Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Tor Browser VS Pale Moon

Compare Tor Browser VS Pale Moon and see what are their differences

Tor Browser logo Tor Browser

Tor is free software for enabling anonymous communication.

Pale Moon logo Pale Moon

Pale Moon is an Open Source, Mozilla-derived web browser available for Microsoft Windows and Linux, focusing on efficiency and ease of use.
  • Tor Browser Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-14
  • Pale Moon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-15

Tor Browser features and specs

  • Anonymity
    The Tor Browser allows users to browse the internet anonymously by routing connections through a network of volunteer-run servers, masking the user's IP address and location.
  • Circumvent Censorship
    Tor can help users bypass government or organizational censorship, allowing access to websites and services that might be blocked in certain regions.
  • Security
    Tor encrypts data multiple times through its network layers (onion routing), making it difficult for attackers to intercept and read communications.
  • Free and Open Source
    Tor Browser is free to use and its source code is publicly available, promoting transparency and trust in its security and privacy features.
  • Access to .onion Sites
    Tor Browser provides access to .onion websites, which are part of the Tor hidden services, offering content that isn't available through traditional web browsers.

Possible disadvantages of Tor Browser

  • Slower Speeds
    Routing traffic through multiple Tor nodes can significantly reduce browsing speed compared to traditional web browsers.
  • Not Fully Immune to Tracking
    Despite its strong privacy features, Tor is not completely immune to sophisticated tracking techniques and cannot protect against all forms of surveillance.
  • Potential for Misuse
    Tor's anonymity features can be exploited for illegal activities, including access to dark web marketplaces and illicit content.
  • Limited Functionality
    Some websites and services may block Tor users or require additional verification steps, reducing the overall usability of the browser.
  • Complexity
    While Tor Browser is generally user-friendly, the underlying concepts and settings can be complex for non-technical users, requiring a learning curve to use effectively.

Pale Moon features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Pale Moon is designed to be a lightweight browser, which leads to lower memory usage compared to more feature-heavy browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
  • Customizable
    The browser allows extensive customization options, from the user interface to various settings, to suit user preference.
  • Privacy-Focused
    Pale Moon prioritizes user privacy and includes a number of features designed to protect user data and reduce tracking.
  • Legacy Add-on Support
    It continues to support many legacy Firefox add-ons that are no longer supported in the latest versions of Firefox.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Pale Moon allows users to review the source code, fostering transparency and community contributions.

Possible disadvantages of Pale Moon

  • Compatibility Issues
    Some websites may not display or function correctly because they are optimized for more mainstream browsers.
  • Slower Update Cycle
    Pale Moon's update cycle can be slower compared to more mainstream browsers, potentially delaying important security and feature updates.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    The browser ecosystem, including add-ons and extensions, is less extensive compared to giants like Chrome or Firefox.
  • Fewer Developer Resources
    As a smaller project, Pale Moon has fewer developer resources, which may affect the speed and scope of development and troubleshooting.
  • Less Familiar Interface
    Users accustomed to the interfaces of more mainstream browsers may find Pale Moon's interface less familiar and harder to navigate initially.

Tor Browser videos

Tor Browser How to Use & Download Tor to Access the Dark Web

Pale Moon videos

A look at the Pale Moon web browser - Battle of the browsers

More videos:

  • Review - Browser wars: Pale Moon vs Firefox ESR [Part 1]
  • Review - Pale Moon Web Browser
  • Demo - Pale Moon Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Tor Browser and Pale Moon)
Security & Privacy
80 80%
20% 20
Web Browsers
58 58%
42% 42
VPN
100 100%
0% 0
Customisable Web Browser
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Tor Browser and Pale Moon. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Tor Browser and Pale Moon

Tor Browser Reviews

Brave Alternative - 8 Privacy-Focused and Reliable Options
If you’re looking for maximum privacy and anonymity on the internet, the best Brave alternative is the Tor browser.
Source: mspoweruser.com
Best Tor Browser Alternative for Risk-Free Web Surfing
Epic Browser is another notable contender among Tor Browser alternatives. Developed by Hidden Reflex, Epic Browser boasts a sleek design and a host of privacy-preserving features. Unlike Tor Browser, Epic Browser uses a proxy server instead of the Tor network, resulting in faster browsing speeds.
5 Most Privacy Focused Web Browsers
Unlike LibreWolf, Tor Browser lets you utilize the Tor network, which could affect your web experience but gives a big privacy boost. You can browse onion sites to fight against censorship, and keep things private at the same time.
Source: itsfoss.com
Avoid The Hack: 6 Best Privacy Browser Picks for Windows
The Brave Browser also has a "Tor" tabs feature, which provides some additional privacy by using the Tor network as a proxy. However, using Brave' Tor Tab feature does not provide the same level of privacy as using the actual Tor browser; users needing or wanting a "true" anonymous browser for anonymous browsing should use Tor.
10 Best FREE Anti Tracking Software In 2023 [TOP SELECTIVE]
Tor is a scripted onion browser that uses onion linking on a multi-server linking technique to access a particular website. Users state that Tor is mainly used to access the dark web and for security purposes, as it’s highly untraceable.

