5 Best FREE VPNs for Tor Browser (Tried & Tested in 2023)

ByLawrence Williams Hours Updated

best-vpn-tor

Tor is a web browser that uses the onion routing method to encapsulate the data layer. This web browser enables you to surf the Internet anonymously. VPN and Tor both combined can help you to increase your security while connecting to the Internet. You can use Virtual Private Network with the onion router to get extra protection from malicious exit-nodes of Tor. A VPN can be used to hide all your Tor browser usage activity by routing your network traffic through its servers.

Following is a handpicked list of Top VPNs for Tor with their statistics, pros, cons, and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.

Top Pick

ExpressVPN

✔️ Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands

✔️ Servers: 3000+

✔️ Supported Apps: iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows.

✔️ Works with: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Sky, HBO, Torrenting, Kodi

✔️ Money-back guarantee: 30 Days

✔️ Special offer: 3 months FREE on annual plan

Our score:

9.8

Go to ExpressVPN

30-Day Free Trial

 

BEST VPN for Tor (Dark Web): Free/Paid

 
#1 Best Overall

VPN Provider ExpressVPN NordVPN Atlas VPN Surfshark
Number of servers: 3,000+ 5,000+ 750+ 3200+
No. of Server Countries 94 59 37 65
24/7 support ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Max connections 5 6 Unlimited Unlimited
Our Review We rate VPNs based on factors such as Speed, User Experience, Bandwidth, Countries Supported, Pricing, No Log Policy etc.
Excellent – 9.8
Excellent – 9.7
Good – 9.6
Good – 9.5
Free trial VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, but you must subscribe to the 1-month plan first. 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days
Link Try Free Now Try Free Now Try Free Now Try Free Now

1) ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for Tor that enables you to browse the Internet secured from scammers. It offers unlimited access to social media websites, videos, music, and more. This VPN does not log IP addresses, browsing history, DNS queries, and traffic destinations.

This VPN offers online protection using leak proofing and encryption facilities. It helps you to stay secured by encrypting your network data and hiding your IP address. ExpressVPN provides 24/7 assistance via live chat and email.

It is one of the best VPNs for Tor browser that allows you to pay with Bitcoin. ExpressVPN encrypts user web traffic and masks IP addresses. It also helps you to hide your physical location. This VPN service provider offers many subscription plans for 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months. This VPN offers smart DNS service to unblock geo-restricted content.

ExpressVPN

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms:
Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, macOS 		No of Servers: 3000+ Server Countries: 94 Split Tunneling: Yes
Data Allowance: Unlimited Torrenting: Yes Kill Switch: Yes
Able to unblock:
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube TV, and iPlayer. 		No-logging policy: Yes Ip addresses: Dynamic Simultaneous Connection: Unlimited
Free Trial: Yes – 30 days Today Best Deal’s: Check Now!

Pros

The server speed of this VPN is fast.
It does not store traffic destinations, DNS queries, browsing history, and IP address.
It offers a choice of numerous protocols.
This VPN server provides good online privacy.
Excellent customer reviews.
This good-rated VPN provides numerous server locations.

Cons

This VPN is expensive compared to other programs.
It is not good for the advanced user who already knows about the VPN, IP, Internet, etc.
It does not support IPV6.

How to use ExpressVPN for Free:

  • Start your risk-free ExpressVPN trial right here. You can cancel your subscription at any time within 30 days thanks to ExpressVPN’s money-back guarantee.

Get Free Now >>

30-Day Free Trial

2) NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for Tor browser, which does not track, collect, or share your data. It provides security by encrypting the data sent and received. It is a free P2P VPN that helps you prevent ads and malware. It allows you to access numerous streaming websites with no hassle. NordVPN offers subscription plans for 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years.

NordVPN

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms:
Linux, Windows, iOS, and macOS. 		No of Servers: 5000+ Server Countries: 59 Split Tunneling: Yes
Data Allowance: Unlimited Torrenting: Yes Kill Switch: Yes
Able to unblock:
Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, and more. 		No-logging policy: Yes Ip addresses: Static Simultaneous Connection: 6
Best for: Connecting double VPN, onion over VPN servers, P2P.
Free Trial: Yes – 30 days Today Best Deal’s: Check Now!

