Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Tor2web VS Freenet

Compare Tor2web VS Freenet and see what are their differences

Tor2web logo Tor2web

Tor2Web Install with SSL.

Freenet logo Freenet

Mae-enjoy mo na ang LIBRENG INTERNET ACCESS mula sa freenet! Ang libreng net na bet! freenet is an app where you can access the internet for free. Get 24/7 free access to our partner apps and sites. FREE INTERNET!
  • Tor2web Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-04
  • Freenet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

Tor2web features and specs

  • Anonymity
    Tor2web provides a layer of anonymity for users accessing .onion sites without needing to install Tor browser, offering some level of privacy to users.
  • Ease of Access
    Users can access .onion sites via regular browsers without setting up Tor, making it user-friendly and accessible for those unfamiliar with Tor.
  • Encourages Awareness
    Facilitates greater public awareness and understanding of content hosted on the darknet by lowering the barrier to access.

Possible disadvantages of Tor2web

  • Reduced Anonymity
    Using Tor2web does not provide the full anonymity of Tor Browser since the user's IP address is exposed to the Tor2web proxy service.
  • Security Risks
    Users may be susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks or other security vulnerabilities since traffic is not end-to-end encrypted by default.
  • Performance Issues
    Accessing .onion sites via Tor2web can be slower compared to using Tor Browser due to additional layers in the connection process.

Freenet features and specs

  • Privacy and Anonymity
    Freenet is designed to allow users to publish and retrieve information with strong privacy guarantees. This is achieved through decentralized data storage and routing, which makes it difficult to trace the source or destination of data.
  • Censorship Resistance
    Due to its decentralized nature, Freenet is built to resist censorship. Data is spread across various nodes, making it hard for any single entity to control or block access to information.
  • Decentralized Network
    Freenet does not rely on centralized servers; instead, data is distributed across a network of volunteers. This reduces single points of failure and lowers the risk of network shutdown.
  • Self-Healing Technology
    Freenet incorporates self-healing algorithms to ensure data redundancy and resilience. If a node goes offline, the network automatically redistributes the data, maintaining availability.
  • Free Software
    Freenet is open-source software, meaning its code is freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. This openness fosters transparency and collaboration among developers around the world.

Possible disadvantages of Freenet

  • Performance Issues
    Due to the encryption and decentralization methods used, Freenet can be slower than traditional internet services. Users may experience longer wait times for data retrieval and downloads.
  • Complexity
    Setting up and using Freenet can be more complex compared to conventional internet applications. Users may need to invest time to understand the system and properly configure it.
  • Limited Content Availability
    Freenet's user base is smaller compared to the traditional internet, leading to less content being available. Additionally, because it's decentralized, finding specific content can be more challenging.
  • Storage Load
    As a node in the Freenet network, users contribute storage space to help host distributed data. This can consume significant disk space, affecting the performance of the host machine.
  • Potential for Malicious Content
    The anonymity and decentralization that protect privacy and resist censorship can also be exploited to distribute illegal or harmful content. This raises ethical and legal concerns.

Analysis of Freenet

Overall verdict

  • Freenet can be considered a good option for users who prioritize privacy and anonymous communication over the Internet. However, its effectiveness depends on the user's needs regarding censorship resistance and anonymity. While it is beneficial for secure communication, it might not be as user-friendly as standard web services for casual users. Users must be aware of its limitations, such as potential slow network speeds and the complexity of setup and use.

Why this product is good

  • Freenet is a peer-to-peer platform designed to enable users to browse and publish on the Internet anonymously. It prioritizes privacy, censorship resistance, and decentralized, secure communication. Freenet is valuable for those concerned about freedom of speech, privacy, and overcoming governmental and corporate surveillance and censorship. Its architecture allows users to access and share 'freesites' without exposing their identity, making it a tool against censorship and maintaining user anonymity. The network is decentralized, meaning it does not rely on central servers, which reduces the risk of a single point of failure or control.

Recommended for

  • Journalists and activists working under oppressive regimes
  • Individuals seeking to avoid censorship and surveillance
  • Privacy enthusiasts wanting to protect their identity online
  • Researchers interested in exploring decentralized networks

Tor2web videos

No Tor2web videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Freenet videos

Aaron Jones: Introduction To Freenet

More videos:

  • Review - Internet Security: TOR and Freenet

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Tor2web and Freenet)
Security & Privacy
36 36%
64% 64
VPN
20 20%
80% 80
Cloud VPN
0 0%
100% 100
Web Browsers
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Tor2web and Freenet

Tor2web Reviews

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Freenet Reviews

The 10 Best Open Source VPN Apps
Although you can get this VPN free of cost, the creators recommend making donations so that the software can be updated more frequently. Lastly, you can install this application on Windows, Linux, and macOS, but Freenet is not available on mobile platforms like some of the other entries on our list.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Freenet seems to be a lot more popular than Tor2web. While we know about 33 links to Freenet, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Tor2web. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Tor2web mentions (2)

  • Tor to web gateway
    I am trying to access DuckDuckGo from the Tor to web gateway at https://tor2web.org but it seems .onion.to, .onion.city, .onion.cab, and .onion.direct are all not working. Are there working tor2web gateways, so I do not have to use the Tor browser to access onion services? Source: almost 2 years ago
  • NodeRed Over HTTPS
    You could possibly also use a TOR2Web instance or host your own. I have heard this is not a good idea but I have no idea why. Tor2web.org. Source: over 3 years ago

Freenet mentions (33)

  • We're getting some positive attention on HN right now
    You are linking "original Freenet" to a PDF on freenet.org instead of linking to freenetproject.org ? Source: about 2 years ago
  • Freenet 2023: A drop-in decentralized replacement for the world wide web
    It clashes with the Freenet project https://freenetproject.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What Are Alternatives to the Internet?
    There's a few abstractions of the web you can use today. https://freenetproject.org/ https://geti2p.net/en/ https://www.gnunet.org/en/ https://www.ipfs.tech/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • A player-owned RPG - would you want to participate in such a game?
    Instead of use of Blockchain you could also use Freenet . The only bad thing here data could be lost, but mostly only data is lost when not used. This could be used to auto purge forks that most people dislike. If for example some reason there are multiple alternatives how the story goes some of them will die after a while and removed from system. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Internet Archive Takes Down BBC’s Documentary on PM Modi: Report
    An automatically space balancing solution would be Freenet. Given that it's content addressing, it's possible to push data into it and have it deduplicate automatically. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Tor2web and Freenet, you can also consider the following products

Onion.pet - Tor2Web gateway for Tor and I2P hidden services

I2P - The I2P network provides strong privacy protections for communication over the Internet.

Onion.link - Enabling search and global access to Tor's onion-sites.

Tor Browser - Tor is free software for enabling anonymous communication.

Onion.ly - Access the Tor and I2p networking without leaving your favorite browser.

OpenVPN - OpenVPN - The Open Source VPN