VPN Bypass for MAC
Free, open-source menu bar app for Mac that decides which traffic uses your VPN: pick services and domains to skip it, or the few that must use it.
VPN Bypass Overview
VPN Bypass is a menu bar app for macOS that decides which traffic goes through your VPN. You pick the services and domains that should skip the VPN, or the few that must use it, and the app keeps the routes right as the VPN reconnects and addresses change. It is meant for full-tunnel VPN clients that send everything through the tunnel, which can stall streaming and break AirPlay or Chromecast.
It works with GlobalProtect, Cisco AnyConnect, OpenVPN, WireGuard, FortiClient, Zscaler, Cloudflare WARP, Pulse Secure, Check Point, Proton VPN and Tailscale exit nodes. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later, made by GeiserX, and it needs macOS 13 or later. The app is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple. It asks for your administrator password once, to install a small root helper that edits the routing table, and it needs no kernel or system extension. Check your employer's rules before routing work-VPN traffic around the tunnel. A VPN kill switch can also leave routes with no effect, and the app tells you when that happens. Version 6.0 rewrites domains written with a leading dot as wildcards on first launch.
Key Features
VPN Bypass gives you split tunnelling when your VPN client does not offer it.
- Three modes: Bypass, VPN Only, and Custom rules where the first match wins.
- Service catalogue: 75 services such as YouTube, Netflix, Spotify and Zoom, plus your own domains, wildcards and subnets.
- Lookups: an optional view of the names your Mac looks up, which you can add with one click.
- Custom exits: send a rule direct, through a specific VPN, an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy, or a Tailscale peer.
- Self-healing routes: routes return after a reconnect or network change, and domains are looked up again.
- Command line: vpnb scripts everything the app does and can answer in JSON.
- Shortcuts: actions set the mode, add a domain, or turn a service on or off.
- Extras: optional /etc/hosts DNS bypass, route verification, notifications and config import and export.
What’s New in Version 6.0.0
VPN Bypass 6.0.0 is a major release that rebuilds the app on one native look. Settings, lists and services carry over.
- Where a site goes: the Status page and vpnb why say which way a site leaves and why.
- Pause: stop routing for a while, or until the VPN reconnects.
- Profiles per network: each network keeps its own mode and lists.
- Regional packs: each country's banks and public services come as one pick in the catalogue.
- VPN Only blocks on drop: listed sites stop loading outside the VPN when it drops.
- Kill-switch warning: the app says when a VPN kill switch means bypass can have no effect.
VPN Bypass FAQ
Is VPN Bypass free?
Yes. VPN Bypass is free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later.
Which macOS version does VPN Bypass need?
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, plus administrator privileges for managing routes and the hosts file.
Is VPN Bypass a VPN?
No. It does not provide a VPN. It decides which traffic goes through the VPN you already use.
Which VPN clients does it detect?
GlobalProtect, Cisco AnyConnect, OpenVPN, WireGuard, FortiClient, Zscaler, Cloudflare WARP, Pulse Secure, Check Point, Proton VPN and Tailscale exit nodes.
Why does it ask for my administrator password?
To install the small root helper that edits the routing table. It asks once, and a major update can ask again when the helper changes.
Does it need a kernel or system extension?
No. One small root helper does the routing, and only this app can talk to it.
Is VPN Bypass signed by Apple?
Yes. Since version 5.1.0 the app is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
Does it work with a VPN kill switch?
Not always. A kill switch can leave routes with no effect, and the app tells you when that is the case.
Can I install VPN Bypass with Homebrew?
Yes, from the project's own tap: brew tap geiserx/vpn-bypass, then brew trust --cask geiserx/vpn-bypass/vpn-bypass, then brew install --cask vpn-bypass.
Where does the VPN Bypass download on vpn-bypass.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official VPN Bypass releases page at https://github.com/GeiserX/VPN-Bypass/releases/latest. vpn-bypass.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
Similar Apps
LanGuardLanGuard is a free, open-source menu bar app that turns Wi-Fi off the moment a wired network link goes up and switches it back on when you unplug. By default macOS keeps Wi-Fi running even when your Mac is docked over Ethernet, which leaves a second network route active and can send traffic out the wrong connection. LanGuard handles the switch for you. It acts only on plug and unplug moments, so if you turn Wi-Fi back on by hand while docked, it stays on until you next unplug the cable.Internet Utilities
WhatRouteWhatRoute is a network diagnostic utility for the Mac. Its main job is traceroute: it shows each router your data passes through on its way to another computer. It can also ping, run Domain Name Service queries and Whois lookups, and monitor the traffic to and from your Mac. A geolocation service places the routers on a world map, so you can see the geographical path your packets take across the Internet, and a selected area can be opened in Apple Maps or Google Maps for a closer view.Internet Utilities
SSH Tunnel ManagerSSH Tunnel Manager is a lightweight menu bar app for managing SSH port forwards on the Mac. Instead of typing ssh -N -L commands in Terminal and forgetting which tunnels are running, you set each tunnel up once in Settings and switch it on or off from the menu bar. It is written in native Swift and AppKit and uses the SSH that comes with macOS, with no bundled binaries.Internet Utilities
HoleberryHoleberry is a native menu bar app for people who run Pi-hole, the network-wide ad blocker. It puts your Pi-hole on the Mac menu bar, so you can check blocking status and query stats, pause blocking, and handle blocked domains without opening the Pi-hole web interface. The menu bar icon shows your Pi-hole's health at all times, and the menu shows total queries and blocked domains. When a page fails to load because Pi-hole blocked it, Holeberry detects the current tab in Safari, Orion, Chrome and Chromium browsers, Firefox, Zen and others, and unblocks that exact domain with one click, so the rest of your network stays protected.Internet Utilities
WiFi LensWiFi Lens is a native Mac app for understanding the Wi-Fi around you. It scans nearby networks across the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands, charts channel occupancy, scores congestion and recommends channels for your region. For each network you can inspect the PHY generation, channel width, 802.11k/r/v support and WPA3, and for your own connection the IP, gateway, DNS, MAC, transmit rate and security summary. A roaming test monitors handoffs between access points, a heatmap compares occupancy per band, and AP Radar helps you track a selected access point by signal strength, with optional audio feedback.Internet Utilities
TunnelblickTunnelblick is a free graphical interface for OpenVPN on macOS. It gives you easy control of OpenVPN connections from an icon in the menu bar: install the configuration file your VPN provider, school or company gives you, then connect and disconnect with a click. You can keep several configurations, see the status of each connection, and use the options for network monitoring and IPv6 that Tunnelblick offers to keep your connection behaving as expected.Internet Utilities
FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.