Das vertrauenswürdigste kostenlose VPN aus strukturellen Gründen: ein anarchistisches Kollektiv aus Seattle, das seit 1999 besteht, finanziert sich durch Spenden, verlangt keine Account-Registrierung und erklärt klar, dass es keine IP-Adressen protokolliert, mit einem vierteljährlich PGP-signierten Warrant-Canary und ehrlicher Dokumentation eigener VPN-Einschränkungen sowie des Canaries-Vorfalls von 2016. Dennoch unter US-Jurisdiktion, keine unabhängige Prüfung, wenige Server, und der Client basiert auf Bitmask mit grundlegenden Funktionen – die Wahl von Aktivisten, kein Streaming-Tool.
Entwurf von Qwen3, faktengeprüft von der vpnvergleich-Redaktion · Review-Version 3 · Text aktualisiert 2026-09-29 · Fakten Stand 2026-09-29 · wie wir verifizieren
Ehrlichkeits-Hinweis: wir haben keine eigenen Tests zu Riseup VPN gelaufen (Leak-Tests, Tempo, Kill Switch). Alles auf dieser Seite ist quellbasierte Meta-Recherche mit datierten Links. Sobald wir testen, erscheinen die Ergebnisse hier und im Änderungsprotokoll.
Overview
Riseup VPN homepage - live capture 2026-09-29
Riseup VPN is a free, donation-funded service run by the Seattle-based Riseup Collective, an anarchist activist group operating since 1999. It requires no account registration and offers basic, open-source-based privacy for users seeking to hide traffic from their ISP or bypass censorship. While refreshingly transparent about its limitations and funding, it operates under US jurisdiction and provides no independent verification of its no-logs claims.
Logging & privacy
Riseup claims it “does not log your IP address,” but this is policy-only - there is no third-party audit to verify it. The service issues a quarterly PGP-signed warrant canary, which remains current, and openly documents a 2016 incident where the canary was delayed and TLS fingerprints were removed without notice, raising structural concerns. Jurisdiction is the United States, a Five Eyes member, though the collective’s activist stance and transparency mitigate some risk. No independent evidence proves or disproves logging.
Pricing & the renewal trap
Riseup VPN is completely free to use, with no mandatory payments or account registration. The collective states its operating cost is about $60 per user per year and accepts voluntary donations via Bitcoin, PayPal, and Liberapay. There is no renewal trap since nothing is billed - users pay nothing unless they choose to donate. No contracts, refunds, or free trials apply, as the service is donation-supported with no purchase required.
Features & performance
Riseup VPN apps / download page - live capture 2026-09-29
The service supports OpenVPN and WireGuard via its open-source Bitmask client, with a built-in kill switch on desktop platforms. It lacks obfuscation, multihop, split tunneling, P2P, and streaming support. Servers are limited in number and location (exact counts unlisted), and the focus is on reliability for censorship circumvention, not speed or scale. It supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android, but performance has not been independently tested.
Ownership & track record
Riseup is run by the Riseup Collective, a volunteer-based, autonomous group based in Seattle with members worldwide. No corporate ownership or affiliate ties are disclosed. The collective has a long history of transparency, including public warrant canaries and candid incident reporting, such as the 2016 canary delay and a 2012 FBI server seizure. While no major data breaches are documented, the lack of audits and US jurisdiction remain concerns. Data quality is reported, not independently verified.
Censorship resistance
Riseup VPN does not offer obfuscation or stealth protocols, meaning it is not designed to bypass deep packet inspection in highly censored environments like China or Iran. However, it has been recommended in activist circles for basic censorship circumvention where full obfuscation isn’t required. For users in repressive regimes, this tool may fail under advanced filtering - alternatives with obfuscation (like Tor or Shadowsocks) are more suitable.
Verdict
Riseup VPN is the most trustworthy free option for activists and privacy-conscious users who value transparency, no payment trails, and a mission-driven operator - just don’t expect streaming or audit-backed privacy. It’s ideal for basic ISP-level encryption and light censorship bypass, but not for high-risk anonymity. The provider does not run affiliate programs, and there is no evidence it pays review sites.