Pros

It provides you with strong security.
This free VPN for Tor protects you online with a double VPN.
It provides DNS leak and IPv6 protection.
NordVPN has a Smart DNS feature that can be used to access streaming videos on smart TV.

Cons

NordVPN is difficult to configure with OpenVPN.
It supports torrenting for a few servers only.

How to use NordVPN for Free:

  • Start your risk-free NordVPN trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no costs.
  • NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. It also offers flexible pricing plans, which makes it an easy to use and valuable privacy tool.

Get Free Now >>

30-Day Free Trial

3) Atlas VPN

Atlas VPN allows you to discover a safer and more open internet. It offers the best-in-class WireGuard protocol to ensure secure and seamless gaming, streaming, and overall browsing experience. It enables you to access the internet from several IP addresses simultaneously.

AtlasVPN

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms:
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android 		No of Servers: 750+ Server Countries: 37 Split Tunneling: Yes
Data Allowance: Unlimited Torrenting: Yes Kill Switch: Yes
Able to unblock:
YouTube TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu 		No-logging policy: Yes Ip addresses: Dynamic Simultaneous Connection: Unlimited
Free Trial: Yes – 30 days Today Best Deal’s: Check Now!

Pros

It provides support for WireGuard tunneling protocol.
Decent speeds during daily use.
Local and faraway servers showed similar speeds.
Mobile-optimized apps for Android and iOS
Atlas VPN offers a high level of protection with built-in 2-factor authentication
24/7 support via email chat

Cons

Currently not available for Linux
Does not provide any dedicated IP-addresses

How to use Atlas VPN for Free:

  • Start your risk-free AtlasVPN trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no costs.
  • Atlas VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This VPN service provides flexible pricing plans according to your needs.

Get Free Now >>

30-Day Free Trial

4) Surfshark

Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for the Tor browser that provides fast and secure dark web access. This software offers secure tunneling protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2. It makes your physical location private and keeps your sensitive data secure.

It is one of the best Tor VPNs that allows apps and websites to bypass the VPN blocks. You can protect your identity by hiding your real IP address. It does not log your IP, WebRTC, and provides DNS leak protection.

Surfshark is a VPN that allows P2P connection via VPN on certain servers. This is one of the best VPN services that can block unwanted websites without any hassle. It enables you to share your IP address with other people on the same server. This Tor VPN also enables you to bookmark your favorite locations for future use.

Surfshark

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms:
Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and Mac 		No of Servers: 3200+ Server Countries: 65 Split Tunneling: Yes
Data Allowance: Unlimited Torrenting: Yes Kill Switch: Yes
Able to unblock:
Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, iPlayer, and Amazon Prime 		No-logging policy: Yes Ip addresses: Static Simultaneous Connection: Unlimited
Best for: Gaming, Browsing, and Streaming.
Free Trial: Yes – 30 days Today Best Deal’s: Check Now!

Pros

Offers secure and anonymous browsing.
Supports a wide range of apps.
This VPN for Tor has good customer support.
Offers ideal server connection speed.
Enables you to keep your data private using the 256-Bit AES encryption technique.
This VPN works well to bypass your location without detecting Proxy.

Cons

This software has a complicated setup process.
Weak social media presence.

How to use Surfshark for Free:

  • Start your risk-free trial of Surfshark. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no hidden costs.
  • Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. It provides different plans for online privacy and protection.

Get Free Now >>

30-Day Free Trial

5) IPVanish

IPVanish is a VPN application that provides end-to-end encryption for your network. It offers the fastest Virtual Private Network service for a variety of devices. This VPN app helps you to protect your web browsing, file sharing, and video streaming.

IPVanish can automatically suggest the fastest VPN server. It allows you to switch from one server to another with ease. This application helps you to make Internet connections secure.

