VLESS vs ShadowSocks. We tell about the protocol that will replace SS
If you've ever looked for free outline keys, you'll find it useful to know about VLESS, a new protocol that's gradually replacing Shadowsocks. Let's talk about how they differ and what advantages they have.
How do the protocols differ?
Shadowsocks is a philosophy of “encrypt everything so that it is not like anything else”. Setting up SS is extremely simple, especially when using the most popular client “Outline”.
VLESS is a disguise for HTTPS traffic, which is the most common on the Internet. For the provider, it looks like a regular request, for example, to Google. Setting up VLESS is much more complicated.
What are the problems with Shadowsocks?
The version of Shadowsocks (AEAD) used in Outline has known vulnerabilities, such as:
The ratio of ones and zeros in bits is approximately 1:1 (Github Issue), which leads to traffic identification. China has been blocking SS-AEAD in this way for a long time.
Outline is in no hurry to switch to the latest version of Shadowsocks-2022, where many shortcomings were fixed (Github Issue).
Shadowsocks speed is sometimes cut by operators on the basis of “unlike anything else traffic – stop”.
Shadowsocks already stops working in practice. For example, during blockings in Dagestan, when all unknown protocols were banned on TSPU (Technical Means of Countering Threats). VLESS, since it was disguised as HTTPS, continued to work. And since April 2024, RKN has been testing it on some operators new (for RF) type of lock SS.
What is VLESS?
VLESS has much more extensive capabilities:
For example, it can work via CDN (Content Delivery Networks) thanks to WS, gRPC and HTTPUpgrade transport. This allows you to bypass even server and entire hosting blockings by IP (especially in Turkmenistan and Iran), CDN is a workaround. Shadowsocks “can’t do this”.
VLESS is currently being actively developed by the Xray core developers. In the spring of 2023, “Reality” was released (roughly speaking, an extension for VLESS), which allows you to very reliably disguise your server (and traffic) as another site.
As a rule, clients that support VLESS also have routing support – it allows you to use domestic sites (including government agencies and banks) even with VPN enabled.
Paradoxically, VLESS is sometimes more energy efficient than SS. Outline server literally does not let the smartphone fall asleep (Github Issue).
When properly configured, VLESS can penetrate even the most sophisticated corporate firewalls.
The main disadvantages of VLESS:
Difficulty in setup. Incorrect setup does not provide the required level of masking and increases the likelihood of blocking. Documentation is only in Chinese and English, and not completely.
If configured incorrectly, the latency may increase compared to SS.
Clients. Outline with its one big button is, of course, much nicer than all v2ray clients, but never mind, we'll fix it soon 🙂
Conclusion
In the context of the Russian Federation, it is better to choose VLESS, since SS is already working intermittently in some regions with some operators.
We ourselves are in @LagomVPN We are gradually switching to it and we recommend it to you!
