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A fully encrypted and secure web browser that protects a user's identity while browsing online

A fully encrypted and secure web browser that protects a user's identity while browsing online

Vote: (10 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: The Tor Project

Version: 115.2.1-beta 13.5a5

Works under: Android

Also available for Windows Mac

Vote:

Program license

(10 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

The Tor Project

115.2.1-beta 13.5a5

Works under:

Also available for

Android

Windows Mac

Pros

  • An accessible gateway to the Dark web
  • Highly adjustable security settings
  • Anonymous web browsing

Cons

  • Tends to run slow

If you're worried about your browsing information being tracked, the Tor Browser was designed for you. Tor stands for "the onion router" - a protocol that allows you to browse the internet anonymously by essentially hiding you under layers of internet traffic. The results fall squarely between the questionable privacy of a traditional browser's incognito mode and the sophisticated anonymity afforded by a virtual private network like NordVPN.

More specifically, the Tor Browser will mask your IP address without outright encrypting it and discard rather than cache your important information. Unfortunately, that level of security brings with it added layers of complexity. As a result, the Tor Browser has a tendency to run pretty slow. The anonymous nature can also trigger red flags for a lot of sites, so you may have to verify your identity more often than you would browsing with vanilla Chrome or Firefox.

The Tor Browser is actually built from Firefox, although it comes with some advanced tools for its more specialized users. These include blocking of non-HTML content courtesy of the NoCode browser add-on. It can be a bit obtrusive in its default settings, but a simple toggle lets you change the settings on the fly. Unfortunately, you'll have to be more careful with additional add-ons, as they can jeopardize the security features in place.

The biggest selling point of the Tor Browser may be its ability to access the Dark web - a whole network of hidden sites you can't access with a normal browser. The Tor Browser gives you a whole set of new keys to doors you didn't know existed, but it comes with a cost. It's going to run slower than more traditional browsers, and you'll need to exercise more caution when using it.

Pros

  • An accessible gateway to the Dark web
  • Highly adjustable security settings
  • Anonymous web browsing

Cons

  • Tends to run slow