IronFox vs Tor Browser
IronFox
ironfoxoss.org
Tor Browser
torproject.orgSide by side
| Figure | IronFox | Tor Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 8.5 (#36) | 9.1 (#10) |
| Spec score · Privacy browsers | 8.5 (#12) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Downloads | IronFox is available through Accrescent, its F-Droid repository, Obtainium, and direct downloads. | Tor Browser is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. |
| Founded | 2024 | 2006 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | IronFox is free and open source, and says it removes proprietary libraries from Firefox through deblobbing. | Yes |
| Supported platforms | mobile | both |
| Support | The documentation directs users needing help to relevant documentation sections or to contact project maintainers through the listed communication channels. | 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. |
| Tracker blocking | Yes | Each website is isolated so third-party trackers and ads cannot follow the user, and cookies are cleared when the session ends. |
Plans
In their own words
IronFox
IronFox is a free, open-source web browser for Android, with privacy controls that clear browsing history, cache, download history and open tabs when the app closes. It blocks ads and trackers, enables DNS over HTTPS with Quad9 by default, and turns on HTTPS-Only Mode, proxied Google Safe Browsing and basic per-site process isolation. The project says it does not collect, store or sell user data. Based on the latest Firefox release, IronFox removes tracking and proprietary libraries, replaces Google Mobile Services with open alternatives including microG, and adds UnifiedPush support. It also supports end-to-end encrypted Firefox Sync. Installation requires Android 5 or newer, supported ARM or x86_64 architecture, and 512 MB of free disk space. IronFox warns that it cannot defeat sophisticated fingerprinting and recommends Tor Browser for some threat models. It also notes Firefox-based browsers have security deficiencies compared with Chromium, especially on Android, and that disabled Encrypted Media Extensions can prevent some DRM-protected streaming playback.
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.