Build Your Own VPN From Scratch — Real No-Logs, Because You Own the Server
Build Your Own VPN From Scratch — Real No-Logs, Because You Own the ServerYour ISP sees everything. Commercial VPNs pinky-promise they don’t log you. You’re about to make that promise to yourself — and actually keep it.
Nobody asked, but here’s the uncomfortable truth: every “no-logs” VPN you pay $10/month for is running on someone else’s server, in someone else’s data center, under someone else’s jurisdiction. You’re basically paying a stranger to not look at your browsing history.
Some of them kept that promise. Some didn’t. PureVPN got caught logging users for the FBI — while their homepage said “zero logs.” IPVanish did the same thing. HideMyAss? They literally hid your ass right into a jail cell.
- The fix? Build your own. Zero trust required — because you ARE the provider.
What You’re Actually Building Here
One sentence: A private VPN server that you own, you control, and nobody else can touch — running on free cloud infrastructure with your own domain and encrypted tunnel.
This isn’t some “install NordVPN on your phone” tutorial. You’re setting up real infrastructure:
- A free VPS (virtual private server) in the cloud — your own computer running 24/7
- WireGuard — the fastest, leanest VPN protocol that exists
- A free domain pointed through Cloudflare — so your connection is clean and encrypted
- Zero logs by design — not by policy, not by promise, by architecture
Total cost: $0. Total trust required in third parties: $0.
🔥 Why DIY Beats Every Commercial VPN — The Honest Breakdown
The problem isn’t encryption. The problem is trust.
Every commercial VPN creates a single point of failure: them. They hold your keys. They run your traffic. They choose what to log. And you’ll never know if they changed their mind.
Here’s what’s happened in the real world:
| VPN Provider | What They Said | What Actually Happened |
|---|---|---|
| PureVPN | “Zero logs policy” | Handed connection logs to the FBI. User identified and arrested. |
| IPVanish | “No logs. Period.” | Provided connection logs to US Homeland Security. Twice. |
| HideMyAss | “We value your privacy” | Gave logs to law enforcement. Users went to prison. |
| 7 free VPN apps | “No logs” | Over 1TB of user data found in an unsecured database online. 20M+ users exposed. |
And those are just the ones we know about.
What changes when you build your own:
- No logs exist because you configure the server to not create them
- No company can be subpoenaed because there is no company
- No shared IP — you get a dedicated IP that’s yours alone
- No bandwidth throttling — you’re the only user on the server
- No subscription — run it forever on free-tier cloud infrastructure
The only person who can betray your privacy is you. And presumably, you trust yourself.
📦 Step 1 — Get a Free VPS (Your Server in the Cloud)
A VPS is just a computer that runs in a data center somewhere. It’s on 24/7. It has its own IP address. And you get full root access — meaning you control everything down to the kernel.
Best Free Option: Oracle Cloud Always Free Tier
Oracle gives you a VPS that runs forever for free. Not a trial. Not 30 days. Forever.
What you get (free, permanently):
- Up to 4 ARM-based CPUs (Ampere A1) — more than enough for a VPN
- Up to 24 GB RAM — wildly overkill for this, but free is free
- 200 GB block storage
- A public IPv4 address (static — doesn’t change)
- 10 TB/month outbound bandwidth
How to get it:
- Go to https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/
- Sign up — you’ll need a valid email and a credit/debit card (they verify identity, but won’t charge you on the free tier)
- Pick a home region — choose one geographically close to you for lowest latency
- Once inside the dashboard, go to Compute → Instances → Create Instance
- Select the Always Free Eligible shape — look for
VM.Standard.A1.Flex(ARM) - Set 1 OCPU and 6 GB RAM (plenty for VPN use)
- Choose Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 as the OS image
- Under Add SSH Keys — generate a key pair and download the private key. You’ll need it to log in
- Click Create — wait 1-2 minutes for it to spin up
Heads up: Oracle sometimes runs out of free-tier capacity in popular regions. If you get an “Out of capacity” error, try a different availability domain or wait a few hours and try again. Converting to a “Pay As You Go” account (still free, no charges) often fixes this.
