Tor Hidden Service vs Clearnet — When to Use Each
Should your service be on the regular internet (clearnet), on Tor (.onion), or both? This guide compares the tradeoffs and helps you decide the right approach based on your audience, content, and privacy requirements.
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Comparison
| Feature | Clearnet | Tor (.onion) |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast | Slower (Tor routing) |
| Accessibility | Everyone with a browser | Only Tor Browser users |
| Server anonymity | IP address visible | Server IP hidden |
| User anonymity | Requires VPN for privacy | Built-in anonymity |
| SEO | Indexed by Google | Not indexed by Google |
| Censorship resistance | Can be blocked by country/ISP | Very hard to block or censor |
| DDoS protection | Standard CDN protection | Harder to protect, specialized tools needed |
When to Use Only .onion
- The service itself requires anonymity (whistleblowing, activism in repressive regimes)
- You cannot reveal the server location under any circumstances
- Your users are already Tor users and expect .onion access
- The content would be censored on the clearnet
When to Use Both (Recommended)
- Clearnet for discoverability and SEO — people find you through Google
- .onion for privacy-conscious users and censorship circumvention
- Same content, two access methods — like Facebook, NYT, and BBC do
This is the approach most major organizations take. Facebook has 1 million+ .onion users per month alongside their clearnet site.
Run Both with AnubizHost
AnubizHost makes running both clearnet and .onion versions simple. Our Tor hosting includes automatic .onion configuration alongside your regular website. One server, two access methods — clearnet for visibility, Tor for privacy.
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