GOST vs V2Ray
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A command-line proxy and tunnel tool that forwards traffic over many protocols, written in Go.
Open source · MIT
Proxy network tools for bypassing restrictions; this repo says it has moved to v2fly.
The short answer
Choose GOST if you need…
- Developers who want a single binary to run a local or remote SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy
- People setting up multi-hop proxy chains for testing network routing
- Users who need TCP or UDP port forwarding through a proxy or SSH tunnel
- Admins who want to try several tunnel protocols from one tool
Choose V2Ray if you need…
- Developers who want to read the source of a Go proxy platform
- People who need to find the current v2fly/v2ray-core repository
- Users who already understand proxy configuration
Side-by-side
| GOST | V2Ray | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CLI | Other |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 18.3k | 46.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Advanced |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | See the README |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 2 months ago | 2 months ago |
What each one is
GOST
GOST (GO Simple Tunnel) is a command-line program that acts as a proxy and tunnel. It can listen on a port, accept traffic over protocols such as HTTP, SOCKS5, Shadowsocks, QUIC, KCP and SSH, and forward it directly or through a chain of other proxies. People use it to route network traffic through intermediate servers or to set up port forwarding. The README says this repository is in maintenance mode and has been superseded by go-gost/gost.
V2Ray
Project V, also called v2ray-core, is a set of Go network tools for building your own proxy setup. According to the README, it is meant to secure network connections and protect privacy. The README's first line says the project has moved to github.com/v2fly/v2ray-core, so this repository may be outdated.
Best for
GOST
- Developers who want a single binary to run a local or remote SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy
- People setting up multi-hop proxy chains for testing network routing
- Users who need TCP or UDP port forwarding through a proxy or SSH tunnel
- Admins who want to try several tunnel protocols from one tool
V2Ray
- Developers who want to read the source of a Go proxy platform
- People who need to find the current v2fly/v2ray-core repository
- Users who already understand proxy configuration
Strengths
GOST
- Supports many proxy and tunnel protocols in one program
- Configuration is done with short command-line flags, and examples are in the README
- Written in Go and distributed as release binaries for many platforms
V2Ray
- Licensed under the MIT License, which the README links to directly
- Built in Go and listed with SOCKS, HTTP proxy, and VMess topics
- Credits its production dependencies, gorilla/websocket and gRPC, in the README
Not ideal for
GOST
- People starting a new project: the README says this repo no longer receives new features and points to go-gost/gost (GOST v3) instead
- Non-technical users who want a point-and-click app, since it is configured with command-line flags
- Anyone needing a security audit guarantee: the README does not describe any audit
V2Ray
- Beginners looking for a ready-to-use app, because the README gives no setup or usage guide
- Anyone who needs an active, maintained release from this exact repository, because the README says the project moved
- People who need a downloadable binary, because the latest release lists no binaries
Trade-offs
GOST
- The README says this version is in maintenance and no new features will be added; the successor is go-gost/gost
- Documentation is partly in Chinese and the main wiki is on external sites
- Some protocol modes have restrictions, such as QUIC and KCP only working as the first hop in a chain
V2Ray
- The README says the project moved to another repository, so this copy may not be the main one
- The latest release v4.31.0 has no binaries, and the README gives no install instructions
- The README is truncated and says little about configuration or features
Getting started
GOST
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ginuerzh/gost.gitBuild from source
cd gost/cmd/gost
go buildV2Ray
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/v2ray/v2ray-coreFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between GOST and V2Ray?
GOST: A command-line proxy and tunnel tool that forwards traffic over many protocols, written in Go. V2Ray: Proxy network tools for bypassing restrictions; this repo says it has moved to v2fly. GOST suits developers who want a single binary to run a local or remote socks5 or http proxy, while V2Ray suits developers who want to read the source of a go proxy platform.
Are GOST and V2Ray free?
GOST: Free and open source. V2Ray: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, GOST or V2Ray?
GOST is easier to get started with (rated intermediate); V2Ray is rated advanced and usually needs more setup.
Is GOST or V2Ray more popular?
V2Ray has more GitHub stars (46.9k) than GOST (18.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to GOST and V2Ray?
Other options people compare them with include V2Ray, shadowsocks.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.