Orbot vs Outline VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Orbot grades higher than Outline VPN: 3.0 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Orbot grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Outline VPN grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
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
Pick Outline VPN if
- Fits if you want to run your own VPN rather than trust a provider
- Works for sharing one server with friends or family
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want a hosting bill, as you pay your own server host
- Skip it if you want to switch between countries, since traffic exits from one location
- Tight if you only have a phone, because creating a server needs a desktop computer
- Watch out: getoutline.me and a Telegram channel are not affiliated with the Outline team
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAOrbotVery good | 2.0GPAOutline VPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CThe software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server; the site cites $5 a month or less at many providers. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no plan, trial or cap to run into. | CThe apps and server software cost nothing, but you also need a server of your own, so it is not free to use. |
| Features | 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. | CYour own server, access keys, per-key data limits and an SDK. There is one exit location, with no pool to switch between. |
| Ease of use | 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. | DNo store rating on record, and you create a server through the Manager on a desktop and manage it yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CAndroid and iPhone only. The pages read list no desktop app and point to Tor Project software for other systems. | BManager on Windows, Mac and Linux, and clients for iOS and Android. |
| Best for | sending phone apps through Tor | running your own VPN server for a few people |
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: Orbot and Outline VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Orbot has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Outline VPN has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Orbot scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than Orbot for less, and none scores higher than Outline VPN 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
- Outline VPN is self-hostable, according to its own site.
In commonFree planAndroidiOSOpen sourceVPN
At a glance
| Orbot | Outline VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The app is free and open source; the download page asks for donations to support development. | The software is free and open source. You pay your own server host; the Get Started page says many providers offer plans for $5 a month or less. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Guardian Project | Outline Foundation |
| Price read from | orbot.app | getoutline.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Outline VPN
- You need your own server, so there is a hosting bill, and the site cites $5 a month or less at many providers.
- Your traffic leaves from the one server location you picked, with no pool of locations to switch between.
- The site says getoutline.me and a Telegram channel are not affiliated with the Outline team and cannot help with access keys from those services.
- Outline Manager runs on Windows, macOS and Linux desktops, so creating a server needs a desktop computer.
Key features
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.
Outline VPN
- Your own server
- Outline Manager walks you through creating a server at a cloud provider such as DigitalOcean, AWS or Google Cloud, or on your own Linux machine, and lets you pick its location.
- Access keys
- Each person you share the server with gets a unique access key from the Manager, and a key can be managed or deleted from the server.
- Per-key data limits
- The Manager can set a data limit for each key so one user cannot use all of the server's bandwidth.
- Shadowsocks-based
- The server runs a Shadowsocks service with a REST API for key management, which the project says benefits from ongoing work on resisting detection and blocking.
- Outline SDK
- A cross-platform library and tools for building the same blocking-resistant networking strategies into other apps and VPN tools.
Plans
Orbot
Orbot$0
A free app with no paid plans.
Outline VPN
Outline$0
Free Manager and Client apps and server software. You host the server yourself at a cloud provider you choose or on your own Linux infrastructure.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Orbot or Outline VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Orbot and Outline VPN are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Orbot or Outline VPN?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Orbot and Outline VPN have a free plan.
Which platforms do Orbot and Outline VPN run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Outline VPN lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list iOS 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.