# RiseupVPN review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades > RiseupVPN is a VPN. Its terms put it at KYC level 0 of 4: ID never required. NoKYC Score grades it 8.4/10 for privacy (strong) and 5.8/10 for safety (fair). In its favour: no account needed, no email needed and no phone number. No incidents are on record. Source: NoKYC Score, "RiseupVPN review", reviewed 22 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/riseupvpn ## Key facts - **Category:** VPNs - **KYC level:** 0 of 4: ID never required - **Grades:** Privacy 8.4/10, Safety 5.8/10 - **Sign-up:** No account needed - **Fees:** Free; donations requested (the site suggests about $60 per user per year) - **Jurisdiction:** United States - **Incidents on record:** 0 - **Last reviewed:** 22 Oct 2026 - **Official website:** https://riseup.net/en/vpn ## What it is RiseupVPN is a free VPN client run by Riseup, a volunteer tech collective that says it has operated since 1999 and is based in Seattle. The VPN page says the client needs no configuration and no account registration, and that Riseup does not log the user's IP address. The service is funded by donations, taken by card or direct debit through Liberapay, by PayPal or in Bitcoin; the site suggests about $60 per user per year. The clients are based on the open-source Bitmask software, and the general terms of service are governed by the law of the State of Washington. ## What the terms say about ID The VPN page says the client is used with "no configuration, no account registration"; there is no account or payment step at which identity could be requested. ## Features and warnings - **Identity:** ID never required: yes; No account needed: yes; No email needed: yes; No phone number: yes - **Payment:** Accepts Monero: not stated; Accepts Lightning: not stated; Accepts cash: not stated - **Access:** Tor onion address: not stated; Works without JavaScript: not stated - **Trust:** Open source: yes; No-logs policy: yes; Independent audit: not stated; Company named: not stated; 5+ years operating: not stated - **Warnings:** May ask for ID: not in terms; Email required: not in terms; Phone number required: not in terms; Closed source: not in terms; Nobody accountable: not in terms ## Questions ### Does RiseupVPN require KYC? RiseupVPN is rated KYC level 0 of 4 on this site: ID never required. The VPN page says the client is used with "no configuration, no account registration"; there is no account or payment step at which identity could be requested. ### Is RiseupVPN safe to use? RiseupVPN has a Safety grade of 5.8 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 8.4 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed. ### Is RiseupVPN legit? RiseupVPN is a working VPN. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 5.8 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents. ### Is RiseupVPN a scam? NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. No incidents are on record for RiseupVPN. ### Do I need an account or email to use RiseupVPN? No account needed. ### What fees does RiseupVPN charge? Free; donations requested (the site suggests about $60 per user per year). Fees were recorded from RiseupVPN's own pages and can change; check before you send. ### Does RiseupVPN have a Tor onion address? No official onion address was found on RiseupVPN's own pages. ### Which cryptocurrencies does RiseupVPN support? RiseupVPN supports BTC, and fiat payments in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD. ### Can I use RiseupVPN over Tor? RiseupVPN does not publish an official onion address. ## Sources - https://riseup.net/en/vpn - https://riseup.net/en/vpn/linux - https://riseup.net/en/about-us/policy/tos - https://riseup.net/en/about-us How grades are calculated: https://nokycscore.com/methodology