Nordstjernen vs Tor Browser
Nordstjernen
nordstjernen.org
Tor Browser
torproject.orgSide by side
| Figure | Nordstjernen | Tor Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Web browsers | 7.5 (#126) | 9.1 (#10) |
| Downloads | The download page lists current 1.0.29 Linux portable and Debian or Ubuntu packages, with the most recent macOS, Alpine, openSUSE, and Java packages from 1.0.23. | Tor Browser is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. |
| Maker | The project says Nordstjernen is built in Norway. | The Tor Project is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 to advance human rights and freedoms through free, open anonymity and privacy technologies. |
| Support | The privacy page directs questions to the Nordstjernen issue tracker. | 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. |
Plans
In their own words
Nordstjernen
Nordstjernen 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.