Other Free/Cheap VPS Options
| Provider | Free Tier | Specs | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Cloud | Forever free | 4 CPUs, 24GB RAM, 200GB storage | Best overall free option |
| Google Cloud | $300 credit for 90 days + e2-micro always free | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM | Backup/testing |
| AWS | 750 hrs/month free for 12 months (t2.micro) | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM | If you already have an account |
| Azure | $200 credit for 30 days + B1s always free | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM | Same |
| Hetzner | No free tier but €3.79/month | 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 20TB traffic | Best cheap paid option |
Pro tip: Oracle is the move. Nobody else gives you 24GB RAM and 4 CPUs for free. The catch is their UI is ugly and their docs are confusing — but you only need to touch it once during setup.
Oracle Free Tier Survival Guide (Read This or Lose Your Server)
Oracle is generous. Oracle is also trigger-happy about deleting idle accounts. Here’s what the community has learned the hard way:
Oracle will reclaim your free-tier VM if ALL of these are true over a 7-day period:
- CPU utilization below 15% (95th percentile)
- Network utilization below 15%
- Memory utilization below 15% (ARM shapes only)
How to stay alive:
- Convert to Pay-As-You-Go immediately after signup. This is free — you won’t be charged unless you explicitly provision paid resources. But it prevents Oracle from nuking your account when the 30-day trial ends. People who skip this step are the ones posting “Oracle deleted my VPS” threads.
- Keep your credit card valid and on file. Failed payment verification = flagged account = deletion risk.
- Don’t over-provision. Use 1 OCPU + 6GB RAM — not the full 4 OCPU + 24GB. Running a massive instance with near-zero utilization screams “idle” to Oracle’s reclamation bot.
- Keep some baseline CPU activity. A VPN that’s actually being used stays above the idle threshold naturally. If you’re worried, a simple cron job running
stress -c 1 --timeout 60once every few hours keeps the lights on. - Don’t run anything that generates abuse reports. Public proxies, torrenting, port scanning = instant account termination. Your personal VPN for your own devices is fine.
🌐 Step 2 — Get a Free Domain Name
You need a domain name so your VPN connection has a clean hostname instead of a raw IP address. This also lets you route through Cloudflare for extra security.
Why you need a domain (even for a VPN)
- Cloudflare requires a domain to activate its free protections
- A domain makes your setup cleaner and easier to manage
- If your VPS IP changes, update DNS — don’t reconfigure every client device
- Looks way less suspicious in network logs than a raw IP
Best Free Options
| Method | What You Get | How |
|---|---|---|
| Namecheap promo | .com domain for $0.99/year |
Use code 99SPECIAL at namecheap.com — technically not free, but a buck is a buck |
| DigitalPlat FreeDomain | Free domain (limited TLDs) | digitalplat.org — nonprofit, requires GitHub account verification |
| EU.org | Free .eu.org subdomain |
eu.org — been around since 1996, legit, just slow to approve |
| Freenom | .tk/.ml/.ga domains |
Mostly dead since 2024 — domains get reclaimed, service unreliable. Avoid. |
| Hosting bundle | Free domain with hosting plan | Hostinger, Bluehost, etc. give a free domain if you buy hosting (but you’re already getting a free VPS, so this is redundant) |
Real talk: Spend the 99 cents on Namecheap. A
.comor.xyzdomain for under a dollar is the best deal in this whole setup. Free domain providers come with strings — reclamation risks, limited TLDs, slow approval. A dollar buys you peace of mind and full ownership.
After you register:
You don’t need to do anything fancy with the domain yet. Just buy/register it. The next step (Cloudflare) is where you’ll point it somewhere useful.
☁️ Step 3 — Set Up Cloudflare (Free Account)
Cloudflare sits between the internet and your server. It gives you free DNS management, DDoS protection, and — critically — it hides your VPS’s real IP address from the outside world.
