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Where We Beat Other VPNs
Updated
The short answer to “why choose us”: what takes several products elsewhere, LeoTun does with one account. Phones, computers, routers, NAS and TVs can all connect; the router is not a tutorial you fight through but a finished product you log in to once for the whole household; split routing works per whole website and every device follows the same rules; going out of China and getting back in are two directions of the same account; and routes are tuned separately for China Telecom, Unicom and Mobile. We have run our own servers since 2006 and serve one thing only — users in mainland China and Chinese people overseas. Below, each advantage in concrete terms, followed by answers to the concerns people usually raise.
Advantage 1: every platform, one account
- Every system: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux each have a client; OpenWrt routers, Synology and QNAP NAS and Linux servers can import a profile directly.
- Devices that cannot run a client work too: smart TVs, TV boxes, game consoles, smart speakers and an elderly relative’s phone only need to join the router’s Wi‑Fi — nothing to install on the device.
- Six connection methods, switch any time: router, OpenVPN, Cisco (AnyConnect), Hiddify, web proxy and the private network (Tailscale) all use the same account. A restrictive campus network — switch to Cisco. Lossy broadband — switch to Hiddify. A work laptop without admin rights — use the web proxy. No second account, no extra charge.
- The client cannot be taken away: every client comes from official vendors and well-known open-source organisations — Cisco, OpenVPN, Hiddify, Tailscale — and is offered unmodified. Many VPNs depend on one in-house app; once it is identified or removed from the store, the whole service stops. Here the most that gets blocked is one address, and the address is replaced.
- By comparison: global brands’ apps were not designed for the Chinese network and often stop working there; proxy line providers hand you a subscription link and leave the client to you; free apps mostly cover one platform, or are just a browser extension.
Advantage 2: mature router access
Most VPNs’ router support stops at “here is a manual configuration guide”. Whether it works, whether it stays stable and who helps when it breaks are the user’s problem. We built the router into a complete product line.
- Two ways to get one: buy a pre-installed router, plug it in and log in on its admin page; or use your own router and flash firmware generated on this site for your model.
- Log in once, the whole household is covered: every device on that router takes the route automatically, and changing region is one click on the admin page for everyone at once.
- Automatic updates, no reflashing: when a route address changes or the split-routing list gains a new site, the router updates itself at boot. You do nothing.
- Router access is available on all three account tiers — Personal, Family and Business — not reserved for the expensive one; binding and replacing a router is self-service on the site.
- Four models on sale cover travel, small households, device-heavy homes and mobile use without broadband; see the guide on choosing a router.
- Someone is responsible: we maintain the firmware ourselves, so router problems can be raised directly in the support groups, with remote assistance when needed.
Advantage 3: router split routing for every device at home
Split routing means traffic that should take the route takes it and the rest goes direct. The router does this for every device connected to it. What it delivers:
- Whole-site routing: a website goes one way together with its images, video and login, so you never get a page that opens with a video that will not play.
- No detour for Chinese sites: in the outbound direction Chinese sites open directly, as fast as without the router.
- One rule set for the household: phones, computers, TVs, boxes and consoles all follow the same rules, even if a device has changed its own network settings.
- Direction is automatic: choosing a China region means the inbound direction, choosing an overseas region means outbound — two opposite rule sets you never switch by hand.
- Lists update themselves and settings persist: when a site moves or a new app appears the list follows; after a reboot or reconnect, split routing is as you left it.
- Printers, NAS and cameras at home are unaffected and stay directly reachable on the local network.
- Split routing on the other connection methods: Cisco and OpenVPN have a split-routing script, available in the download center, that runs on the computer; the Hiddify client has an automatic split mode; the web-proxy extension has a split switch; the private network sends the whole device through the route. To split for every device at home, use the router.
Advantage 4: out of China and back in, one account
- Reaching overseas sites from inside China and reaching Chinese services from abroad are the same account with a different region — not two products.
- The China region runs on real mainland machines, not Hong Kong or Taiwan IPs standing in — which is what Tencent Video, iQIYI and online banking require. Many global VPNs have no China-return feature at all, or offer Hong Kong and Taiwan nodes.
- There are 24 regions in all; each has several machines behind it and the system picks the least busy one when you connect, so there is no speed-testing of nodes.
Advantage 5: tuned for the Chinese network
- Per-carrier tuning: the international exits of China Telecom, Unicom and Mobile differ enormously, so we tune each separately and recommend different regions depending on your broadband.
- Entry points inside China: users on mediocre broadband still have a stable way in.
- Standard protocols only: the traffic looks like ordinary corporate remote access or web browsing rather than a proprietary protocol with a fixed fingerprint.
