Tor vs VPN

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a single server operated by the VPN provider.

How it works:

• Your traffic is encrypted and sent to the VPN server
• The VPN server decrypts it and forwards it to the destination
• The destination sees the VPN server's IP, not yours

Pros:

• Fast speeds
• Easy to use
• Good for streaming and general browsing

Cons:

• You must trust the VPN provider
• Single point of failure
• VPN provider can see your traffic

Tor (The Onion Router)

Tor encrypts your traffic in multiple layers and routes it through 3 random nodes (guard, middle, exit).

How it works:

• Your traffic is encrypted in 3 layers
• Each node only knows the previous and next hop
• No single node knows both your IP and your destination

Pros:

• No single point of trust
• Strong anonymity
• Decentralized network

Cons:

• Slower speeds
• Some websites block Tor exit nodes
• Exit node can see unencrypted traffic (use HTTPS)

Tor over VPN

Connect to VPN first, then use Tor.

How it works:

• Your traffic goes: You → VPN → Tor → Destination
• Your ISP sees VPN traffic, not Tor
• The Tor guard node sees the VPN's IP, not yours

When to use:

• When you want to hide Tor usage from your ISP
• When Tor is blocked in your country
• Extra layer of protection for the guard node

VPN over Tor

Connect to Tor first, then use VPN.

How it works:

• Your traffic goes: You → Tor → VPN → Destination
• The VPN sees Tor exit node IP, not yours
• Destination sees VPN's IP

When to use:

• When you need a fixed IP that isn't a Tor exit
• When accessing services that block Tor
• When you trust the VPN more than random exit nodes