What Cloudflare does for your DIY VPN:
- Free DNS — manages your domain’s records, fast propagation globally
- Hides your server IP — attackers can’t directly target your VPS
- Free SSL/TLS certificates — automatic HTTPS for any services you run
- Analytics — see traffic patterns without installing anything on your server
- DDoS protection — free tier is generous enough for personal use
Setup (takes 5 minutes):
- Go to https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up — create a free account
- Click “Add a Site” → enter your domain name
- Select the Free plan
- Cloudflare scans your existing DNS records (there probably aren’t any yet — that’s fine)
- Copy the two Cloudflare nameservers it gives you (they look like
anna.ns.cloudflare.com) - Go back to your domain registrar (Namecheap, DigitalPlat, wherever you bought it)
- Change nameservers to the two Cloudflare provided
- Wait 5-30 minutes for propagation
Once your domain shows “Active” on the Cloudflare dashboard, you’re ready.
DNS Record You’ll Add Later:
After WireGuard is installed on your VPS, you’ll add one DNS record:
- Type: A
- Name:
vpn(or whatever subdomain you want —vpn.yourdomain.com) - Content: Your VPS’s public IP address
- Proxy status: DNS only (grey cloud) — you want direct connection for VPN traffic, not proxied through Cloudflare
⚡ Step 4 — Install WireGuard on Your VPS (The Actual VPN)
This is where the magic happens. WireGuard is the VPN protocol that’ll encrypt all your traffic between your devices and your server.
Why WireGuard (and not OpenVPN)
| WireGuard | OpenVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Codebase | ~4,000 lines | ~100,000+ lines |
| Speed | Faster (lower latency, higher throughput) | Slower (more encryption overhead) |
| Setup | One script, done in 2 minutes | Multiple config files, certificate management |
| Modern crypto | ChaCha20, Curve25519, BLAKE2 | Depends on your config (can be outdated) |
| Battery impact | Minimal (great for phones) | Higher (constant overhead) |
| Audit surface | Small — easier to verify no backdoors | Massive — harder to audit |
WireGuard is built into the Linux kernel since version 5.6. It’s not an app running on top of your OS — it’s part of the OS itself.
Installation (One Script, Zero Thinking)
SSH into your VPS:
ssh -i /path/to/your-private-key ubuntu@YOUR_VPS_PUBLIC_IP
Then run the easiest WireGuard installer on the internet:
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/angristan/wireguard-install/master/wireguard-install.sh
chmod +x wireguard-install.sh
sudo ./wireguard-install.sh
The script asks you a few questions:
- Server’s public IP — it auto-detects this, just hit Enter
- Public interface — auto-detected, hit Enter
- WireGuard interface name — default
wg0, hit Enter - Server WireGuard IPv4 — default
10.66.66.1, hit Enter - Server port — default
51820, hit Enter (or pick a custom port) - DNS for clients — pick
1.1.1.1(Cloudflare) or9.9.9.9(Quad9) for privacy-respecting DNS - Client name — name your first device (e.g.,
phone,laptop)
The script handles literally everything:
- Installs WireGuard
- Generates server and client keys
- Configures firewall rules
- Enables IP forwarding
- Creates a client config file
- Starts the WireGuard service
- Sets it to auto-start on reboot
Get Your Client Config
After the script finishes, your client config file is at:
/root/wg0-client-YOURNAME.conf
Copy it to your device. To display it in the terminal (for QR code scanning on mobile):
sudo apt install qrencode -y
qrencode -t ansiutf8 < /root/wg0-client-YOURNAME.conf
Scan the QR code from the WireGuard app on your phone. Done.
Adding More Devices
Run the script again:
sudo ./wireguard-install.sh
Select “Add a new client” — repeat for every device you want connected.
Alternative Installer Scripts
| Script | GitHub | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| angristan/wireguard-install | GitHub | Most popular, simplest |
| hwdsl2/wireguard-install | GitHub | Fully automated option with --auto flag |
| Nyr/wireguard-install | GitHub | Minimal and universal |
| PiVPN | GitHub | Built for beginners — interactive wizard, works on any Debian/Ubuntu VPS (not just Raspberry Pi) |
Even Easier Option: PiVPN
Don’t let the name fool you — PiVPN runs on any Debian/Ubuntu machine, including cloud VPS servers. It’s arguably the most beginner-friendly path to WireGuard.
curl -L https://install.pivpn.io | bash
It walks you through everything with a visual wizard. After setup, managing clients is one command:
pivpn add # create a new client profile
pivpn -qr # show QR code for mobile devices
pivpn list # see all connected clients
pivpn remove # revoke a client
pivpn -d # debug if something breaks
PiVPN also auto-detects Pi-hole if you have it installed — giving your VPN built-in ad blocking for free. If you want the absolute lowest-friction setup, this is it.
