Tor BrowserOur review.

What Tor Browser is

Tor Browser is the free, open-source browser made by the Tor Project, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It's the strongest privacy tool most people can install in two minutes: every page you open is encrypted three times and bounced through three volunteer-run relays of the Tor network before it reaches the site. Your internet provider only sees that you're using Tor; the site only sees the IP of the last relay. For adult browsing, that's as close to "nobody knows" as it gets — no ISP log of the sites you visit, no trackers following you, nothing left on the computer when you close it.

Verified facts (1 Nov 2026)

• Read today: torproject.org, the download hub, the Tor Browser for Desktop and Android pages, the "compare apps" page and the support portal.
• Publisher: the Tor Project, a 501(c)(3) US nonprofit; funded by donations (the site cites 6,490 donors a year) — "Tor doesn't sell your data to make money".
• Price: free and open source.
• Version: Tor Browser 16.0 Stable on the desktop download page (16.0a14 in alpha).
• Platforms: Windows (64- and 32-bit), macOS (Universal), Linux (x86_64 and aarch64) and Android. No iOS version — the Tor Project points iPhone users to Onion Browser.
• Protection: each website is isolated so third-party trackers and ads can't follow you; cookies and history are cleared automatically when you finish; anti-fingerprinting makes all users look the same; traffic relayed and encrypted three times through the Tor network.
• Unblocking: access sites your government, ISP or home network blocks; bridges and Snowflake for places where Tor itself is blocked; access to .onion sites.
• The Tor Project's own ground rules: don't use a separate VPN with Tor, don't install extra plugins or add-ons, don't torrent over Tor.
• Related apps: Tor VPN beta for Android (routes other apps through Tor) and Tails, a portable operating system.

How it works

Download it from the official site (never from a mirror you don't trust), open it and click Connect. A few seconds later you're on the Tor network. Everything you open is wrapped in three layers of encryption and passes through three relays: the first knows who you are but not where you're going, the last knows the destination but not who you are. Close the browser and the session disappears.

The trade-off is speed. Three hops through volunteer servers means pages load slower than in a normal browser, and long HD videos can buffer. Some sites also throw extra captchas or block Tor exit IPs. That's why Tor Browser is best used as a sealed room for the browsing you really want to keep private — reading, chatting, checking a site — while you stream heavy video through a fast VPN like CyberGhost or Mullvad VPN.

Tor Browser vs a VPN vs Mullvad Browser

A VPN hides your traffic from your ISP but means trusting one company. Tor spreads trust across three independent relays, so no single party sees both who you are and what you watch — at the cost of speed. Mullvad Browser is the middle way: the same anti-fingerprinting browser, built by the Tor Project too, but without the Tor network, designed to pair with a VPN. Note that the Tor Project advises against stacking a separate VPN on top of Tor.

Pricing

Free. No account, no premium tier, no ads. The Tor Project lives on donations.

Pros

• Strongest anonymity you can get from a free browser
• Three encrypted hops: your ISP never sees the sites you visit
• Trackers isolated, cookies and history wiped automatically
• Anti-fingerprinting: every user looks the same
• Unblocks censored sites, bridges if Tor is blocked
• Free, open source, nonprofit; desktop and Android

Cons

• Slower than a normal browser or a VPN; HD video can buffer
• Some sites show captchas or block Tor
• No iPhone version (Onion Browser instead)
• Not for torrents; extra add-ons discouraged

Who it is for

Tor Browser is for anyone who wants maximum anonymity for free, for the adult browsing that must stay off the radar: no history, no ISP record, no profile. If you mainly stream 4K porn, a fast VPN from our best VPN for adult sites guide will feel better day to day; for a daily private browser that's quicker, take Brave or Mullvad Browser, and add uBlock Origin to your main browser. Compare everything in the privacy tools ranking.

Verdict

8.4/10. Tor Browser is the gold standard of private browsing: free, nonprofit, three encrypted hops, nothing saved. It's slower than a VPN and not built for marathon HD streaming — but for browsing that nobody should ever trace back to you, nothing free beats it.

FAQ

Is Tor Browser free?

Yes. It's free and open source, made by the Tor Project, a US nonprofit funded by donations.

Can my internet provider see what I watch with Tor Browser?

No. Your provider can see that you're using Tor, but not which websites you visit: traffic is encrypted and relayed three times.

Is Tor Browser available on iPhone?

No. On 1 Nov 2026 it was available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android; the Tor Project recommends Onion Browser for iOS.

Should I use a VPN with Tor Browser?

The Tor Project's own advice is not to use a separate VPN with Tor. Use Tor on its own, or use a VPN with a normal privacy browser such as Mullvad Browser.

Why are videos slow on Tor?

Your traffic goes through three volunteer-run relays, which adds delay. For heavy HD streaming, a fast VPN is more comfortable.