A web communication app that provides anonymous and encrypted communication online by a private network layer optimized for privacy and security.
I2P is a powerful and advanced freeware network communication app and anonymizer, developed by I2P Team for Windows.
The download has been tested by an editor here on a PC and a list of features has been compiled; see below. We've also created some screenshots of I2P to illustrate the user interface and show the overall usage and features of this network communication program.
Providing end-to-end encryption for users to communicate
I2P is an anonymous network, exposing a simple layer that applications can use to anonymously and securely send messages to each other.
All communication is end to end encrypted (in total there are four layers of encryption used when sending a message), and even the end points ("destinations") are cryptographic identifiers (essentially a pair of public keys).
To hide the sent messages, each client application has their I2P "router" build a few inbound and outbound "tunnels" - a sequence of peers that pass messages in one direction (to and from the client, respectively).
In turn, when a client wants to send a message to another client, the client passes that message out one of their outbound tunnels targeting one of the other client's inbound tunnels, eventually reaching the destination.
Every participant in the network chooses the length of these tunnels, and in doing so, makes a tradeoff between anonymity, latency, and throughput according to their own needs.
The result is that the number of peers relaying each end to end message is the absolute minimum necessary to meet both the sender's and the receiver's threat model.
Features of I2P
- An alternative to the Tor network.
- Built-in email application.
- Encrypts the message in multiple layers.
- End-to-end encrypted chat
- Messaging service which focuses on secure and anonymous email.
- Quite complex and has many layers.
Compatibility and License
I2P is provided under a freeware license on Windows from VPN and proxy software with no restrictions on usage. Download and installation of this PC software is free and 2.5.0 is the latest version last time we checked.
I2P Team accepts donations for the continued development of this free software.
What version of Windows can I2P run on?
I2P can be used on a computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10. Previous versions of the OS shouldn't be a problem with Windows 8 and Windows 7 having been tested. It comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit downloads.
Other operating systems: The latest I2P version from 2024 is also available for Android. These are often available from the app store.
Filed under:
