V2Ray 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 network toolkit for building your own proxies that secure connections and protect privacy.
Open source · MIT
Proxy network tools for bypassing restrictions; this repo says it has moved to v2fly.
The short answer
Choose V2Ray if you need…
- Developers who want to build and configure their own proxy server
- Technically comfortable users who want to run a self-hosted private network route
- People who need to read and edit configuration files for custom routing setups
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
| V2Ray | V2Ray | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Other | Other |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 34.7k | 46.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Advanced | Advanced |
| How you get it | Download the app | See the README |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 2 months ago |
What each one is
V2Ray
V2Ray (Project V) is a set of network tools for building your own proxy network. It routes and encrypts internet connections so that traffic can pass through a server you control. The README describes its purpose as securing connections and protecting privacy; the README does not detail specific censorship-circumvention behavior beyond the repository description.
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 The README's first line says the project has moved to github.com/v2fly/v2ray-core, so this repository may be outdated.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
V2Ray
- Developers who want to build and configure their own proxy server
- Technically comfortable users who want to run a self-hosted private network route
- People who need to read and edit configuration files for custom routing setups
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
V2Ray
- MIT licensed, so the code is free to use, modify, and redistribute
- Written in Go and published as prebuilt release archives for several platforms
- Active repository with recent pushes and a large community following
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
V2Ray
- Users looking for a click-and-go app, since the README points newcomers to separate documentation for setup
- People who cannot spend time on configuration, because the README gives no simple default setup
- Anyone needing guaranteed legal or regulatory compliance, since the README does not address legality of use
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
V2Ray
- The README is short and defers most setup detail to external documentation
- Requires understanding of networking and configuration to use effectively
- Being a network tool, its use may be restricted or regulated depending on where you live
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
V2Ray
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/v2fly/v2ray-coreV2Ray
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/v2ray/v2ray-coreFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between V2Ray and V2Ray?
V2Ray: A network toolkit for building your own proxies that secure connections and protect privacy. V2Ray: Proxy network tools for bypassing restrictions; this repo says it has moved to v2fly. V2Ray suits developers who want to build and configure their own proxy server, while V2Ray suits developers who want to read the source of a go proxy platform.
Are V2Ray and V2Ray free?
V2Ray: Free and open source. V2Ray: Free and open source.
Is V2Ray or V2Ray more popular?
V2Ray has more GitHub stars (46.9k) than V2Ray (34.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
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.