📱 Step 5 — Connect Your Devices
WireGuard Client Apps (All Free, All Official)
| Platform | App | Where to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| Android | WireGuard | Google Play Store |
| iOS / iPhone | WireGuard | App Store |
| Windows | WireGuard | wireguard.com/install |
| macOS | WireGuard | App Store or wireguard.com |
| Linux | WireGuard | sudo apt install wireguard (built into kernel) |
How to connect:
- Install the WireGuard app on your device
- Import the
.conffile (or scan QR code on mobile) - Toggle the connection ON
- Verify by searching “what is my IP” — it should show your VPS’s IP address, not your real one
Mobile-Specific Tips (Don’t Skip)
Android:
- Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → find WireGuard → set to “Don’t optimize”. If you skip this, Android will kill the VPN tunnel in the background to save battery.
- Enable “Always-on VPN” in Settings → Network → VPN → WireGuard → gear icon → toggle “Always-on VPN”. This ensures your phone doesn’t leak traffic if the tunnel drops.
- Turn on “Block connections without VPN” (kill switch) in the same menu.
iOS / iPhone:
- WireGuard on iOS handles always-on well natively. Toggle “On-Demand” inside the WireGuard app for a specific tunnel to keep it running.
- iOS doesn’t have a system-level kill switch like Android — the WireGuard app handles reconnection itself. If you want absolute certainty, enable On-Demand for all networks (WiFi + Cellular).
That’s it. You now have a private VPN that only you control.
🔒 Step 6 — Harden Your Server (Don't Skip This)
Your VPN is only as private as the server it runs on. Take 10 minutes to lock it down.
Disable Logging
WireGuard doesn’t log by default — but your Linux system does. Kill the noise:
# Disable system logging of WireGuard interface activity
sudo bash -c 'echo "net.ipv4.conf.all.log_martians = 0" >> /etc/sysctl.conf'
sudo sysctl -p
# Optional: reduce systemd journal storage
sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=1d
For maximum paranoia, configure your system journal to volatile (RAM-only, wiped on reboot):
sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/
sudo bash -c 'echo -e "[Journal]\nStorage=volatile\nRuntimeMaxUse=50M" > /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/override.conf'
sudo systemctl restart systemd-journald
Now even if someone physically seized your server, there’d be nothing on disk.
Firewall Basics
# Allow SSH (so you don't lock yourself out)
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
# Allow WireGuard
sudo ufw allow 51820/udp
# Enable firewall
sudo ufw enable
Auto-Updates
sudo apt install unattended-upgrades -y
sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades
Your server now patches itself. One less thing to worry about.
Change SSH Port (Optional But Smart)
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
# Change "Port 22" to something like "Port 2222"
# Save and restart: sudo systemctl restart sshd
# Don't forget to update your firewall:
sudo ufw allow 2222/tcp
sudo ufw delete allow 22/tcp
✅ Step 7 — Verify It's Working (Leak Testing)
You built the VPN. You connected. But how do you know it’s actually working? What if your DNS is still leaking through your ISP? What if WebRTC is exposing your real IP? You don’t guess — you test.
Run These Tests While Connected to Your VPN
| Test | What It Checks | URL |
|---|---|---|
| IP Address Check | Is your traffic exiting from your VPS IP, not your real one? | whatismyipaddress.com |
| DNS Leak Test | Are your DNS queries going through your VPN, or leaking to your ISP? | dnsleaktest.com — run the Extended Test |
| WebRTC Leak Test | Is your browser leaking your real IP through WebRTC? | browserleaks.com/webrtc |
| Full Leak Suite | All-in-one: IP, DNS, WebRTC, geolocation | ipleak.net |
What “passing” looks like:
- IP test: Shows your VPS’s IP address, not your home/mobile IP
- DNS test: Shows Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Quad9 (9.9.9.9) servers — not your ISP’s DNS
- WebRTC test: Shows “No leak” or your VPS IP — not your local IP
If DNS is leaking:
Your OS might be ignoring the VPN’s DNS settings. Fixes:
Linux: Set DNS manually in your WireGuard config:
[Interface]
DNS = 1.1.1.1, 9.9.9.9
Windows: Disable “Smart Multi-Homed Name Resolution” in Group Policy — Windows sometimes sends DNS queries out all interfaces simultaneously.
