v2rayN — Multi-Protocol Proxy GUI for Windows, Linux and macOS

Introduction

v2rayN is one of the most widely used open-source proxy GUI clients, originally built for Windows and now cross-platform via .NET/Avalonia. It acts as a frontend for multiple proxy cores (Xray, sing-box) and simplifies server management, subscription handling, and traffic routing.

What v2rayN Does

• Manages proxy server connections across multiple protocols simultaneously
• Imports and auto-updates server subscriptions from providers
• Routes traffic based on domain, IP, or process rules
• Tests server latency and bandwidth with built-in speed tests
• Supports system proxy, TUN mode, and PAC-based selective routing

Architecture Overview

v2rayN is a .NET application (using Avalonia UI for cross-platform support) that orchestrates external proxy cores. It generates JSON configurations for the selected core (Xray or sing-box), spawns the core process, and manages system proxy or TUN device settings. The UI layer communicates with cores via their local API endpoints for real-time statistics.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Download the release zip and extract (no installation required on Windows)
• Add servers manually or import via subscription URL
• Select routing rules: bypass LAN, proxy all, or custom rule sets
• Enable TUN mode for transparent proxying of all system traffic
• Configure DNS settings and outbound protocol preferences

Key Features

• Multi-core support: switch between Xray-core, sing-box, or custom cores
• Built-in subscription manager with auto-update scheduling
• Real-time traffic statistics and per-connection logging
• Custom routing rules with geo-IP and geo-site databases
• Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS via Avalonia UI

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Clash Verge — rule-based routing focus; v2rayN is more protocol-centric
• NekoRay/NekoBox — Qt-based alternative with similar core support
• Qv2ray — archived project; v2rayN remains actively maintained
• Shadowrocket — iOS-only paid client with similar functionality
• sing-box CLI — command-line only; v2rayN adds a graphical layer

FAQ

Q: Which proxy core should I use? A: Xray-core offers the widest protocol support. sing-box provides better performance for newer protocols like Hysteria 2 and TUIC.

Q: Does v2rayN work on Linux? A: Yes, since version 7.x it supports Linux and macOS via the Avalonia UI framework.

Q: Can I use custom geo databases? A: Yes, you can replace the built-in geoip.dat and geosite.dat with community-maintained versions.

Q: Is the traffic encrypted? A: Encryption depends on the protocol chosen. VLESS+XTLS, Trojan, and Shadowsocks all provide strong encryption.

Sources

• https://github.com/2dust/v2rayN
• https://v2rayn.2dust.link