Over 2 million people access Tor daily, and even more use VPNs.
Both Tor and a VPN can help users keep their information hidden online, but only if you choose the right option. Unfortunately, many people don’t know where to start, and that’s where we come in.
With our advice, you can choose between Tor vs VPN without spending too much time researching the pros and cons.
Read on to learn all about the differences between Tor and VPNs!
What Is Tor?
When looking for ways to stay protected online, many people find themselves coming across Tor (The Onion Router). This is an open-source browser that allows anyone to navigate the internet anonymously.
What makes Tor a unique browser is its many layers of independent nodes. These nodes (or relays) are connected, constantly transferring information to one another.
As a user navigates the internet, these independent nodes will keep their identity protected by masking their IP address. This means that a website cannot see where you’re physically accessing it from.
What Is a VPN?
A VPN (a virtual private network) functions similarly to Tor, but it’s not a browser. Instead, it protects users that are on public networks.
When using a VPN, you can mask your IP address as Tor does, but by choosing a location. Unlike Tor, you can use any browser or application on your device and stay protected. The masked IP address will appear on anything you access.
For example, you can download NordVPN and set your location to Japan. When accessing a website, it’ll see that you’re located in Japan.
Before downloading a VPN, you should read reviews to see how well it operates. If you read more reviews here, you’ll get a better idea of which software is the best.
Which One Is Better for You?
Both Tor and VPNs offer similar benefits, but you don’t need both of them to keep your info hidden online. If the only thing you care about is browsing the web, you can get away with using Tor.
However, if you want total privacy when accessing the internet at all, you should use a VPN. If you use Tor, only the things you access through it will be protected. The only downside to using a VPN is that you’ll need to pay for a decent one.
Now You Know the Differences Between Tor vs VPN
As you can see, both Tor and VPNs offer protection to users, but in different ways. When it comes to choosing between Tor vs VPN, you simply have to think about how much protection you want.
Keep in mind that you can get a VPN from anywhere, but you won’t know how useful it is until you learn more about it. The Tor browser comes from one entity, so you won’t have to spend time researching different versions of it.
To get some Tor tips and VPN tips, check out our other guides.