Android/iOS: If you enabled “Always-on VPN” + “Block without VPN” (Step 5), DNS leaks are already killed.
If WebRTC is leaking:
Disable WebRTC in your browser:
- Firefox: Go to
about:config→ searchmedia.peerconnection.enabled→ set to false - Chrome: Install the WebRTC Leak Prevent extension
Make it a habit:
Every time you change your VPN config, switch servers, or update WireGuard — run these tests again. Takes 30 seconds. Catches things that’d otherwise silently betray you.
🧠 Step 8 — SNI/DPI Bypass: The Part Most Guides Skip
This is the section the OP actually asked about. And it’s the section that separates “I followed a WireGuard tutorial” from “I built censorship-resistant infrastructure.”
The Problem: Your ISP Can See You’re Using a VPN
WireGuard is fast and secure — but it’s not stealthy. Your ISP can’t see what you’re doing, but they can absolutely see that you’re using WireGuard. The protocol has a recognizable fingerprint.
In countries with Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) — China, Iran, Russia, parts of Southeast Asia, some ISPs in Africa and the Middle East — WireGuard gets blocked at the network level. The censor doesn’t need to break your encryption. They just need to recognize the protocol shape and drop it.
Here’s what DPI sees:
| Protocol | What the Censor Sees | Blockable? |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | UDP packets on port 51820 with recognizable handshake pattern | Yes — trivially |
| OpenVPN | TLS-like but with distinctive handshake + port 1194 | Yes — easily |
| Normal HTTPS | Standard TLS 1.3 to port 443 — looks like any website visit | No — blocking this breaks the internet |
The goal: make your VPN traffic look like normal HTTPS. Here’s how, from easiest to most powerful.
Option A: Outline VPN (Easiest — 5 Minutes, Zero Config)
Outline is made by Jigsaw (a Google/Alphabet subsidiary). It deploys a self-hosted Shadowsocks server with a point-and-click manager app. As of early 2025, Outline and its SDK support over 30 million monthly users bypassing censorship worldwide.
Why Outline is special:
- Uses Shadowsocks under the hood — traffic looks like random encrypted data, not a VPN protocol
- Has its own manager app (desktop) — you literally never touch the command line after one command
- Generates access keys you can share with family/friends — each key is independent
- DPI systems can’t easily fingerprint it — especially with Jigsaw’s 2025 addition of Shadowsocks-over-WebSockets (makes it look like normal HTTPS)
- Apps for every platform — Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome extension
Install on your VPS (one command):
sudo bash -c "$(wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jigsaw-Code/outline-server/master/src/server_manager/install_scripts/install_server.sh)"
The script installs Docker, pulls the Outline server image, and gives you an API URL. Copy that URL.
On your computer:
- Download Outline Manager (desktop app)
- Click “Set Up Outline Anywhere”
- Paste the API URL from the terminal output
- Done — create access keys and share them
On your devices:
- Download Outline Client (available for every platform)
- Paste the access key
- Connect
That’s the entire setup. No config files. No JSON. No certificates. If WireGuard felt too technical, start here.
| Outline | WireGuard | |
|---|---|---|
| Stealth | High — Shadowsocks is hard to fingerprint | Low — recognizable protocol |
| Speed | Good (slight overhead from Shadowsocks) | Excellent (kernel-level, minimal overhead) |
| Setup | One command + GUI app | One script + config files |
| Best for | Censored countries, sharing with non-tech people | Maximum speed, daily driver VPN |
| DPI bypass | Yes — designed for it | No — blocked by most DPI systems |
GitHub: github.com/Jigsaw-Code/outline-apps | github.com/Jigsaw-Code/outline-server
Option B: VLESS + Reality on Xray (Most Powerful — The Nuclear Option)
This is what people in China, Iran, and Russia actually use when everything else gets blocked. VLESS with the Reality protocol makes your VPN traffic indistinguishable from a normal HTTPS connection to a legitimate website (like amazon.com or bing.com).
