Skip to main content

Top10VPN is editorially independent. We may earn commissions if you buy a VPN via our links.

Tor vs VPN: Which One Should You Use?

Updated Apr 3, 2026

Simon Migliano

Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more. Read full bio

Fact-checked by JP Jones

The Short Answer

Use a VPN for everyday privacy and to bypass geo-blocks: it’s fast, simple, and works on most devices. Use Tor if you need to be untraceable, for instance if you’re a journalist or activist in a repressive country. Use both if you need maximum protection and want to hide the fact you’re even using Tor.

An illustration of two characters choosing between a VPN shield and a Tor onion.

Tor and VPNs are very powerful online privacy tools that are available to everyday people.

Both tools hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic, but they work differently. Using the wrong one can create more problems than solutions.

For most people, a VPN is the best choice. It’s fast, easy to use, and handles everyday needs like bypassing geo-blocks and hiding your online activity from your ISP.

Tor is slower and more complex, but provides a stronger form of anonymity that a VPN can’t match. This makes it a better tool for journalists, activists, or anyone who wants to be untraceable.

In this guide we’ll explain how each tool works, their key differences, and when it makes sense to use both together.

Why Trust Us?

We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.

Tor vs VPN: Key Differences

Tor and VPN software have a lot in common. The right choice for you will depend on your needs.

Tor’s lack of security and very slow speeds make it a poor choice for popular activities, such as streaming and downloading files. For these tasks, we absolutely recommend using a VPN.

To put some real numbers behind this: Tor is around 2,500% slower than a VPN!

Also, VPNs don’t require the same level of technical proficiency as using Tor does. That said, you must choose a trustworthy, no-logs VPN that doesn’t leak your IP and DNS data.

We conducted first-hand tests to find which option performed better for common use cases.

Summary: Key Differences Between Tor and VPN

Table comparing Tor and VPN software side by side.
	Tor	VPN
What’s it best for?	Anonymity	Privacy & Security
How does it route your traffic?	Via a random network of nodes (servers)	Via a single private server
Is your traffic visible?	No	Yes, reliant on no-log policies for privacy
What does it encrypt?	Single Tor browser or entire Tails operating system	All device traffic
How fast is it?	Slow	Fast
How does it assign IP addresses?	Randomly	You can choose city/country
What are the biggest risks?	Exit node traffic exposed	Requires trusting VPN providers not to log

Below, we explain and detail the scenarios where either Tor or a VPN might be the better choice for you:

Privacy

Better for Privacy: VPN

VPNs are generally more private and safer to use, though you are having to place trust in your chosen VPN service.

Still, malicious Tor exit nodes have been used for surveillance and man-in-the-middle attacks in the past, and the use of Tor alone can be enough to mark you for surveillance.

Anonymity

Better for Anonymity: Tor

Tor is better than VPN software for anonymity, but worse for privacy.

Tor’s routing method effectively disconnects your true IP address from your online activity, thanks to its decentralized network. This means your actions are visible but untraceable.

In contrast, VPNs operate through centralized connections, allowing service providers to potentially observe and record your activity.

The risk of your traffic being linked to your real identity is therefore higher, particularly if your VPN keeps activity logs.

Security

Better for Security: VPN

Both tools robustly encrypt your web traffic and secure your data.

Tor relies solely on AES, while VPNs often use a wider range of encryption ciphers, depending on the VPN protocol in use.

Moreover, a VPN will encrypt all web traffic leaving your device, giving you device-wide protection. The Tor Network only encrypts data sent directly from the Tor Browser.

Speed

Better for Speed: VPN

Speed is one of the areas where using a VPN makes the most sense for the vast majority of people.

A VPN is almost always faster than Tor. It encrypts your data and routes it directly via a single VPN server to your destination (unless you’re using multi-hop servers).

Data in the Tor network is routed through multiple widely-dispersed nodes and encrypted and decrypted multiple times, which means it takes much longer to reach the final web server.

To measure the actual difference in speed between the two tools, we ran weekly tests over two months on a capped dedicated internet line (to reduce variables). The results were astonishing.

Downloading a 20GB file with a VPN took us between 30 and 40 minutes on average. With Tor? A staggering 15 hours!

Location Spoofing

Better for Location Spoofing: VPN

You can hide your public IP address with both a VPN and The Onion Network.

However, Tor nodes are randomly allocated, which means choosing a server location is very difficult.

VPN services provide servers in dozens of locations worldwide, allowing you to manually select your preferred server location. This makes VPNs the preferred method of bypassing geo-restrictions.

Price

Better for Price: Tor

The Tor Network is most commonly used through the Tor Browser. It’s a free, Firefox-based anonymous browser that you download and install onto your computer.

Most secure VPN services charge a monthly subscription fee. In general, the longer you subscribe for, the cheaper the monthly cost.

There are also a handful of good and safe free VPNs available, but their limitations may not meet your specific needs.

Ease of Use

Better for Ease of Use: VPN

VPN software is much easier to use than Tor. VPN apps quickly connect to a secure server and change your IP address in one or two taps.

VPNs work with every browser and are easier to set up on more devices, including streaming sticks and routers.

