The Basics
What Is V2Ray?
V2Ray (also known as Project V) is an open-source network proxy tool maintained by the v2fly community, built around the v2ray-core engine. It supports VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Shadowsocks, and other protocols, with powerful routing, traffic obfuscation, and load balancing. Most people actually use a graphical client built on it (like v2rayN or v2rayNG) — see What Is V2Ray for details.
Is V2Ray Free?
Yes. The V2Ray core and the v2rayN, v2rayNG, and v2flyNG clients are all free and open-source — any channel asking you to pay for the installer has nothing to do with the official project. Any cost usually comes from server nodes (a self-hosted VPS or a subscription service), not the software itself.
How Are v2rayN, v2rayNG, and v2flyNG Related?
All three are graphical clients: v2rayN is for Windows/macOS/Linux computers; v2rayNG and v2flyNG are both Android clients from the same developer with an identical interface — the only difference is that v2rayNG mainly uses the Xray core while v2flyNG bundles the v2fly core. Either works fine day to day, and you can install both side by side.
What's the Difference Between V2Ray, Xray, and sing-box?
Xray is a fork of V2Ray that was first to support newer features like XTLS and Reality; sing-box is a newer, general-purpose proxy platform. All three protocols are largely interoperable, and v2rayN/v2rayNG bundle these cores so you can switch anytime — there's no noticeable difference for everyday use. Pick Xray or sing-box only if you specifically need features like Reality or Vision.
What Are Subscription URLs and Node Links?
A subscription URL is an https:// link from your provider that gives you a batch of updatable nodes once imported; a node link is a string starting with vmess:// or similar, representing a single node. See Subscription Links Explained for details on both and how to import them.
Download and Installation
Where Can I Download the Official Version of V2Ray?
Just grab it from our download page. Our v2rayN, v2rayNG, and v2flyNG installers are always synced with the latest official releases, unmodified and identical to the original.
Windows Defender Flags It as a Virus / Deletes the Installer?
This is a common false positive for proxy software. Add the v2rayN folder to Windows Security's exclusion list (Virus & threat protection → Exclusions). This assumes you downloaded from this site or an official source — a "virus" flag from a third-party download site could be genuine malware.
macOS Says "Cannot Verify Developer" or "Damaged"?
Click "Open Anyway" at the bottom of System Settings → Privacy & Security; if it says "damaged," run xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/v2rayN.app in Terminal. See the full troubleshooting guide for more installation issues.
What's the difference between the standard and desktop builds?
On Windows, the desktop build uses a new Avalonia UI interface with a smaller footprint; the standard build has the classic interface and bundles more cores. There's no functional difference — beginners should just pick the standard build.
Connecting and Using
No Internet After Installing?
Check three things in order: ① is a node imported and set as the active server; ② is the system proxy (or VPN switch) turned on; ③ does the node actually work (batch-test real connection latency — -1 means it's dead, so update your subscription). See the full troubleshooting guide for more detail.
Connected But Very Slow?
Usually the node itself is overloaded: batch-test latency and switch to a faster node. Slowdowns during peak hours are common. For streaming video, look for IPLC or dedicated-line nodes.
Domestic Sites Got Slower?
The routing mode is probably set to "Global." If you're in mainland China, switch to "Bypass Mainland (Whitelist)" so domestic traffic connects directly and only foreign traffic goes through the proxy — see Routing Modes Explained. If you're elsewhere, this preset doesn't apply to you; check the node itself instead.
Can I Use It on My Phone and Computer at the Same Time?
Yes. The same subscription URL can be used on multiple devices at once (unless your provider limits the number of devices), with no conflicts.
Other Questions
Does the Client Collect My Data?
v2rayN, v2rayNG, and v2flyNG are all open-source — the code is public and auditable, and none of them collect or upload your personal information. That said, your traffic does pass through whichever node server you choose, so pick a provider you trust.
Why Doesn't the Client Have Any Nodes?
The client is just a tool — it doesn't come with any built-in server nodes. You'll need to set up your own server or get a subscription URL from a provider and import it. See Step 1 of the Quick Start guide.
Can't Find Your Question?
For usage issues, check the full troubleshooting guide; for setup steps, see the complete setup guide; for download questions, see the download FAQ.