Basilisk vs Tor Browser
Basilisk
basilisk-browser.org
Tor Browser
torproject.orgSide by side
| Figure | Basilisk | Tor Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 8.2 (#58) | 9.1 (#10) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | desktop | both |
| Support | User support and public discussion are handled through the Basilisk section of the Pale Moon forum; confirmed reproducible bugs should be filed in the source repository. | Tor Project provides a user support team and recommends its public forum for help; its support channels focus on assisting Tor users in censored regions. |
| What it does | Basilisk is an independently developed desktop web browser built on the Unified XUL Platform and Goanna rendering engine. | Tor Browser routes browsing through the Tor network to hide the user's IP address, resist tracking and help bypass censorship. |
Plans
In their own words
Basilisk
Basilisk has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Tor Browser
Tor Browser routes its own web traffic through the Tor network to help hide a user's real IP address and resist tracking, surveillance, and censorship. Based on Mozilla Firefox ESR, it adds measures such as letterboxing, user-agent spoofing, and first-party isolation to make browser fingerprinting harder. Connections to different websites use different Tor circuits, while connections to the same website address use the same circuit. HTTPS-Only Mode upgrades connections to HTTPS where possible. Standard, Safer, and Safest security levels restrict browser features to varying degrees, which can cause some pages to work improperly. The browser can access onion services, and users in censored regions can configure bridges during setup. It is free, open-source software for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Only Tor Browser traffic goes through Tor; other applications on the device are not automatically protected. The Tor Project recommends verifying download signatures and strongly discourages extra browser add-ons because they can affect privacy, security, or functionality.