Onion Browser vs Tor Browser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tor Browser grades higher than Onion Browser: 3.4 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tor Browser 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 Tor Browser if
- Fits if you want your traffic routed so a network watcher can't see which sites you visit
- Works for reaching sites that a government, ISP or home network blocks
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want fast browsing, as traffic passes through three relays
- Skip it if you want extensions: the download page says not to add plugins or add-ons
- Not for you if you use an iPhone, as there's no iOS version
- Watch out: the project's own Tor VPN for Android is labeled beta
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOnion BrowserGood | 3.4GPATor BrowserVery 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, from a nonprofit that says it doesn't sell user data. A program anyone can download and run. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full app downloads free from the App Store. In-app purchases are shown, but the listing gives no amounts. | AThe whole browser is free, with no account or paid tier. |
| 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. | BThree-hop routing, site isolation, automatic clean-up and .onion sites cover its job. The listing's limits are plain: no extra plugins, no separate VPN and no torrenting over Tor. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You install it and browse, with tabs that close when you are done. | BNo store rating on record. You install it and browse, though traffic goes through three relays. |
| Platforms and integrations | DiOS and iPadOS only. The project points desktop and Android users to Tor Browser. | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Android. There's no iOS version on the download page. |
| Best for | Tor browsing on an iPhone or iPad | browsing without being tracked across sites |
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 Tor Browser. 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. Tor Browser has no paid plan and scores 3.0.
Tor Browser 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 Tor Browser 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
At a glance
| Onion Browser | Tor Browser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download from the App Store; the listing also shows in-app purchases. | Tor Browser is free. The Tor Project is a nonprofit and asks for donations; it says it does not sell user data to make money. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Tigas Ventures | The Tor Project, Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | torproject.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Tor Browser
- The download page says not to use a separate VPN, install extra plugins or add-ons, or torrent over Tor.
- There is no iOS version on the download page; the Android app is listed separately.
- Traffic passes through three relays, so pages are not routed the way a regular browser sends them.
- The Tor Project's own Tor VPN for Android is labeled beta.
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.
Tor Browser
- Three-hop routing
- Tor Browser encrypts traffic and routes it through three locations, so someone watching your connection sees only that you are using Tor.
- Site isolation and automatic clean-up
- Each website is isolated so third-party trackers and ads cannot follow you across sites, and cookies and browsing history are cleared when you finish.
- Onion sites
- It opens .onion domains, which some publishers run only on Tor and which the project says are harder to shut down or censor.
- Censorship circumvention
- The project says it can reach sites that a government, ISP or home network has blocked.
- Related Tor apps
- The Tor Project also offers Tor VPN for Android (labeled beta) and Tails, a portable operating system, alongside the browser.
Plans
Onion Browser
Free$0
The full app is free; the App Store listing also shows in-app purchases without amounts.
Tor Browser
Free$0
Tor Browser for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, with no account and no paid tier.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Onion Browser or Tor Browser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Onion Browser and Tor Browser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Onion Browser or Tor Browser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Onion Browser and Tor Browser have a free plan.
Which platforms do Onion Browser and Tor Browser run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Onion Browser lists an iOS app and only Tor Browser lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps. 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.