An onion service is a website or app that is reached through the Tor network at a .onion address. Visitors do not learn the server's IP address, and the connection is encrypted from end to end without a certificate authority. News sites, mailbox providers, wallets and Monero nodes all use them. If you want to run one and keep the payment private too, Tor hosting with Monero comes in two forms: managed onion hosting, where the provider gives you a panel and a .onion address, and a Tor-friendly VPS where you set it up yourself. This guide covers the providers in Monerica's Tor & Onion Hosting subcategory and what each one states about Tor.
New to Tor? Start with what Tor is and how it works.
Quick Answer
- Managed onion hosting with a panel: PrivateAlps sells Tor-only hosting plans in Switzerland with a .onion address included.
- A VPS you can order and manage entirely over Tor: Skhron runs its billing, payment gateway and control panel as onion services.
- Running a Tor relay: Privex publishes a written relay and exit policy, and Cockbox allows relays in its terms.
What "Tor Hosting" Can Mean
The phrase covers three different things, and providers do not always say which one they mean.
- Managed onion hosting: shared hosting that is published only as an onion service. You upload a site through a control panel and receive a .onion address. No server administration is needed.
- Tor-friendly VPS or dedicated server: a normal server from a host that does not block Tor users, lets you sign up and pay over Tor, and has no objection to you running an onion service or a relay. You install and configure Tor yourself.
- Relay hosting: a server used to run a Tor relay or bridge that donates bandwidth to the network. Exit relays are a special case, because they send traffic to the open internet and attract abuse complaints. Many hosts forbid them, and the ones that allow them usually set conditions.
Why Pay for Tor Hosting With Monero
An onion service hides where the server is. It does not hide who pays for it. If the hosting account is tied to a card and a billing address, the provider's records connect the service to a person. Paying in Monero from your own wallet, and registering with an email alias or with no email where that is possible, keeps the account separate from your identity.
There are plenty of ordinary reasons to want that: a newsroom running a tip line, a developer offering an onion mirror of a public site so readers in censored countries can reach it, a business that wants its customers to connect without exposing their IP addresses, or a Monero user who wants a private remote node. Monerica itself runs an onion mirror, which is why links between our articles are written to work on both.
Tor and Onion Hosting Providers: Comparison
Details were checked on each provider's website in November 2026. The KYC column shows the label on the provider's Monerica listing.
| Provider | Type | What it states about Tor | Example price | Monero shown on site | KYC label on Monerica |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PrivateAlps | Managed onion hosting, VPS, servers | Tor-only hosting plans with .onion address and aaPanel | 30 EUR/month, 1 onion address | Yes (logo) | Not stated |
| Skhron | KVM VPS | Billing, payments and panel reachable as onion services | See site | Yes | Guaranteed No KYC |
| Privex | VPS and dedicated servers | Relays allowed in all regions, exits by permission in set regions | VPS from $0.99/month | Yes | Guaranteed No KYC |
| Cockbox | Linux and BSD VPS | Describes itself as Tor-friendly, terms allow relays within bandwidth | VPS from $10/month | Yes | Not stated |
| InstantCpanelHosting | VPS and dedicated servers | Tor and VPN users accepted | See site | Yes | Not stated |
| al.uy | Automated hosting | See listing | See site | Per Monerica listing | Not stated |
| Impreza Host | Managed onion hosting, VPS, servers | Tor hosting with .onion domain and aaPanel | From $18/month | Yes | Not stated |
Managed Onion Hosting
PrivateAlps
PrivateAlps is a Swiss host with a product called Tor Hidden Hosting. It is Tor-only: the site is reachable through Tor Browser at a .onion address and not from the regular internet. Three plans were listed in November 2026, all in Switzerland with unlimited traffic: Basic at 30 EUR a month with one onion address, 2 CPU cores, 2 GB of RAM and 30 GB of SSD storage, Standard at 60 EUR with three addresses, and Premium at 80 EUR with five. Sites are managed in aaPanel, which handles files, databases and PHP settings.
The product page says no KYC is required and crypto payments are accepted, and a Monero logo appears on the site. On content, PrivateAlps says it hosts material that is legal in the applicable jurisdiction and within its terms of service. It also points out the main technical risk of any onion site: a badly configured application can leak the server's address through outside requests.
Impreza Host
Impreza Host is listed under VPS and dedicated servers on Monerica, and it also sells managed Tor hosting from $18 a month with aaPanel and a unique .onion domain. Accounts can be created without an email address, using an account ID and a recovery code, and the payments page states that invoices can be paid in Bitcoin or Monero. Impreza publishes its own site as an onion service as well.
