FreeTunnel — a free, open-source desktop VPN client with a modern Qt interface, built on the TrustTunnel core.
FreeTunnel wraps TrustTunnel in a lightweight GUI: connect with one click, manage configs, split tunneling, kill switch, system tray, and global hotkeys. Passwords stay in the OS credential store (Keychain / Credential Manager / libsecret).
Updates are verified with SHA-256 manifests and Ed25519 signatures before install.
Download a build for your platform from Releases:
| Platform | File |
|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 | freetunnel-windows-x86_64-Setup.exe |
| macOS (Apple Silicon + Intel) | freetunnel-macos-universal.dmg |
| Linux (Debian/Ubuntu/Pop!_OS) | freetunnel-linux-x86_64.deb |
| Linux (portable, any distro) | freetunnel-linux-x86_64.AppImage |
Builds are unsigned (no code-signing certificates), so the OS may warn on first launch:
- macOS: right-click the app → Open (or
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/FreeTunnel.app). - Windows: SmartScreen → More info → Run anyway.
- Linux (.deb):
sudo apt install ./freetunnel-linux-x86_64.deb - Linux (AppImage):
chmod +x freetunnel-linux-x86_64.AppImage && ./freetunnel-linux-x86_64.AppImage
VPN requires elevated privileges: Windows shows UAC; on Linux/macOS you enter an admin password the first time you connect in a session.
- On the Configs tab (＋), create a config or import one (see below).
- On the home screen, pick a config and click the logo to connect / disconnect.
- In Settings: auto-connect on startup, kill switch, theme, language, hotkeys, and update checks.
- Configs → ＋ — create a new TOML, import from file, or paste a
tt://link from the clipboard.
The Split tunnelling tab decides what goes through the tunnel. Rules are either addresses — a domain, an IP, a subnet — or programs, and both obey the Mode switch at the top of the page: under Bypass VPN what is listed goes around the tunnel, under Through VPN it is the only thing inside it.
Add a program from the list of what is installed, by dragging its icon onto the page, or by picking the file yourself. Which program a connection belongs to is worked out by asking the operating system who owns the socket, so a rule added while the VPN is up applies to the next connection rather than the next session. Nothing extra is installed for this: no driver, no system extension, no permission dialog.
Rules are grouped into profiles — addresses and programs both — and a config can be tied to one, so a set for work and a set for everything else can be switched between without retyping either.
- Deep links:
freetunnel://toggle,freetunnel://connect,freetunnel://disconnect, plustt://…for import. The app is single-instance — launching again with a link forwards the command to the running window. - Global hotkeys — configured in Settings (toggle / connect / disconnect); work even when the window is minimized.
- System tray — quick actions; closing the window hides to tray instead of quitting.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for local build instructions, tests,
translations, and Codacy setup. Builds are fully automated in GitHub Actions
(.github/workflows/build.yml): the client links
against the C++ core TrustTunnel/TrustTunnelClient.
HTTP/3 (QUIC) builds are enabled in CI (DISABLE_HTTP3=OFF).
Unit tests — .github/workflows/tests.yml. Security checks —
.github/workflows/security.yml and SECURITY.md.
Releases are published automatically on v* tags.