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Desktop App

Tor Browser

A free browser that protects you from tracking, surveillance and censorship.

Visit Tor Browser4.5
  • Rating

    4.5 / 5

  • Pricing

    Free

  • Difficulty

    Intermediate

  • Works on

    Windows, macOS, Linux

Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com

What is Tor Browser?

Tor Browser, from the nonprofit Tor Project, sends your traffic through the Tor network, where it is relayed and encrypted three times across volunteer-run servers. It isolates each website so third-party trackers and ads cannot follow you, clears cookies and history when you finish, and tries to make all users look the same to resist fingerprinting. It can also reach sites your network blocks. Tor Browser is free software for desktop and Android.

Pros: what Tor Browser does well

  • Strong protection against tracking and surveillance
  • Clears cookies and history automatically
  • Free software from a nonprofit

Cons: where it falls short

  • Pages load slower than a normal browser
  • Some sites block or challenge Tor users

Who Tor Browser is for

People who need private or anonymous browsing, or face censored networks.

Who can skip it

Those who only want to block ads on everyday sites.

Tor Browser alternatives

Not sold on Tor Browser? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.

NetNewsWire

Focus: rss reader, mac app and news. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. Adds iOS. Rated 4.7 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, iOS

Newsboat

Focus: rss, atom and feed reader. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. Rated 4.4 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux

RSS Guard

Focus: rss reader, news feeds and podcasts. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. Adds Offline. Rated 4.4 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows

Cover Your Tracks

Focus: privacy, fingerprinting and trackers. Also in Digital Minimalism and Research, like Tor Browser. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.6 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb

Exodus Privacy

Focus: privacy, trackers and android. Also in Digital Minimalism and Research, like Tor Browser. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.6 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

WebsiteFreeWeb, Android

F-Droid

Focus: android, open source and app store. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.6 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

WebsiteFreeWeb, Android

Free alternatives to Tor Browser

Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.

FreshRSS

Focus: rss reader, news aggregator and feeds. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.6 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform

SumatraPDF

Focus: pdf reader, ebook reader and lightweight. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. A Windows app, not a desktop app. Rated 4.6 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

Windows AppFreeWindows

ToS;DR

Focus: privacy, terms of service and ratings. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web, Chrome and Firefox. Rated 4.6 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

WebsiteFreeWeb, Chrome

Startpage

Focus: private search, search engine and privacy. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Same 4.5 rating.

WebsiteFreeWeb

512KB Club

Focus: lightweight websites, web performance and small web. Also in Digital Minimalism and Research, like Tor Browser. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.4 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

WebsiteFreeWeb

switching.software

Focus: directory, privacy and alternatives. Also in Research and Digital Minimalism, like Tor Browser. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.4 (Tor Browser: 4.5).

WebsiteFreeWeb
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