Tor-Friendly VPS and Servers
Skhron
Skhron was founded in Ukraine, is registered in Estonia, and sells KVM virtual servers on its own hardware and network. Its billing portal, payment gateway and VPS control panel have all been reachable as native .onion services since 2023, so you can order, pay and manage a server without leaving Tor. Monero is accepted through a self-hosted, non-custodial payment processor, which means no third-party processor sees the transaction. The site states that no KYC is required to order or use its services, together with a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. In November 2026 the Stockholm location was on sale and Warsaw was out of stock.
Privex
Privex sells VPS and dedicated servers and is one of the few hosts with a published Tor policy. Its FAQ lists server regions in the USA, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland. Non-exit relays, meaning guard, middle and bridge nodes, are allowed in all regions. On a VPS you are asked to contact Privex first about bandwidth. Exit relays are allowed only in specific regions and only with permission in advance, on a custom plan with unmetered networking. The policy page sets a minimum order and a prepayment period for exits, so read it before you plan one.
Privex takes cryptocurrency only. Monero (XMR) appears in its list of accepted coins with Bitcoin, Litecoin and others, and the FAQ states that cards and PayPal are not accepted. The company also runs its own site as a Tor onion service and an I2P eepsite.
Cockbox
Cockbox describes itself as a Tor-friendly, privacy-oriented Linux and BSD VPS provider. Payment is in Bitcoin or Monero, and the server is provisioned automatically after one confirmation. You can choose a custom storage size and install from an ISO library. The terms of service state that Tor exit relays and similar services are fine as long as you stay within your monthly bandwidth, and that nothing against the law in Romania is permitted. In November 2026 plans started at $10 a month for a 1 GB HDD VPS in Romania and $15 a month for a 2 GB NVMe VPS in Moldova. Several larger plans were sold out.
InstantCpanelHosting
InstantCpanelHosting now sells virtual and dedicated servers only. Its homepage says shared hosting is no longer offered. Setup is manual, with a stated reaction time of up to 72 hours. Customers connecting through Tor or a VPN are accepted, abuse leads to suspension, and payment methods are Bitcoin, Monero, Ethereum, Litecoin and Solana.
al.uy
al.uy is described on its Monerica listing as a hosting provider with fully automated deployment, no authentication and no monitoring. Its site did not load for our automated check, so read the listing and the provider's own pages for current plans and payment details.
Managed Onion Hosting or Your Own VPS?
- Choose managed onion hosting if you have a simple site and do not want to administer a server. You get a panel and an address, and the provider keeps Tor running. You depend on the provider's configuration and its view of your content.
- Choose a VPS if you want control: your own Tor configuration, your own keys, any software stack, and the option to move the service to another host without changing its address. You are responsible for patching and for avoiding leaks.
More VPS options are on Monerica's VPS Hosting page. Check each provider's terms for its position on Tor.
How an Onion Service Is Set Up on a VPS
The outline is short. The details are in the Tor Project's documentation, which you should follow for a production service.
- Rent the VPS and pay in Monero. Log in with an SSH key and update the system.
- Install your web server and bind it to localhost only, so it does not answer on the public IP address.
- Install Tor from your distribution or the Tor Project's repository.
- Add an onion service to the Tor configuration file: one line names a directory for the service's keys (HiddenServiceDir) and one maps a port to your local web server (HiddenServicePort).
- Restart Tor and read the new .onion address from the hostname file in that directory.
- Back up the key files in that directory offline. Whoever holds them controls the address.
- Test for leaks. Make sure the site does not load remote fonts, scripts or images, does not send email that reveals the server address, and has server status pages disabled.
The same approach works for a Monero node. Our walkthrough on setting up a remote node with Tor has every command.
FAQ
Is hosting an onion site legal?
Yes. Tor and onion services are legal in most countries and are used by newspapers, non-profits and businesses. The same laws apply to an onion site as to any other site: the content and activity must be lawful, and every provider in this guide says so in its terms.
Do I need to buy a .onion domain?
No. A .onion address is generated from a cryptographic key when you create the service. It costs nothing and is not registered with anyone. Managed hosts create it for you.
Can I pay for Tor hosting with Monero?
Yes. Privex, Cockbox, Skhron, InstantCpanelHosting and Impreza Host name Monero on their sites, PrivateAlps shows a Monero logo, and all are listed on Monerica as accepting it.
Can I run a Tor exit relay on these hosts?
Only where the host says so. Privex allows exits in set regions with prior permission, and Cockbox's terms allow them within the bandwidth limit. Other hosts may refuse. Ask before ordering, because an exit relay run without permission can get a server terminated without a refund.
Does a VPN replace Tor for this?
No. A VPN hides your IP address from the sites you visit. An onion service hides the server's location from its visitors. They solve different problems. See VPN vs. Tor for Monero.
Can my site be on Tor and the regular web at once?
Yes, on a VPS. Many sites publish an onion mirror of a public site. Managed Tor-only plans, such as the PrivateAlps one, serve the onion address only. Browse the Tor & Onion Hosting page for more options.