With Tor, you’ll need to download a dedicated browser, which functions differently from other ones. More advanced features, such as setting up bridges or relays, are complex and typically beyond the skill level of the average user.

Dark Web Access

Better for Dark Web Access: Tor

The dark web (.onion websites) is only accessible through the Tor browser.

However, users can choose to use a VPN with Tor for an extra layer of security and to hide that they are even using the tool at all.

Using Tor and VPN Together

Rather than choosing one over the other, it’s sometimes even more secure to use both a VPN and Tor at the same time.

There are two ways to use these tools together: Tor over VPN or VPN over Tor.

We generally recommend Tor over VPN, where you connect to a VPN server before accessing the Tor network. Watch the video below to see how we set this up:

How to Access the Dark Web Safely (with a VPN) | TUTORIAL

That said, both setups have unique outcomes but some pretty major drawbacks, which we will cover in the following sections.

Tor over VPN

‘Tor over VPN,’ also known as Onion over VPN, is when you connect to your VPN before you run the Tor Browser. This is the most common way of combining Tor with a VPN.

Diagram showing Tor running over a VPN

It’s easy to do: just connect to your VPN then launch the Tor browser from your desktop or smartphone.

If you want to use Tor over a VPN, it’s important to choose a VPN that’s been optimized for Tor i.e. it has a no-logs policy, no IP leaks, fast speeds, and anonymous payment options.

When you combine the two tools in this way:

Your ISP and network operator will not know you are connected to the Tor network.
The Tor network entry node will not see your true IP address.
Your VPN provider will be unable to see your traffic.

NordVPN Onion Over VPN Servers

NordVPN Onion Over VPN Servers.

This is particularly useful if you don’t want a network administrator to know you’re connecting to Tor. Or, if your VPN provider has an invasive or vague logging policy.

Keep in mind that:

Your VPN provider will see your true IP address.
Your VPN provider will also be able to see that you are connected to the Tor network.
Tor exit nodes — including malicious exit nodes — will still be able to view your traffic.

VPN over Tor

‘VPN over Tor’ is when you connect to the Tor network before using your VPN.

A diagram showing running a VPN over Tor.

This is technically possible, but not easy. Currently, very few VPNs offer support for running via Tor in this way.

These are the key things to remember when you use a VPN over Tor:

All of your VPN traffic goes through the Tor network, not just your web browsing.
Alongside the benefits of Tor, you also get the advanced features of your VPN. This includes the ability to switch servers for better speeds or use the kill switch to prevent unwanted IP address leaks.
If you need to use .onion resources you can get to them via an alternative browser (not just the Tor browser) through your VPN.
Tor exit nodes will no longer be able to view your traffic.

Importantly, your VPN provider will have access to the same information as using the VPN alone, just with the added slowness and inconvenience of the Tor network.

Other downsides worth highlighting are:

Your choice of VPN service will be restricted.
You’ll experience a huge hit to your connection speeds. Using a VPN over Tor could make a sluggish VPN even more of a chore to use.
Encrypting data with a VPN and then encrypting it again with Tor is overkill that won’t improve your privacy significantly.
Using a VPN through Tor will usually require extra configuration. You may have to install a specific client, download a specific connection file, or change your settings — all of which require time, technical knowledge, and patience.
Unlike onion over VPN, exit nodes aren’t able to see the contents of your traffic but guard nodes can see your real public IP address.

Since guard nodes have access to your real IP address, the Tor Project itself warns users against using a VPN over Tor as it undermines your anonymity.

To be completely honest, using a VPN over Tor is overkill for most people anyway.

What Is Tor?

The Onion Router (Tor) is a free, open-source system designed to allow users to anonymously browse the internet.

Tor encrypts and anonymizes your online activity through a global network of volunteer-maintained access points or ‘nodes’. Your data is rerouted every ten minutes for enhanced security.

The network’s design ensures each node only knows its immediate neighbors, making it impossible to trace your data’s path.

Access to the onion network is limited to the Tor browser, Tails operating system, or Tor-compatible applications. Using other web browsers or apps compromises your anonymity.

The Tor Browser is required to access the Tor Network

The Tor Browser is required to access the Tor Network.

Tor is mainly used by people who prioritize anonymity, including journalists and whistleblowers in authoritarian countries with high censorship.

Unfortunately, criminals also use the service, as it’s the sole gateway to the Dark Web, an unregulated and high-risk part of the internet.

However, this shouldn’t deter you from using it for legitimate reasons. Tor itself is completely legal to use. That said, your ISP can detect Tor usage and may flag you for surveillance.

Here’s what you can do with Tor:

Hide your IP address from the websites you visit
Hide your identity from the nodes in the network
Access ‘hidden’ .onion domains
Anonymize your online activity
Communicate confidentially
Access censored content

How Tor Works

Illustration of data passing through the Tor network.

How your data passes through the Tor network.