++ Was hält stand
Vollständig kostenlos, durch Spenden finanziert, keine Account-Registrierung (VPN-Seite erneut geprüft am 2026-09-28)
'Riseup protokolliert deine IP-Adresse nicht' – ausdrückliche Erklärung des Betreibers
Vierteljährlich PGP-signierte Warrant-Canary (zuletzt überprüft am 2026-09-28)
Ungewöhnlich ehrliche Dokumentation: eine eigene Seite zu 'Sicherheitsproblemen / Einschränkungen eines VPN', die erklärt, was ein VPN nicht leisten kann
Open-Source-Bitmask-Client; gleicher Technologie-Stack wie CalyxVPN
Fünfzehnjährige dokumentierte Geschichte kollektiver Betriebsführung (Beschlagnahmung der Server durch das FBI 2012, Canary-Vorfall 2016), offen kommuniziert
-- Worauf du achten solltest
US-Jurisdiktion und in den USA ansässige Infrastruktur
Kein unabhängiger Audit der No-Logs-Behauptung
Kleines kostenloses Netzwerk; Geschwindigkeit und Serverauswahl sind grundlegend
Die Client-Einrichtung ist weniger ausgereift als bei kommerziellen Apps (Nutzer berichten von Problemen beim Deinstallieren und gelegentlichen, merkwürdigen Blockaden bestimmter Seiten)
Der Geldfluss - was Testportale mit dieser Empfehlung verdienen
Affiliate-Status noch nicht verifiziert
Sollten wir dieses Programm joinen, wird jeder Link hier rel="nofollow sponsored" und läuft über /go/. Bis dahin zeigen unsere Links direkt auf die Anbieter-Website, ohne jegliches Tracking. Die Ranking-Logik kann Affiliate-Felder physisch nicht lesen - hier der Beweis.
On the website
Captured by our screenshot bot from the live site (or its public archive). A capture is evidence of what the page showed at capture time - not an endorsement.
Riseup VPN homepage - live capture 2026-09-29Riseup VPN apps / download page - live capture 2026-09-29
Bevor du zahlst: prüfe den Verlängerungspreis, das Erstattungsfenster und ob ein günstigerer oder Gratis-Weg deinen Anwendungsfall abdeckt - die ehrliche Checkliste.
Stand unserer Prüfungen: 2026-09-29. Riseup VPN erreicht 4.5/10 in unserem gewichteten Review. Wir haben keine roten Flaggen vermerkt. Nutzerberichte, Eigentum und die Vorfallhistorie sind mit datierten Quellen im Meta-Review unten dokumentiert.
What do I actually get with Riseup VPN?
A free, open-source VPN with no account needed, kill switch support, and basic privacy from your ISP. No streaming, P2P, or obfuscation. Servers are limited and performance untested.
What is the renewal price and total cost over three years?
There is no price - Riseup VPN is entirely free. Donations are optional, with no billing or renewal. Over three years, your cost remains $0 unless you choose to donate.
What evidence supports the no-logs claim?
The claim is policy-only: Riseup states it does not log IP addresses, but no third-party audit or court test verifies this. The warrant canary and 2016 incident documentation show transparency, not proof of no logging.
Does it work in heavily censored countries like China or Iran?
No - Riseup lacks obfuscation and is not designed for deep packet inspection evasion. It may fail in China, Iran, or similar networks. Use Tor or obfuscated tools instead.
Can I pay anonymously?
No payment is required, so no trail exists. If you donate, Bitcoin is accepted - offering a degree of anonymity, though not guaranteed.
What happens if the service shuts down?
Riseup has operated since 1999 and relies on donations. A shutdown would be announced via its PGP-signed warrant canary and website. Users should have backup tools ready.
What’s the honest free or cheap alternative?
Proton VPN’s free tier offers stronger infrastructure and audit-backed no-logs claims, while Riseup remains the ethical choice for activists avoiding any financial trace.
Der Meta-Review: was das Internet über Riseup VPN sagt
Wir erwarten nicht, dass du uns vertraust. Dieser Review ist ein Meta-Review: unten siehst du, was andere Testportale behaupten - mit ihren Interessenkonflikten gekennzeichnet -, was Nutzer auf Reddit und in Foren berichten und wer Riseup VPN wirklich betreibt. Jede Behauptung verlinkt ihre Quelle, damit du sie selbst prüfen kannst.
Was andere Tester sagen (0)
Jede Quelle trägt ein Konflikt-Label aus unserer Testportal-Datenbank. „Affiliate-finanziert“ heißt: Die Seite verdient mit, wenn du kaufst, was sie empfiehlt. Kritische Stimmen nehmen wir bewusst auf.
