice by NCC Group, and a report on government requests is published. But the store listings contain discrepancies with the "no ads and trackers" promises, and they are worth knowing.

What is known:

• Audits. NCC Group reviewed the client architecture in 2016 and the Windows, Android and iOS clients in 2020, with a follow-up check of the fixes in 2022. An audit by Subgraph, started in 2025, is still listed as "in progress" as of October 26, 2026.
• Transparency report. For January–June 2026, Lantern reports that it received no court requests and disclosed no user data.
• What is collected, according to Lantern. Email and subscription status for Pro only, random device identifiers, support requests and, with consent, anonymous statistics. According to the company, browsing history, DNS queries and IP addresses aren't stored.
• App Store. The age rating section of the listing carries a "Contains Advertising" label. Data not linked to your identity: contacts, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics.
• Google Play. The "Data safety" section states that the app may share approximate location with third parties for analytics and advertising or marketing. The description in the same listing calls the free plan "ad-free".

And one more detail about smart routing. By default, most traffic bypasses Lantern, and the carrier can see it. If you need protection for the whole connection, turn on "Full Tunnel".

What to replace Lantern with: comparison with alternatives

Look for a replacement among services that disguise traffic as ordinary protocols. Where Lantern is stronger, to put it plainly: it is free without registration, available on Windows and Linux, open source, with more than twenty protocols, public audits and a free "Private Server" mode on your own VPS.

Data from the App Store, Google Play and service websites as of October 26, 2026. Both Lantern and Amnezia can set up your own server: more in our review of AmneziaVPN. If you are looking for a simple one-button app, see our roundup of popular VPNs in Russia.

Why we recommend BessyConnect

We recommend BessyConnect to those for whom Lantern didn't work out on a phone, tablet or TV. It runs on VLESS with Reality camouflage: to the carrier, the traffic looks like an ordinary HTTPS connection. There are more than a hundred servers, no logs are kept, registration is optional, and there is a trial period.

Where Lantern is stronger: it is free, open source with NCC Group audits, and has versions for Windows and Linux. BessyConnect has no Windows app, so on a Windows computer Lantern remains an option and BessyConnect doesn't.

BessyConnect apps:

• iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV — App Store
• Android — Google Play
• Android TV — Google Play

What neither BessyConnect, nor Lantern, nor any other VPN solves. If mobile internet has been restricted to whitelists, a VPN as a rule won't help. Services that themselves block VPN users won't open through the tunnel either: they need to be excluded from the VPN. And neither BessyConnect nor Lantern is in the Russian App Store, so on an iPhone you need an Apple ID from another country.

If Lantern connects for you and the free limit is enough, keep using it. If it drops out on your phone or you need a VPN on Apple TV and Android TV, try BessyConnect: all versions are on the download page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lantern VPN free? Yes, the free version works without an account, but in most countries with a daily traffic limit. Lantern Pro removes the limit and costs from $12 a month or from $48 a year in the US App Store (as of October 26, 2026).

How do I download Lantern VPN on a Windows PC? Download the installer from the download section on lantern.io: the main one for Windows 10 and 11, a separate one for Windows 7. If the website won't open, the same lantern-installer.exe is in the releases of the getlantern/lantern repository on GitHub.

Does Lantern work in Russia in 2026? Lantern claims it does and switches protocols automatically, but we found no independent 2026 tests. The app isn't in the Russian App Store, and the service's Russian-language channel hasn't been updated since October 15, 2025.

What is a Lantern Pro activation code? It is a Pro license code: you enter it via "Upgrade to Pro" → three-dot menu → "Lantern Pro License". "Free codes" from the internet and cracked builds are unsafe, while you can legally get Pro for free through the referral program, for up to two months.

What can I replace Lantern with on my phone? We recommend BessyConnect: VLESS with Reality camouflage, more than 100 servers, no logs and no mandatory registration, with a trial period. There are apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Android and Android TV; none for Windows yet.

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