IPVanish

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms:
iOS, Android, FireOS, Windows, and Mac 		No of Servers: 1300+ Server Countries: 75 Split Tunneling: Yes – easily used for FireOS and Android devices
Data Allowance: Unlimited Torrenting: Yes Kill Switch: Yes
Able to unblock:
Netflix: Yes- US and UK only 		No-logging policy: Yes Ip addresses: Dynamic Simultaneous Connection: Unlimited
Best for: Streaming high-quality video content
Free Trial: Yes – 30 days Today Best Deal’s: Check Now!

Pros

This VPN provides numerous security features.
Offers a wide range of protocols.
It does not provide a free trial.
Available at a good price.
Offers fast server speed.
Provides a good speed to stream 8K video.
This is a decent working app.
IPVanish has a built-in DNS leak protection feature.

Cons

Does not provide good customer support.
Sometimes it finds unusual information about server location.
It has some privacy issues.

How to use IPVanish for Free:

  • Start your risk-free trial for IPVanish. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no hidden costs.
  • IPVanish offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This VPN application has many flexible plans for individuals as well as organizations.

Get Free Now >>

30-Day Free Trial

6) CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a tool to unblock websites and enjoy your favorite content with no hassle. It is one of the best IP blocker software for streaming as well as bypassing geo-restrictions. This program helps you to surf the Internet anonymously without any restriction.

CyberGhost VPN allows you to access the NoSpy server and encrypts the data using the latest 256-bit AES encryption technique. This program enables you to hide IPs with just one tap. It notifies you when you connect to an unsecured public network.

CyberGhost

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms:
Linux, Mac, FireStick, Android, and Windows 		No of Servers: 7000+ Server Countries: 91 Split Tunneling: Yes
Data Allowance: Unlimited Torrenting: Yes Kill Switch: Yes
Able to unblock:
Netflix 		No-logging policy: Yes Ip addresses: Static Simultaneous Connection: 7
Best for: Accessing streaming websites with HD video content.
Free Trial: No – 45-day money-back guarantee Today Best Deal’s: Check Now!

Pros

Hides your IP for surfing anonymously online with ease.
Protects your digital identity.
Breaks all geo-restrictions.
Unblocks any website.
Allows you to torrent anonymously.
Helps you to protect your connections on public Wi-Fi.
Enables you to hide IP addresses through good VPN connectivity.
Provides lots of locations to select from.
Offers fast server speed.

Cons

Certain servers are slow and can affect your network speed.
Username and password management are complicated.
Sometimes CyberGhost software crashes.

How to use CyberGhost for Free:

  • Start your risk-free CyberGhost trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no extra costs.
  • CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee and provides many plans for users with different needs.

Get Free Now >>

45-day money-back guarantee

Tor over VPN vs. VPN over Tor

Here is a difference between Tor over VPN and VPN over Tor:

What is Tor over VPN

You can easily utilize Tor over VPN by connecting to Virtual Private Network and accessing the dark web through Tor. Here, your network traffic is encrypted by Tor as well as VPN before leaving any device.

Here is how your network traffic passed with Tor over VPN:

Your device -> Encrypted by Virtual Private Network and Tor -> VPN server -> The Onion Router network -> access the Internet

Pros:

  • Your Internet Service Provider cannot see that you are using the Tor browser.
  • It has an easy to set up process.
  • You can easily access .onion sites.
  • Provides flexibility to use Virtual Private Network with a normal browser for the task that is not critical.
  • Tor browser entry nodes can’t view your real IP.

Cons:

  • Sites can block network traffic from Tor exit nodes.
  • Virtual Private Networks can see the real IP address.
  • It can expose your web traffic to compromised exit nodes of Tor.

What is VPN over Tor?

VPN over Tor is hard to set up because it needs configuration on a Virtual Private Network server. This facility is provided by only AirVPN.

Here is how your network traffic passed with VPN over Tor:

Your device-> Encrypted by Virtual Private Network and Tor -> The Onion Router network -> VPN server -> access the Internet

Pros:

  • Your traffic cannot be seen by ISP nor VPN.
  • Access to apps and websites that normally blocks network traffic from the exit node of Tor.
  • Virtual Private Network can’t see your actual IP address.
  • Tor exit nodes do not have packet discrimination.
  • Your traffic will be routed through Tor with no individual configuration.