Pale Moon Reviews

Best Tor Browser Alternative for Risk-Free Web Surfing
Pale Moon is a lightweight, open-source browser that shares a common ancestry with Firefox. Pale Moon prides itself on delivering a fast and efficient browsing experience while maintaining a strong commitment to privacy.
The 11 Best Web Browsers Not Based on Chromium
One of the standout features of Pale Moon is its commitment to maintaining support for legacy add-ons. Over time, many popular browsers have moved away from supporting older add-on formats, leaving users with limited options for extending their browser's functionality. However, Pale Moon continues to support these legacy add-ons alongside newer formats, ensuring that you can...
Source: stackdiary.com
Avoid The Hack: 6 Best Privacy Browser Picks for Windows
Pale Moon definitely gives an old-school browser vibe that may throw some users off (or make you reminisce about the good ol' days), but it is highly customizable with many themes and add-ons available; its add-on directory has "legacy" versions of uBlock Origin and uMatrix configured to work with Pale Moon's Goanna engine.
10 Alternative Browsers Based on Mozilla Firefox
Pale Moon is developed and supported by the user community and is not for profit. The browser supports many Firefox extensions as well as those exclusive to Pale Moon itself.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Tor Browser should be more popular than Pale Moon. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. 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.

Tor Browser mentions (9)

  • What crime are you okay with people committing?
    Https://torproject.org/download and get the correct app for your device and slap. Source: over 2 years ago
  • HOW to 100% ANONYMOUSLY REPORT unsafe working conditions!!
    TL;DR: The method involves utilizing public wifi (NOT from work or from home) and either the Tor Browser (beginner) OR the Tails OS (advanced, slightly more anonymous) AND one of the free .onion email providers seen here (or similar sites) to send truly anonymous email to anyone you want...including CEOs, state health departments, news agencies, credentialing/accreditation bodies...the list goes on. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Do websites get fingerprint from Tor Mobile?
    Or go to https://torproject.org/download and follow the download link for Android to the PlayStore and check that is the app you have installed. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Hidden Wiki
    This? Well I don't think that's malicious (from looking at it for like 3 minutes), but you should delete that app. Only download stuff that's listed at https://torproject.org/download. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Tor Browser 11.0 Alpha 9 Crack 2022
    Https://torproject.org/download gives you the Tor Browser, for free, with nothing locked behind a license. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Pale Moon mentions (6)

  • XUL Layout has been removed from Firefox
    The Palemoon browser [0] also still uses XUL, and is in many ways a continuation of XUL browsers (was originally forked from FF 29, updated with various components from FF 50+, and with many other tweaks). [0] https://palemoon.org. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • All computers are garbage!
    The Pale Moon browser https://palemoon.org/ strikes a pretty good balance, IMO. They forked it from Firefox 24 and focused development narrowly on fixing Firefox's massive backlog of bugs and keeping up with core web standards. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Browser sync—what are the risks of turning it on?
    Or use a browser that unlike Chromezilla browsers just uses a local encryption key for sync that's your responsibility to not forget, so even if their sync server is hacked no one can read your synced data. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Firefox DYING is TERRIBLE for the Web
    Check it out: https://palemoon.org/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Pre configured setting for Firefox privacy, security, anti-fingerprinting.
    Or use Pale Moon, which is an updated, independent fork of Firefox without the retarded changes brought in after Australis (haters repeating ignorant lies that it is oLd aNd iNsEcUrE and who demonstrably have no clue what a software fork means can go sit on a cactus). Source: almost 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Tor Browser and Pale Moon, you can also consider the following products

Brave - Fast and secure, ad and tracker blocking browser.

Mozilla Firefox - Get the browsers that put your privacy first — and always have

ProtonVPN - ProtonVPN is a security focused FREE VPN service, developed by CERN and MIT scientists. Use the web anonymously, unblock websites & encrypt your connection.

Vivaldi - Vivaldi is a free, fast web browser designed for power-users. You decide how you browse. Download Vivaldi's fully customisable browser now and browse your way.

OpenVPN - OpenVPN - The Open Source VPN

Google Chrome - Google Chrome is a fast, secure, and free web browser, built for the modern web. Give it a try on your desktop today.