Tor separates the knowledge of who you are (your incoming IP address) and the website you're visiting, making it much more difficult to record your activities. VPNs have a single layer of encryption which protects you from end-to-end Tor uses multiple layers, but these are peeled off as you travel from server to server.Īnd VPNs require you to log into a server, which then sees every website you visit (and could log that data, theoretically). But there are several differences in how the process works.įor example, while VPNs typically use a single server, Tor routes your data through at least three.

Tor uses the same core principle as a VPN service: it hides your IP address from websites by routing your traffic through another server. It passes its response back to the exit node, which routes it through the Tor network and back to you. Your target website sees the IP address of the Tor exit node rather than yours, so has even less idea of who you are. When your data reaches the last relay, also called the exit node, it removes the final layer of encryption and routes your web request to its real destination. All they do is remove a layer of encryption and pass the data to the next relay. The subsequent relays don't have your IP address or know which site you're trying to visit. The only information it has is the address of the next relay. It can't see which site you're trying to access, either, so there's no way to log what you're doing. The guard relay knows your IP address but has no other clues to your identity.

In fact, Tor stands for 'The Onion Router', and takes its name from this layering idea. The first (or 'guard') relay receives your data and peels off the first layer of encryption, like the layer of an onion. This involves encrypting your data multiple times, then passing it through a network of volunteer-run servers (or 'relays') from around the world. Tor is an open-source package based around a principle called Onion Routing. Get more free security with today's best free VPNs.In this article we'll explain how Tor works, when to use it, and how you can combine Tor with a VPN to get the best possible protection. Is Tor the perfect web anonymity tool? Not quite, but it can work very well in some situations. Oh, and it's also free, with no registration required, no data limits, no ads and no constant demands to upgrade to a paid product. It accesses both regular websites and the dark web, the hidden area of the internet which you won't find indexed on Google. Tor is a custom browser with clever open-source technology which uses some very smart tricks to protect your web anonymity. If you're looking to keep your online activities to yourself then Tor is a great option for your privacy toolkit.

Tor onion router.