- Continuous maintenance: we keep adjusting as the domestic network changes, and an address that stops working is replaced automatically — the address saved in your client stays the same.
Advantage 6: long-running, with someone responsible
- In operation since 2006 on our own machines, not rented capacity resold; accounts, expiry dates and prices did not change across the rename.
- Support groups around the clock: an AI assistant answers at any hour in the Telegram, QQ and Discord groups, in any language, and you can send a screenshot of the error; refunds and billing are handled by a person.
- The site is in 17 languages, with written and video tutorials for every section; when that is not enough, remote assistance is available.
Advantage 7: flexible payment, try before you buy
- A 24-hour free trial with no credit card, to test on your own network.
- Pay by the day: occasional users can activate single days with points instead of a monthly plan.
- Personal, Family and Business tiers can be switched at any time, with remaining time converted at equal value; need a few more devices for a while — go up a tier, then switch back.
- Refunds are pro-rated by time used and available at any time.
- Invite a friend who pays and you each receive 20 days (Personal-tier basis; other tiers at equal value), with no limit on the number of friends.
Side by side with the three common kinds of product
- Global brands: many servers and polished apps — a good fit if you live in Europe or America and only want encryption on public Wi‑Fi. But the product was not designed for the Chinese network, the app tends to stop working there, the China-return feature is missing or uses Hong Kong and Taiwan IPs, and routers get a manual setup guide.
- Proxy line providers: cheap, with many nodes. But most rent overseas machines and resell traffic, the client is yours to sort out, router and split-routing rules are do-it-yourself, disappearing, renaming and shutting down are common, and nobody is responsible when something breaks.
- Free apps: no cost. But they survive on throttling, data caps or selling data, most cover a single platform or a single browser, and an installer of unknown origin is a risk in itself — see the guide on recognising a risky VPN app.
- LeoTun: every platform, a finished router product, router split routing, both directions, per-carrier tuning and long-running operation with support — all in one account.
Concerns you may have, answered one by one
- “You cost more than a proxy line provider”: the Personal tier starts at 4 US dollars a month with volume discounts; occasional users can pay by the day at about 0.32 dollars; take the 24-hour trial first, and a pro-rated refund is available at any time. The price covers our own machines, a finished router product, router split routing and support that someone is responsible for.
- “Are 24 regions enough”: stability matters more than the count. Each region has several machines behind it, the system picks the least busy one when you connect and replaces an address that stops working — you never speed-test, pick or swap nodes.
- “Whose client do I use?”: every client comes from official vendors and well-known open-source organisations — Cisco, OpenVPN, Hiddify and Tailscale — which is more trustworthy than an app from a small unknown publisher: the code and the signature are not in our hands, so we cannot tamper with them and they cannot be pulled from the store. Scan a code or import a profile the first time, and there is nothing to set up after that.
- “What do you keep about me?”: we only keep the information needed for billing. Registration asks for no phone number and no real name. All data is stored outside China. We do not record the sites you visit, inspect traffic, inject ads or sell data.
- “What speed do you guarantee?”: we promise smooth YouTube playback, even at the evening peak, provided your broadband is good: China Unicom in the north or China Telecom in the south. Shared community broadband (小区宽带) is the exception. If one region is slow, change region or connection method.
FAQ
Is my device supported?
Phones, tablets, computers (Windows, macOS, Linux), OpenWrt routers and Synology and QNAP NAS each have a matching connection method; TVs, boxes and consoles that cannot run a client connect through the router. Which method suits which device is covered in the guide on connection methods by scenario.
What exactly does the router's split routing do?
A whole site is routed together with its video, images and login; Chinese sites are not mistaken for foreign ones and sent the long way round; every device at home follows the same rules. The symptoms and how to verify it yourself are in the guide on how split routing works on a VPN router.
24 regions versus the hundreds of nodes at a proxy line provider: which works better?
More nodes does not mean more stable. Each of our regions has several machines behind it and the system picks the least busy one, so you never speed-test nodes; a blocked address is replaced automatically and the address in your client stays the same.
Could it be cheaper?
The Personal tier is 4 US dollars a month with volume discounts (5% off from 12 months, up to 20% off); by the day with points it is about 0.32 dollars; invite a friend who pays and you each gain 20 days (Personal tier), with no limit. New sign-ups also get a free 24-hour trial.
How can I verify these claims?
Take the 24-hour trial. At the evening peak, connect to the China region and watch an episode on Tencent Video, connect to an overseas region and open YouTube, and check the IP location and an IPv6 test page. The checklist is in the guide on choosing a China-return VPN.