The Best Tor AlternativesTop Anonymizing Networks & Privacy Tools like Tor

Tor is described as 'Is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security' and is a leading anonymizing network in the security & privacy category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Tor for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iPhone apps. The best Tor alternative is I2P, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Tor are Orbot, Hyphanet, Snowflake Tor and Shadowsocks.

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Tor alternatives are mainly Anonymizing Networks, but if you're looking for VPN Services or Privacy Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Anonymizing Network, iPhone and Android. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Tor.
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Alternatives list

  1. I2P icon
     238 likes

    The I2P network provides strong privacy protections for communication over the Internet. Many activities that would risk your privacy on the public Internet can be conducted anonymously inside I2P.

    46 I2P alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • F-Droid
     
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    2
  2. Orbot icon
     166 likes

    Orbot is a freely licensed open-source application developed for the Android platform. It acts as a front-end to the Tor binary application, and also provides an HTTP Proxy for connecting web browsers and other HTTP client applications into the Tor SOCKS interface.

    27 Orbot alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    4
  3. Hyphanet icon
     186 likes

    Hyphanet (former Freenet) is free software which lets you anonymously share files, browse and publish "freesites".

    51 Hyphanet alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
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    1
  4. Snowflake Tor icon
     68 likes

    Snowflake is a system to defeat internet censorship. People who are censored can use Snowflake to access the internet. Their connection goes through Snowflake proxies, which are run by volunteers.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
  5. Shadowsocks icon
     125 likes

    SOCKS5 proxy offering high-speed asynchronous networking, flexible encryption, and easy deployment. Optimized for cross-platform use on PC, Mac, mobile, and routers. Open-source design supports secure, uncensored, and private Internet access worldwide.

    188 Shadowsocks alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  6. ZeroNet icon
     127 likes

    ZeroNet uses cryptography (Bitcoin library) and BitTorrent DHT (centralized trackers) to build a distributed censorship-resistant network.

    30 ZeroNet alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • gevent
    • Self-Hosted
    • NameCoin
    • Python
    • JavaScript
     
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    1
  7. GNUnet icon
     84 likes

    GNUnet is a framework for secure peer-to-peer networking that does not use any centralized or otherwise trusted services. A first service implemented on top of the networking layer allows anonymous censorship-resistant file-sharing.

    57 GNUnet alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
  8. Nym icon
     19 likes

    Protects internet traffic through a decentralized mixnet, hides metadata and communication patterns, enables anonymous transactions using re-randomizable credentials, and provides zero-knowledge proof access for privacy-focused messaging, blockchain, or application needs.

    57 Nym alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  9. lokinet icon
     20 likes

    Lokinet is a decentralised onion router that uses Oxen service nodes as relays, giving Lokinet the same market-based Sybil attack resistance as the Oxen blockchain. Lokinet supports web browsing, onion-routed real-time voice communications, and other applications.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Debian
    • Arch Linux
     
  10. Arti icon
     12 likes

    Arti is a project to produce an embeddable, production-quality implementation of the Tor anonymity protocols in the Rust programming language.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Rust
    • Linux
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • BSD
     
  11. I2P (Invisible Internet Protocol) is a universal anonymous network layer. All communications over I2P are anonymous and end-to-end encrypted, participants don't reveal their real IP addresses.

    79 i2pd (I2P Daemon) alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi
    • C++
    • I2P
    • F-Droid
     
  12. Yggdrasil icon
     21 likes

    A proof-of-concept scalable IPv6 meshnet, featuring end-to-end encryption, a unique spanning tree routing algorithm and aiming to implement novel backpressure routing metrics.

    160 Yggdrasil alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
     
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