How Reality works (plain English):
- Your device connects to your VPS on port 443 (the same port as HTTPS)
- The TLS handshake looks identical to connecting to, say,
www.amazon.com— same SNI, same certificate behavior - The censor sees: “this person is visiting amazon.com” — nothing suspicious
- But behind that handshake, your actual data flows through an encrypted tunnel to your VPS
- Even SNI whitelisting (where censors only allow connections to approved domains) gets defeated — because the SNI is an approved domain
This is the most advanced censorship bypass technique publicly available as of 2025-2026. China’s Great Firewall, Iran’s DPI systems, Russia’s Roskomnadzor — Reality was specifically designed to defeat all of them.
Automated setup (one script):
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/angristan/wireguard-install/master/wireguard-install.sh -o /dev/null
# That was your WireGuard. For VLESS+Reality, use this instead:
bash <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/XTLS/Xray-install/main/install-release.sh)
Then configure /usr/local/etc/xray/config.json — or use an automated setup script. A well-documented one designed specifically for censored countries:
# Automated VLESS+Reality setup for Xray
# https://github.com/piephai/V2Ray — has step-by-step for beginners
Client apps for connecting:
| Platform | App | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Android | v2rayNG | GitHub Releases |
| iOS | FoXray / V2Box / v2raytun | App Store |
| Windows | V2RayN | GitHub Releases |
| macOS | V2RayU / ClashX Meta | GitHub |
| Linux | sing-box / Xray CLI | GitHub |
Key resources:
| Resource | What | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Xray-core | The engine that runs VLESS+Reality | GitHub |
| How Reality Works | Technical deep-dive (actually readable) | objshadow.pages.dev |
| 3x-ui | Web panel to manage Xray visually | GitHub |
| Circumvention Guide | Full protocol comparison for 2025 | atlassc.net |
Option C: Cloudflare WARP (Zero Setup, Not Self-Hosted)
If you just need to get past a basic ISP block and don’t want to manage anything:
- Download the 1.1.1.1 app (called WARP) — 1.1.1.1
- Open it, toggle on
- Done
WARP wraps your traffic in Cloudflare’s own WireGuard implementation. To DPI, it looks like standard encrypted traffic to Cloudflare — which half the internet already uses. It’s free, unlimited, no account needed.
But WARP is NOT your DIY VPN. You don’t get a dedicated IP. You don’t control the server. Cloudflare sees your traffic. It’s a convenience tool for light censorship bypass, not a privacy infrastructure replacement.
Which Option Should You Pick?
| Your Situation | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| No censorship, just want privacy + no-logs | WireGuard (Step 4) — fastest, simplest |
| Light censorship, ISP blocks VPN ports | Outline — easy setup, hard to fingerprint |
| Heavy censorship (China, Iran, Russia) with DPI | VLESS + Reality — purpose-built for this |
| Just need to bypass school/work WiFi blocks | Cloudflare WARP — zero setup, good enough |
| Want to share VPN access with non-tech family | Outline — access key system is dead simple |
| Want maximum speed + stealth as a combo | WireGuard daily + VLESS+Reality as fallback |
You can run WireGuard AND Outline or Xray on the same VPS. Different ports, different protocols, same server. Use WireGuard when it works (faster), switch to Outline/Reality when it gets blocked.
