Free VPN for Mac — FreeGuard DMG for macOS (not on Mac App Store)

FreeGuard’s free VPN for macOS is distributed only as a direct DMG from our website. It is not on the Mac App Store. We ship separate builds for Apple Silicon (arm64) and Intel (x64), each built with Tauri and the mihomo VPN core.

How You Actually Install FreeGuard on Mac

There is one way to get the Mac app: download the DMG from our website. It is not listed on the Mac App Store.

FreeGuard for Mac is distributed as two DMG files:

• FreeGuard VPN_1.0.0_aarch64.dmg — for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4), ~45 MB
• FreeGuard VPN_1.0.0_x64.dmg — for Intel Macs, ~47 MB

You download the DMG from freeguardvpn.com, drag the app to Applications, and launch it. There is no Mac App Store listing.

Under the hood the app is built with Tauri (Rust + web UI) and wraps the mihomo VPN core. It is not a native Swift/AppKit app and does not use Apple’s Network Extension framework — that framework is only used by our separate iOS app.

Features That Actually Ship on Mac Today

What you get: anytls/hysteria2/trojan protocols, TUN-mode system routing, GeoIP-based region routing, system tray icon with speed readouts, auto-launch at login. What you do not get: per-app split tunneling, Mac App Store distribution, Keychain integration.

• Protocols: anytls, hysteria2, trojan — pick one in Settings
• TUN mode: system-wide routing so every app’s traffic goes through the tunnel
• GeoIP region routing: choose one region (CN, US, JP, KR, RU, IR, ID, AE) whose traffic takes a separate route. This is destination-country-based, not per-app
• System tray icon: connection status plus tray tooltip with upload/download speed
• Auto-launch: launch FreeGuard at Mac startup with auto-connect
• In-app updater: pulls signed releases from our update endpoint

Per-app split tunneling is not implemented on Mac.

System Requirements and Download Size

• Apple Silicon build: macOS 11 or later, ~45 MB
• Intel build: macOS 10.13 or later, ~47 MB
• Administrator password required on first launch so the VPN helper can install

How to Get Started

1. Step 1: Go to freeguardvpn.com, pick the Apple Silicon or Intel DMG, and download it
2. Step 2: Open the DMG, drag FreeGuard to Applications, and launch it
3. Step 3: Approve the macOS prompt for the VPN helper, sign in, and click Connect

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FreeGuard VPN available on the Mac App Store?

No. The Mac app is only distributed as a direct DMG download from freeguardvpn.com. There is no Mac App Store listing today.

Is the Mac app a native Swift/AppKit app?

No. It is built with Tauri (Rust core + WebView UI) and wraps the mihomo VPN engine. Our native Swift app exists on iOS; the Mac build is a separate Tauri-based client that shares the same VPN core as the Windows build.

Which Macs are supported?

Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4) on macOS 11 or later, and Intel Macs on macOS 10.13 or later. We publish separate DMGs for each architecture; there is no universal binary.

Does the Mac app run natively on Apple Silicon?

Yes, when you download the aarch64 DMG. It runs natively without Rosetta. If you install the x64 DMG on an Apple Silicon Mac, macOS will run it under Rosetta.

Does the Mac app support per-app split tunneling?

No. The closest routing feature is GeoIP region routing, which splits traffic by destination country (CN, US, JP, KR, RU, IR, ID, AE). Per-app split tunneling is not available today.

Does FreeGuard integrate with macOS Keychain?

No. We do not store credentials in the macOS Keychain. Credentials are handled inside the app’s own storage.

Does the Mac app auto-update?

Yes. The built-in updater checks for signed releases and applies them. You can also re-download the latest DMG from our website at any time.

Why does macOS ask for my password on first launch?

To install the VPN helper that manages routing. This is a one-time prompt per install and is required to create the TUN adapter used for system-wide routing.