Deployment Architecture: A service with a local client that’s hosted by a third party - You install a client on your device, but it connects to and depends on a remote server (Tor Browser is a software that runs locally on a computer but connects to the Tor network to surf the web).
License: Mozilla Public License
Cost: Fully Free
Maintenance and Support
Maintenance Status: Frequent updates ~ every month there is an update. Status page that shows the current status of various sites of the TorProject, includes an incident history. Around $7 million in disclosed funding. Around 28.5% of the revenue was derived from individual donors, reflecting a growing base of grassroots support. Sponsorships: Open Technology Fund, Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Ford Foundation, Fastly (provides in-kind support for hosting Tor update
Community Support: ✅
Maintenance and Sustainability Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.00)
Limitations and Vulnerabilities: According to 2024 3rd party audit ‘documentation could be improved to clarify the commitment to user privacy and avoid any potential data leaks’ & ‘A formal code review process ought to be implemented, focusing on privacy implications for all changes. This process should include peer reviews, automated privacy checks, and regular audits to ensure privacy considerations are consistently addressed during development.’
Websites can limit down their search results if they can determine that you have a different screen resolution than other users. For this reason, running Tor in full screen mode is not advised nor is installing any browser extensions.
Although Tor exclusively secures communication within the Tor Browser, many users mistakenly think it encrypts all of their data. Tor does not cover any other apps, like Zoom or Spotify.
Tor helps protect your privacy online, but it can't protect you if your device is already infected — like if someone installed a keylogger or screen recording malware on your computer.
Do not log into personal accounts (Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or download documents while using Tor as it breaks anonymity.