Onion Browser vs Safari (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Safari grades higher than Onion Browser: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Safari grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Onion Browser if
- Fits if you want Tor routing on an iPhone or iPad
- Makes sense if you want no history kept between sessions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android or a computer: the project points you to Tor Browser
- Not for you if you want the strongest anti-tracking: the project says WebKit gives less control than Firefox
- Tight if you want speed: traffic passes through volunteer relays and is slower
- Watch out: the App Store listing shows in-app purchases with no amounts
Pick Safari if
- Fits if you use a Mac, iPhone and iPad together and want your tabs and passwords on all three
- Works for planning things with family, since Tab Groups can be shared
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you own a Windows PC or an Android phone, as Safari is Apple devices only
- Not for you if you want the newest browser without updating your whole operating system
- Watch out: there's no ad blocker, AI or VPN on the feature list
- Tight if you pick text out of images a lot, as Live Text supports seven languages
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOnion BrowserGood | 3.2GPASafariVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe app is free and open source, so under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter, though the App Store lists in-app purchases without amounts. | AFree, with no paid tier of any kind. It arrives with the operating system on every Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro, so there's nothing to buy, nothing to subscribe to and nothing held back for payers. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full app downloads free from the App Store. In-app purchases are shown, but the listing gives no amounts. | AFree outright and already installed before you ask: tracking prevention, Tab Groups, Profiles, sync, passkeys and the Reading List are simply there. No account to make, no plan above it. |
| Features | CTor routing, no saved history and per-site security levels, but the project says WebKit gives it less control than Firefox for anti-tracking. | BThe job is covered, plus two things tied to Apple devices: Tab Groups you share with other people, and Handoff passing the page you're reading to the device in your hand. Also a Privacy Report, Profiles, passkeys in iCloud Keychain, Reader and offline reading. No ad blocker, no AI and no VPN on the list, though. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You install it and browse, with tabs that close when you are done. | B4.4 from about 180,000 App Store ratings. It's running the moment the device is, with nothing to install. The catch: a newer Safari only turns up when you update the whole operating system. |
| Platforms and integrations | DiOS and iPadOS only. The project points desktop and Android users to Tor Browser. | COne family of devices and no further: Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro, with Handoff between them. Apple says it no longer offers Safari for Windows or any other non-Apple system, so a single PC in the house breaks the chain. |
| Best for | Tor browsing on an iPhone or iPad | people who live on Apple devices |
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: Onion Browser and Safari. How we grade
Price against what you get
Onion Browser has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Safari has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Safari scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other browsers on the chart, none scores higher than Onion Browser for less, and none scores higher than Safari for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Onion Browser is open source, according to its own site.
- Safari also covers passkeys and read later.
In commonFree planiOSWeb browser
At a glance
| Onion Browser | Safari | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download from the App Store; the listing also shows in-app purchases. | Safari is included with the operating system on Apple devices and is listed as free on the App Store. There is no paid tier. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Tigas Ventures | Apple |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Onion Browser
- iOS and iPadOS only; the project points desktop and Android users to Tor Browser.
- Apple requires the WebKit component, which the project says gives less control than Firefox for anti-tracking.
- Browsing over Tor is slower because traffic passes through volunteer relays.
Safari
- Safari runs only on Apple devices. Apple says it no longer offers Safari updates for Windows or other non-Apple operating systems.
- New versions arrive with operating system updates, so getting the latest Safari means updating macOS, iOS, iPadOS or visionOS.
- Live Text, which selects text inside images and paused video, is supported in seven languages.
Key features
Onion Browser
- Tor routing
- Traffic is encrypted and sent through the Tor network, so sites do not see your real IP address.
- No saved history
- The site says it does not save history, and tabs do not persist, so each session starts fresh.
- Per-site security levels
- Security settings can be adjusted for each website visited.
- Onion sites and bridges
- Opens onion sites and supports Tor bridges for networks that block Tor.
- Open source
- The code is public, with contributors including Mike Tigas, Benjamin Erhart and the Guardian Project.
Safari
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention
- On-device intelligence limits cross-site tracking and hides the IP address from known trackers. A Privacy Report lists the trackers stopped on the current site and over the past week.
- Tab Groups and Profiles
- Tab Groups save named sets of tabs, sync between devices and can be shared with other people. Profiles keep history, extensions, cookies and favorites separate for topics such as Work and Personal.
- Sync and Handoff
- Passwords, bookmarks, history and tabs sync across Mac, iPad and iPhone, and Handoff passes the page being viewed from one nearby device to another.
- Passkeys and iCloud Keychain
- iCloud Keychain stores and autofills passkeys, passwords and credit card numbers on trusted devices. Safari also warns about suspicious websites and upgrades HTTP to HTTPS when available.
- Reader, Reading List and translation
- Reader removes ads and navigation from articles, Reading List saves pages to read later on any iCloud-connected device, even offline, and whole web pages can be translated in the browser.
- Extensions and web apps
- Third-party extensions for iPhone, iPad and Mac come from the Safari category on the App Store. A website can be saved to the Mac Dock or the iPhone and iPad Home Screen as a web app.
Plans
Onion Browser
Free$0
The full app is free; the App Store listing also shows in-app purchases without amounts.
Safari
Free$0
The full browser on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, included with the device's operating system.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Onion Browser or Safari?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Onion Browser and Safari are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Onion Browser or Safari?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Onion Browser and Safari have a free plan.
Which platforms do Onion Browser and Safari run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Safari lists a macOS app. Both list an iOS 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.