Noch keine Dritt-Reviews mit verwertbaren Belegen gefunden. Für ein VPN ohne Affiliate-Programm ist das normal - die Affiliate-finanzierten Seiten berichten nicht über das, was nichts zahlt.
Was Nutzer sagen (5)
Reddit, Foren, HN - paraphrasiert und verlinkt, nie aus dem Kontext gerissen. Anekdoten, keine Beweise - aber Erstattungsbeschwerden und Leak-Reports sind das beste Frühwarnsystem, das dieser Markt hat.
Fetched 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200, 317 pts / 127 cmts): the 2016 canary episode discussed in depth - canary not updated for almost a week while TLS fingerprints had been removed without notice; top comment argues activist email/mailing-list infrastructure is fundamentally unsafe regardless of ops care.
Fetched 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200, 253 pts / 106 cmts): 2012 FBI seizure of a riseup.net server; commenters debate the sledgehammer approach and the implications for shared political infrastructure.
Fetched 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200, 116 pts / 36 cmts): 2017 move after legal requests; commenters detail the Trees/Dovecot end-to-end encryption scheme and recall the 2015 Spanish case where use of a riseup email was cited in activist prosecutions.
Fetched 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200): ~100 posts recommending or questioning RiseupVPN in r/Piracy, r/linux, r/archlinux, r/CalyxOS, r/degoogle, r/batocera and others; individual permalinks cited in the voices.
Wer steckt hinter Riseup VPN?
VPN-Eigentum wird oft absichtlich über Briefkastenfirmen verschachtelt. Das konnten wir verifizieren - mit Quellen. Konfidenz: confirmed (geprüft 2026-10-23).
Eigentümer
Riseup Collective (volunteer collective, Seattle)
Detail
The Riseup Collective is an autonomous body based in Seattle… mehrThe Riseup Collective is an autonomous body based in Seattle (riseup.net/en/about-us, dossier)
KI-Fakten-Report - alles, was wir wissen, komprimiert
Erstellt von Qwen3 am 2026-09-29 aus unserer Faktendatenbank plus den verlinkten Quellen. Er fasst zusammen - er fügt keine Fakten hinzu. Prüfe alles Wichtige gegen die verlinkten Quellen.
Bottom line: Riseup VPN is a free, donation-funded service run by an anarchist collective since 1999, with no account registration and no payment trail. It’s built for activists needing basic censorship circumvention and ISP-level privacy, not for streaming or high performance. Transparency and ethics are its strengths; scale and speed are not.
The logging truth: The provider claims it does not log your IP address, and this is backed only by policy, not independent audits. It operates under US jurisdiction (Seattle), which carries legal risks, though it issues a PGP-signed warrant canary quarterly and openly documented a 2016 incident where the canary was delayed and TLS fingerprints were removed - raising structural concerns despite no proven logging.
Pricing reality: It is completely free - no intro or renewal pricing, because there is no charge. Donations are requested (~$60/year to cover costs) via Bitcoin, PayPal, or Liberapay, but not required. There is no trap, just a voluntary funding model with full transparency about operating expenses.
What reviewers say vs what users say: Users across Reddit and forums consistently praise RiseupVPN as trustworthy, ethical, and effective for basic privacy, especially in de-Google and activist circles. There are no affiliate reviews or commercial endorsements; all positive sentiment comes from organic, non-commercial communities, creating alignment between user experience and public perception.
Who runs it: It is run by the Riseup Collective, an autonomous, volunteer-based group based in Seattle with members worldwide, active since 1999. The collective’s activist mission and transparency about past incidents (like server seizures and canary delays) lend credibility, though their infrastructure has faced repeated legal pressure.
Quellen & wie dieser Review entstand
Jede externe Quelle, die auf dieser Seite verwendet wird, mit dem Abrufdatum und ihrer Belegklasse [A]-[D] (A = Primär-/Betreiberquelle, B = seriöse Presse/Forschung, C = Community, D = eigene Messungen). Methodik: wie wir verifizieren. Quellen verschwinden oder ändern sich - falls ein Link tot ist, sag uns über die Kontaktseite Bescheid.
Evidence classes on this page:[A] A: 5[B] B: 3[C] C: 5[D] D: 0(D stays empty until our own test phase)
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