Tor (The Onion Router) is a free privacy system with two parts: the Tor network, thousands of volunteer relays that anonymise traffic, and the Tor Browser, which routes your browsing through that network automatically. It hides your identity and lets you reach .onion sites. Get it only from torproject.org — it's free.
- Tor = The Onion Router: a network plus a free browser
- Routes traffic through three relays to hide your identity
- Lets you reach .onion sites ordinary browsers can't open
- Download only from torproject.org — it's free
- Protects routing, not behaviour; it is not a VPN
Tor is the software that makes the dark web reachable, and the single most important privacy tool on the internet. The name stands for The Onion Router, and understanding what it is — and isn't — clears up most confusion about the dark web.
The browser and the network
“Tor” refers to two connected things. The Tor network is a system of thousands of volunteer-run relays around the world that anonymise internet traffic. The Tor Browser is a free, modified version of Firefox that routes your browsing through that network automatically. When people say they “use Tor,” they usually mean the browser.
What it does
Tor hides your identity by routing your traffic through three relays, encrypted in layers, so that no single point can link you to what you're doing. The site you visit sees a Tor exit address, not yours, and your internet provider sees that you connected to Tor but not what you did. It also lets you reach .onion sites that ordinary browsers can't open.
Where to get it: only from the official site, torproject.org. Tor Browser is free — there is no paid version, and anything charging for it is a scam.
Who uses it, and why
Tor is used far more widely than its dark web reputation suggests: journalists protecting sources, people under censorship reaching blocked news, businesses researching competitors, law enforcement conducting investigations, and ordinary people who simply value privacy. It was originally created by US naval researchers to protect government communications, and using it is legal in most countries.
What Tor isn't
Tor is not a VPN, and it's not magic. It protects the routing of your traffic, not your behaviour: logging into a personal account or downloading a risky file can undo it instantly. It's also slower than a normal browser, because your traffic takes three hops. And whether you also need a VPN with it is more nuanced than most guides claim.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tor in simple terms?
Tor is free software that hides your identity online by routing your traffic through three volunteer relays. The Tor Browser does this automatically and also lets you reach .onion dark web sites. The name means The Onion Router.
Is Tor the same as the dark web?
No. Tor is the tool; the dark web is a set of sites you reach with it. Tor is also used to browse the ordinary web anonymously, which is most of its use.
Is Tor safe to use?
Yes, for most people. Tor is a legitimate privacy tool. The risks come from what you do with it — downloading files or revealing personal details — not from the software itself.
Where do I download Tor?
Only from the official site, torproject.org. Tor Browser is free; there is no paid or ‘pro’ version, and anything charging for it is a scam.
Is Tor a VPN?
No. A VPN routes your traffic through one company you must trust. Tor routes through three independent relays so no single one can link you to your activity. They solve different problems.