Here’s how the Tor network encrypts and anonymizes your internet traffic:

Tor selects three or more random servers (nodes) for your connection.
Your traffic is encrypted so only the exit node can decrypt it.
Multiple layers of encryption are added, one for each node in the chain. Initially, at least three layers protect your data.
The guard node sees your IP address but can’t access your traffic content or destination.
It decrypts the first layer to find the next node’s address and forwards your still-encrypted traffic.
Each subsequent node knows only the previous node’s IP address. It removes one layer of encryption to reveal the next node and passes the data along.
The exit node decrypts the final layer, revealing your traffic but not your identity.
Your traffic then reaches its internet destination.

Throughout this process, no single node knows both who you are and what you are doing.

Unlike a VPN that you simply ‘turn on,’ Tor requires proper configuration and modified browsing habits, otherwise it’s very easy to inadvertently reveal your true IP address and identity.

How to Use Tor

Here’s step-by-step instructions on how to use Tor:

Download and install the Tor browser: The safest way to do this is from the official website.
Open the Tor browser and connect to the network: Click on the ‘Connect’ button. Wait a few seconds for the browser to establish a connection.
Check your connection: Visit the ‘Am I using Tor?’ webpage to verify your Tor connection is set up correctly.
Start browsing the web anonymously: You’ll now be able to access websites safely, and also access ones that were previously hidden, like the dark web.

Pros & Cons of Tor

Table listing the advantages and disadvantages of using Tor.
Pros	Cons
Uses a decentralized network	Almost always slower than a VPN
Completely anonymous	Potential for malicious exit nodes
Bypasses regional restrictions	No geographical precision
Free to use	Can attract unwanted attention or surveillance
	Poor compatibility with other devices
	Complex to set up
	No customer support

What Is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is software that hides your IP address and encrypts your web traffic.

Rather than rerouting your traffic solely via your ISP, a VPN securely channels it through a server located in a location of your choice.

This enhances your privacy and security, as well as allowing you to bypass geo-blocks on websites and apps.

VPNs apps are typically well-designed and easy to use on almost every device, including desktop, mobile, and streaming devices.

Surfshark's apps for Mac and iOS devices

Surfshark’s apps for Mac and iOS devices.

While Tor is built for anonymity, VPNs are a more mainstream tool to hide your online activity from ISPs and to bypass internet geo-restrictions.

Some VPNs come equipped with modern obfuscation to bypass the strictest of internet censorship in countries like China and Russia. They are few and far between, though.

How a VPN Works

When you connect to a VPN, the server acts as an intermediary, forwarding your requests to the target website and receiving the responses.

The VPN server re-encrypts the received information before sending it back to your device, where your VPN app decrypts the incoming data, allowing you to view the requested content securely.

This creates a secure communication channel between your device and the VPN server — often referred to as the ‘VPN tunnel’

Diagram explaining how VPN services work to encrypt and reroute web traffic.

How to Use a VPN

Here’s how to set up and use a VPN service:

Choose and subscribe to a VPN: Visit the VPN’s website to create an account and choose a subscription plan.
Download and install: Get the VPN app from the website (for PC/laptop) or your device’s app store (for mobile).
Sign in and set up: Open the app, sign in, activate the kill switch, and select a secure protocol like WireGuard.
Connect to a server: Choose the country you want to appear to be in.
Browse securely or access geo-blocked websites: Your VPN is now active, masking your IP and concealing your true location.

Pros & Cons of a VPN

Table listing the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN.
Pros	Cons
Almost always faster than Tor	Some providers keep logs of your activity or connection data
Easy to change your IP address	Premium VPNs have subscription fees
Widely compatible with other devices	Risks of data leaks
Provides network-wide protection	VPNs vary in quality
Easy to use
Customer support available

FAQs

Is Tor Legal?

Tor is legal in most countries, although it’s either blocked or restricted in many authoritarian countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Belarus.

Is Tor Safe?

Tor is mostly safe, but not completely. The biggest risk is malicious exit nodes — volunteer-run servers that can intercept your unencrypted traffic. Using only HTTPS websites and combining Tor with a VPN mitigates this danger.

Tor is also safe in the sense that it won’t expose your identity, as long as you use it correctly and don’t log into personal accounts.

Can Tor be Traced by Governments & Law Enforcement?

In theory no, but in practice, people have been identified through their own mistakes rather than flaws in Tor itself.

These mistakes include logging into personal accounts, or using Tor alongside unprotected apps.

Can I Use Tor on My Phone?

Yes, you can. On Android, download the official Tor Browser from the Google Play Store or the Tor Project website.

On iPhone, use Onion Browser, which is endorsed by the Tor Project.

Neither is quite as robust as the desktop experience, so take extra care with your browsing habits on mobile.

Why Is Tor So Slow?

Tor is very slow because your traffic bounces through at least three volunteer-run servers in different locations around the world, with a fresh layer of encryption added and removed at each hop.

Does a VPN Hide You from Your ISP Completely?

When you use a VPN, your ISP can no longer see what you’re doing online. All it sees is that you’re connected to a VPN server, and therefore that you’re using a VPN.

If you want to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, we recommend using a VPN service with modern obfuscation, such as Astrill and Mullvad.

Is Tor Better Than a VPN for Torrenting?

This is a hard no. Tor is far too slow and exit nodes can see unencrypted traffic. Even the Tor Project discourages it.

A no-logs VPN is far better for secure torrenting.