Cons:

  • Your Internet Service Provider can see that you are using the Tor browser.
  • You cannot access .onion websites.
  • The entry node of Tor can see your actual IP address.
  • You cannot run P2P (Point to Point) or other applications outside of the Tor browser without breaking the connection from the VPN.

How to use VPN in Tor?

Here are steps to use Tor with a VPN:

Step 1) Go to NordVPN Website. Press the Start Now button. This will takes you to the subscription page.

VPN in Tor

Step 2)NordVPN offers three plans: a) 1 month, b) 1 year, and c) 2 years.

Choose your desired plan. Continue to create an account, select and pay via desired payment option.

VPN in Tor

Step 3) Your NordVPN subscription has started.

You can log in to the NordVPN website and download the installation file for your desired platform. Below we download the app for Windows.

VPN in Tor

Step 4) Install and launch NordVPN.

Open Tor Browser and you are all set

VPN in Tor

FAQ:

VPN and Tor are both software that helps you to protect your online anonymity. Virtual Private Network is one of the secure applications compared to the Tor browser. The Onion Router is a free program that can encrypt your request but is slow compared to VPN. Tor does not allow you to access the dark web and can lead to legal trouble. On the other hand, VPN can help you to access all Internet websites and put you in control of your selected location.

Here are the best VPNs for the Tor browser:

VPN and Tor both are anonymity applications. You can use these tools for online privacy and security. However, these are two separate programs, but you can use these applications together. This way, it will give assurance that you will completely stay away from all kinds of surveillance and snoops online.

If you use Tor, then there are chances that your identity gets exposed. But when you connect to a VPN before using Tor, Virtual Private Network will provide different IP and make you invisible online using encryption algorithms.

A VPN can be used to secure your entire device and hides all your activities of the Tor network from your ISP. While if you use just The Onion Router, then it will only encrypt traffic that is passed through this browser. Your other websites and applications will pass through a regular Internet connection. So, you should use VPN for Tor to get extra layer of privacy and security.

It depends on the country in which the VPN is used. Every country has different rules and regulations about using VPNs. Some countries allow using a VPN, while some countries do not allow using a VPN at all. However, if you are using a VPN in a country that allows using a VPN, you should still read the terms and conditions of the VPN before using it.

Yes, you can use a free VPN with Tor, but they are not as safe as paid VPNs. You are putting your online privacy at risk by using a free VPN. Users can experience slower Internet speeds and other issues connecting with a free VPN. So, it is not a preferred option to use a free VPN software that compromises security by logging and selling your information to third-party advertisers. Therefore, it is good that you choose a reliable premium VPN for a 30 day risk-free trial with a money-back guarantee.

Using the Tor network makes your identity difficult to be tracked, but not impossible. Therefore, it is safer to use dedicated VPN service provider tools with Tor.

Tor browser is useful for anyone who wants to keep their Internet activities out of the hands of ISPs, advertisers, and websites. That includes people looking to hide their IP address, go beyond the censorship restrictions in their country, or anyone else who does not want to disclose their identity.

You can use Tor for browsing, but many websites block connections from this browser and delete cookies. If you use The Onion Router, it will take more time to load sites.

Yes, you can use Tor for both Android and iOS operating systems.

Split tunneling in a Virtual Private Network enables you to route some portion of your Internet traffic via VPN. While the other portion has direct Internet access. This technology helps you to protect the traffic you choose at the same time; you will not lose access to your local network devices.

BEST VPN for Tor (Dark Web): Free/Paid

 
#1 Best Overall

VPN Provider ExpressVPN NordVPN Atlas VPN Surfshark
Number of servers: 3,000+ 5,000+ 750+ 3200+
No. of Server Countries 94 59 37 65
24/7 support ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Max connections 5 6 Unlimited Unlimited
Our Review We rate VPNs based on factors such as Speed, User Experience, Bandwidth, Countries Supported, Pricing, No Log Policy etc.
Excellent – 9.8
Excellent – 9.7
Good – 9.6
Good – 9.5
Free trial VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, but you must subscribe to the 1-month plan first. 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days
Link Try Free Now Try Free Now Try Free Now Try Free Now

You Might Like: