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Your own VPN. No middleman.

Private Server

Private Server lets you run Lantern on your own hardware or cloud account, for free, and connect from any device.

What is a Private Server?

Our optional Private Server feature lets you run Lantern on your own hardware or cloud account. No upgrade needed, just pay your own server costs. You keep Lantern's circumvention and Smart Routing, and you connect from the same app, on any device.

Why host your own server?

Every VPN requires you to trust somebody with your traffic. Normally that's your ISP. With a VPN, it's the VPN company. With a private server, you decide where it runs, who sets it up, and who else can use it.

Private servers are also much harder to block. Shared VPN servers are easy to find because so many people use them. A server only you and a few friends use is far more likely to go unnoticed.

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Under your control

Your traffic runs through a server you set up, on an account you own, in a location you choose.

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Harder to Block

Private servers are used by fewer people and don’t stand out like large, centralized VPN services, making them less visible to censors.

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Share with people you trust

You can share access with friends or family in censored regions, giving them a safer and more reliable connection.

Pick the setup that fits your needs

Two ways to get started

Anyone can run their own server. Choose the setup path that works best for you.

Quick Setup

Create your own VPN server in just a few clicks using a supported cloud provider like DigitalOcean. You choose the location, and Lantern handles the rest. Once it’s running, you can connect through the Lantern app or share access with others using a simple link.

Download Lantern to get started →

Manual Setup

Use Lantern’s open-source Server Manager to set up a VPN server on your own infrastructure. Connect using a QR code and optionally share access with friends or family. Manual setup gives you full visibility and control over every part of the connection.

See our instructions on GitHub →

Set up your Private Server

Host your own VPN server with Lantern, Your traffic stays on infrastructure you control.

Start Using Lantern

Private Server FAQ

Hosting your own server removes the need to trust any third-party infrastructure, including Lantern’s. You get full control over how and where your data moves, and because your server is private, it’s less likely to be detected or blocked by censors.

No. Private Server is completely free to use with Lantern. You only pay your chosen server provider directly, like DigitalOcean or GCP.

The quick setup takes a few minutes and needs nothing more than a DigitalOcean account. If you want full control, manual setup lets you run Lantern Server Manager on your own hardware or any cloud server.

Yes. You can toggle between your Private Server and Lantern’s network at any time from the server selection menu in the app.

Yes. Private Server includes secure, unique links you can use to share access with friends or family.