Protocols, apps, free tools, self-host ➜ every blocked site, region-lock & age-gate ➜ gone, worldwide
Protocols, apps, free tools, self-host ➜ every blocked site, region-lock & age-gate ➜ gone, worldwideHow blocks work: networks use DPI (deep packet inspection — they look at the shape of your traffic and drop anything that looks like a VPN). So the fix is a protocol whose traffic doesn’t look like a VPN.
The main one is REALITY — it copies a real website’s secure handshake (like apple.com), so the network thinks you’re just visiting that site. Full list of protocols, apps, self-host scripts and free tools below. 
🔌 Protocols — working vs blocked (2026)
REALITY copies a real site’s handshake, so there’s nothing fake to detect. Don’t run it on a cheap shared IP — the IP can get blocked even when the protocol isn’t.
| Protocol | Status 2026 | Repo |
|---|---|---|
| VLESS + REALITY + Vision |  best option |
Xray-core · REALITY |
| Hysteria2 (fast, mobile) | works, watched |
repo |
| TUIC |  unreliable |
repo |
| AnyTLS | newer |
sing-box |
| NaiveProxy | low-profile |
repo |
| ShadowTLS v3 | weakening |
repo |
| Shadowsocks (clean IP) | ok for low-risk |
repo |
| AmneziaWG (hidden WireGuard) | works |
repo |
| VMess / Trojan |  ~80-90% detected |
v2fly |
| Geneva (auto packet-evasion) |  experimental |
repo |
📱 Apps — pick your platform
| App | Best for | Repo |
|---|---|---|
| Hiddify | easiest, all platforms | repo |
| Clash Verge Rev | desktop (Win/Mac/Linux) | repo |
| sing-box | core engine under most apps | repo |
| mihomo | popular core | repo |
| v2rayN / v2rayNG | Windows / Android | repo |
| NekoBox | Android, advanced | repo |
| Shadowrocket | iOS (paid) | info |
| Stash / Loon / Quantumult X | iOS alternatives | Stash |
| OpenClash / homeproxy | routers (OpenWrt) | OpenClash |
🔧 Self-host — your own server, one command
Rent a small server (some are free), run one line, you get your own private connection.
| Script | What it does | Repo |
|---|---|---|
| 233boy/sing-box | one command → REALITY ready | repo |
| fscarmen/sing-box | all protocols, no domain needed | repo |
| 3x-ui | web panel, no command line | repo |
| xray-cloud | auto-deploy on any box | repo |
| shoes | multi-protocol server (rust) | repo |
| Habr guide | full step-by-step for beginners | read |
| Oracle free + WARP | free server setup | guide |
| Provider list 2026 | don’t host? buy a clean node | list |
🆓 Free tools — no server, no payment
| Tool | What it does | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ECH (Encrypted Client Hello) | hides which site you open; free region-unblock | docs |
| Tor + WebTunnel/Snowflake | free, no server, looks like normal HTTPS | setup |
| Psiphon | one-tap app, works during shutdowns | get |
| Outline (Google Jigsaw) | self-host, share with others | get |
| Lantern | hides the domain, free tier | get |
| freedom.gov | US-gov anti-censorship VPN  in development, not live yet |
site |
🌍 Region / age unblock
Region locks and age checks usually filter by SNI (the site name your browser sends in plain text) or by your IP’s country. Hide the SNI or change your exit country and it opens.
| Resource | What it does | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ECH | free; hides SNI, beats region blocks | docs |
| cybernews | what’s blocked + how to get around it | open |
if a site blocks VPN IPs, use a residential (home/phone) IP instead of a data-center one.
📡 Updates & community — track what's blocked or working
| Source | What it has | Link |
|---|---|---|
| net4people #526 | leaked censorship code → its blind spots | thread |
| net4people #528 | “what still works” from developers | thread |
| net4people #546 | when/where REALITY got detected | thread |
| nyanpass wiki | honest protocol comparison | open |
| gfw.report | weekly report on new blocks | open |
| Lantern corpus | research on each technique | open |
🌑 Full internet shutdown
For when a country cuts the whole internet:
🔌──📱──🔧──🆓──🌍──📡──🌑
proto apps host free geo news shutdown
Short version: REALITY is the main protocol (don’t run it on a junk IP), ECH is a free browser setting for region blocks, and one command gives you your own server. Blocks change often, so check gfw.report and net4people now and then, and keep a backup protocol ready.
!