Red Onion vs Orbot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Red Onion
Browse the internet privately and anonymously using a Tor-powered browser. Your real IP address is hidden from websites, and cookies are automatically cleared upon exit. Enjoy features like multiple tabs, bookmarks, history, and real-time search.
- Tor network tunneling
- IP address masking
- Automatic cookie cleanup
- Multiple tabs and bookmarks
- Do Not Track support
- Real-time search
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Red Onion is a unique browser that lets you access the Internet privately and anonymously. Features: - Internet access tunneled over the Tor network - Websites do not see your real IP address - Auto clean up of cookies on exit - Multiple tabs, Bookmarks & History - Supports Do Not Track - Start screen with the most frequent visited history entry's - Real-time search in your browsing history, bookmarks and tabs - Search engine integration in the Address bar - Share URL's via Twitter, Mail, Google+
Orbot
This app provides a free and open-source Tor-powered VPN for enhanced internet safety and privacy. It allows users to browse the web over Tor, secure their traffic, and access .onion sites. While it offers increased privacy, users should be aware that browsing speeds may be slower than a standard VPN.
- Browse internet over Tor
- Secure traffic from insecure networks
- Access .onion sites
- Free and open-source
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Orbot is the original free and open-source Tor-powered VPN for iOS and macOS. Orbot helps you access the internet with more safety and privacy, and no extra cost to you. FEATURES: - Browse the internet over Tor. - Secure your traffic from insecure wireless networks and ISPs. - Access .onion sites that are only accessible over Tor. DISCLAIMERS: - Web browsing is much slower than through a normal VPN because your traffic is encrypted and relayed through the Tor network. - Orbot might not work on networks with advanced network restrictions. If the app does not connect, try using bridges (or a different type of bridge). - Use of Orbot is at your own risk; remember that sensitive data does not always belong on a mobile device. ** Orbot is free and open-source software. You can read more about Orbot and how to support development of Tor on iOS by visiting orbot.app **
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Orbot at Free against Red Onion's $1.99. Orbot also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Red Onion's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (64% vs 26%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Orbot is free to download; Red Onion costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Red Onion holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 951 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Red Onion's written reviews are positive against 26% of Orbot's.
Red Onion ships an update every 5 weeks, Orbot monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Red Onion | Orbot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (1.7K ratings) — better | 3.0 (951 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 64.2% of reviews — better | 25.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K — better | 951 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 88 MB | 115 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Omar Mody | The Tor Project |
Customer experience
Red Onion
Orbot
User reviews
Red Onion
From 1.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Provides privacy and anonymity
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Useful features like download manager
- 🔒 Secure browsing experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connectivity issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Inability to access certain websites
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐢 Slow browsing speeds
Orbot
From 951 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and reliable connection
- 🔒 Secure and private browsing
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🌐 Bypasses censorship and internet restrictions
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and unstable connection
- 🔋 High battery drain
- ⚠️ Incompatible with some iOS versions and devices
- 🕰️ Slow connection speeds
Bugs and requests
Red Onion
Reported bugs
5 issues- App fails to connect to Tor network
- Browser interface becomes unresponsive
- Certain download features not working
- Compatibility issues with iOS 16
- Captcha challenges get stuck indefinitely
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for Tor v3 onion sites
- Improve bookmark management
- Implement reading mode like Safari
- Provide more customization options
- Add option to backup/restore browser settings
Orbot
Reported bugs
4 issues- Fails to connect at 50% or gets stuck in a connection loop
- Causes Wi-Fi or mobile data connection issues
- Randomly disconnects without warning
- Onion Browser integration is unreliable
Requested features
4 requests- Add manual bridge configuration options
- Implement a kill switch to block internet access when VPN disconnects
- Improve compatibility with other iOS apps and services
- Provide more detailed connection logs and diagnostics
In-app purchases
Red Onion
No in-app purchases
Orbot
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Red Onion free?
Is Orbot free?
Which has better reviews, Red Onion or Orbot?
Do Red Onion or Orbot have ads?
Which is updated more often, Red Onion or Orbot?
Other comparisons