⚠️ Limitations — Be Honest With Yourself
| Limitation | Reality Check |
|---|---|
| Single exit location | Your VPN exits from one data center. Commercial VPNs have 50+ countries. If you need geo-hopping, this ain’t it. |
| You’re the sysadmin | Server goes down at 3am? That’s your problem. No support ticket. No refund. |
| IP reputation | Cloud provider IPs can get flagged by streaming services. Netflix might not work through your VPS IP. |
| Not anonymous from your cloud provider | Oracle/AWS/Google knows who you are (you signed up with your real info). You’re anonymous from the internet — not from your hosting provider. |
| Free tier limits | Oracle’s free tier is generous but not infinite. Don’t run 50 torrents through it and expect zero throttling. |
| One server = one point of failure | If Oracle has an outage in your region, your VPN is offline. Commercial VPNs have redundancy. |
When to use a commercial VPN instead:
- You need servers in 30+ countries
- You want one-click apps with zero setup
- You need streaming service unblocking that actually works
- You’re not comfortable with Linux command line at all
When your DIY VPN is the better choice:
- You genuinely care about no-logs — not the marketing, the reality
- You want a dedicated IP nobody else shares
- You’re in a censored country and need something custom
- You like understanding what your tools actually do
- You have zero budget and infinite curiosity
📚 Full Resource Table — Everything Linked in One Place
VPS Providers
| Resource | What It Is | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle Cloud Free Tier | Free-forever VPS (best option) | oracle.com/cloud/free |
| Oracle Always Free Docs | Official spec on what’s free | Oracle Docs |
| Google Cloud Free Tier | Alternative free VPS | cloud.google.com/free |
| AWS Free Tier | 12-month free VPS | aws.amazon.com/free |
| Hetzner Cloud | Best cheap paid VPS (€3.79/mo) | hetzner.com/cloud |
Domains & DNS
| Resource | What It Is | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | Cheap domain ($0.99 with promo) | namecheap.com |
| DigitalPlat FreeDomain | Free domain (limited TLDs) | digitalplat.org |
| EU.org | Free subdomain | nic.eu.org |
| Cloudflare | Free DNS + DDoS protection | cloudflare.com |
| Cloudflare Tunnel Docs | Tunnel setup guide | Cloudflare Docs |
VPN Protocols & Install Scripts
| Resource | What It Is | Link |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard Official | VPN protocol homepage | wireguard.com |
| angristan/wireguard-install | Best WireGuard install script | GitHub |
| hwdsl2/wireguard-install | Auto-install WireGuard script | GitHub |
| Nyr/wireguard-install | Minimal WireGuard script | GitHub |
| PiVPN | Beginner-friendly VPN installer | pivpn.io / GitHub |
DPI/Censorship Bypass Tools
| Resource | What It Is | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Outline VPN | Self-hosted Shadowsocks (by Google Jigsaw) | getoutline.org |
| Outline Server | Server-side code | GitHub |
| Outline Apps | Client apps (all platforms) | GitHub |
| Xray-core | VLESS + Reality protocol engine | GitHub |
| 3x-ui | Web panel for managing Xray | GitHub |
| v2rayNG | Android client for VLESS/Reality | GitHub |
| V2RayN | Windows client for VLESS/Reality | GitHub |
| sing-box | Universal proxy client (all protocols) | GitHub |
| How Reality Works | Technical explainer | objshadow.pages.dev |
| Circumvention Guide 2025 | Full protocol comparison | atlassc.net |
| Cloudflare WARP (1.1.1.1) | Free VPN/DNS for light bypass | 1.1.1.1 |
Client Apps (WireGuard)
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Android | Google Play |
| iOS | App Store |
| Windows / macOS / Linux | wireguard.com/install |
Leak Testing & Verification
| Resource | What It Checks | Link |
|---|---|---|
| DNS Leak Test | DNS query leaks | dnsleaktest.com |
| IP Leak | Full leak suite (IP, DNS, WebRTC, geo) | ipleak.net |
| Browser Leaks | WebRTC, Canvas, Font fingerprinting | browserleaks.com |
| What Is My IP | Basic IP check | whatismyipaddress.com |
The Bottom Line
Commercial VPNs sell you a promise. This guide gives you proof.
You now own the server. You wrote the config. You control the logs — by making sure they don’t exist. Nobody can subpoena a company that doesn’t exist. Nobody can leak data that was never stored.
Is it more work than downloading an app? Yeah. Is it worth it? If you actually care about what “no-logs” means — absolutely.
The internet’s full of people paying $12/month to trust a stranger with their traffic. You just built the same thing for free, except the only person you have to trust is yourself.
That’s not paranoia. That’s engineering.
!