Mysterium VPN vs Orbot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Orbot grades higher than Mysterium VPN: 3.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mysterium VPN grades higher on platforms. Orbot grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mysterium VPN
Decentralized VPN that runs on Mysterium Network's peer nodes
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick Mysterium VPN if
- Fits if you want your traffic to leave through a peer-run network, not one company's servers
- Works for people who read open-source code before trusting a client
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need an iPhone app, as none was confirmed on the pages read
- Not for you if you want a fixed monthly price, because none was found
- Watch out: traffic exits through nodes run by other members of the network
- Watch out: the vendor's VPN site answered with a bot check, so plans and prices are unverified
- Watch out: the Play listing is titled Mysterium Dark from NetSys Inc., so check which app you are installing
Pick Orbot if
- Fits if you want chosen apps on your Android phone to go through Tor
- Works for people on restricted networks who need Tor bridges
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to pick a server in another country, as it uses the Tor network, not a server list
- Not for you if you need it on a laptop, because the pages read list no desktop app
- Watch out: choosing which apps go through Tor is described for Android only
- Watch out: traffic goes through Tor, not a commercial server network, so expect nothing like a normal VPN's speed or streaming access
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAMysterium VPNWeak | 3.0GPAOrbotVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo plan or price was read, so there is nothing to set against the category's $3.99 to $8 a month. The Google Play listing talks about paying for what you use. | A$0, open source, no paid plan. The site only asks for donations. A free app anyone can install is the top of this category, where the cheaper quarter starts at $3.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or free trial is on record in the listing. | AFree outright, with no plan, trial or cap to run into. |
| Features | CPeer-run nodes, residential IP addresses and WireGuard encryption. The listing confirms no iOS app. | CRoutes apps through Tor, with bridges for restricted networks and onion services. It is a smaller job than a VPN: the listing notes there are no country-selectable servers. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You pay in crypto or by use, which is a learning curve compared with a monthly plan. | BNo rating on record, but it is an app you install and start. Nothing to set up in the listing beyond choosing which apps to send. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Android clients, but no iOS app confirmed and no integrations on record. | CAndroid and iPhone only. The pages read list no desktop app and point to Tor Project software for other systems. |
| Best for | a peer-run VPN client you can inspect | sending phone apps through Tor |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Mysterium VPN and Orbot. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonAndroidOpen sourceVPN
At a glance
| Mysterium VPN | Orbot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| Starts at | Not published | Free |
| Free plan | None | The app is free and open source; the download page asks for donations to support development. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Mysterium Network | Guardian Project |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | orbot.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mysterium VPN
- Pricing is unverified: the vendor's VPN site answered with a bot check, so no plan or price was read.
- The Google Play listing, for an app titled Mysterium Dark from NetSys Inc., describes paying for what you use, not a monthly plan.
- No iOS app was confirmed on the pages read.
- Traffic exits through nodes run by other members of the network.
Orbot
- Runs on Android and iOS only; the pages read list no desktop app, and point to Tor Project software for other systems.
- Per-app choice is described for Android only.
- Traffic goes through the Tor network, not a commercial server network, so there are no country-selectable VPN servers.
- The site says the app is free and asks for donations.
Key features
Mysterium VPN
- Peer-run node network
- The network site counts more than 22,000 active nodes across 135+ countries and says it has no central point of control.
- Residential IP addresses
- The project's desktop client page describes a VPN running on Mysterium's residential network.
- Open-source code
- The desktop client is published on GitHub, and the Google Play listing says the source code is open for anyone to see.
- WireGuard encryption
- The Google Play listing says the app uses the WireGuard protocol with ChaCha20, Poly1305 and BLAKE2.
- Crypto payment and no email
- The Google Play listing says there is no email requirement and that cryptocurrency can be used to pay; it also describes a pay-for-what-you-use model.
Orbot
- Traffic through Tor
- Encrypts traffic from any app and routes it through the Tor network, which the site says leaves no central log of your traffic or IP address.
- Per-app routing on Android
- Android users can pick which apps go through Tor, so apps that object to Tor traffic can still be used normally.
- Tor bridges
- Offers a choice of Tor bridges to help stay connected on restricted networks.
- Onion services
- Lets any app connect to onion services, and lets the phone host an onion service itself.
- Several ways to install
- Available from Google Play, F-Droid, the Apple App Store, or as a direct APK download from the Guardian Project.
Plans
Mysterium VPN
Pricing could not be confirmed. See mysteriumvpn.com.
Orbot
Orbot$0
A free app with no paid plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mysterium VPN or Orbot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mysterium VPN has no price we could confirm, and Orbot is free.
Which has a free plan, Mysterium VPN or Orbot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Orbot has a free plan. Mysterium VPN does not.
Which platforms do Mysterium VPN and Orbot run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mysterium VPN lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps and only Orbot lists an iOS app. Both list an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.