Tor hosting
Answer
Tor hosting means running relay, bridge or onion-service infrastructure on a rented server. Incognito VPS permits exit-free relays, obfs4 bridges and onion services in all eight jurisdictions, with unmetered transfer on dedicated and storage plans. Exit relays require prior discussion because of the abuse volume they generate.
| Scenario | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Middle relay | 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 8+ TB transfer |
| obfs4 bridge | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 2 TB transfer |
| Onion service | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, minimal transfer |
| Exit relay | Discuss with us first |
Relays, bridges and onion services are three different jobs
A middle relay carries traffic between other Tor nodes. It never touches the clear internet, so it generates no abuse complaints, and it is the single most useful thing you can contribute to the network. Bandwidth is what matters; a 2 vCPU machine with 8 TB of transfer is plenty.
A bridge is an unlisted entry point for users in countries that block the public relay list. obfs4 bridges need very little of anything and are enormously valuable to people in filtered networks. An onion service is your own hidden service, needing only enough capacity for whatever it serves.
An exit relay is the one that carries traffic out to the clear internet, which means it receives abuse reports for everything its users do. We support exit operation but require a conversation first, so that we can put you in an appropriate range and neither of us is surprised.
Where to put it
Diversity is the point. The Tor network is measurably healthier when relays are spread across many autonomous systems and jurisdictions, so the best location is often the one with the fewest existing relays. Moldova, Bulgaria and Panama are under-represented; the Netherlands is thoroughly saturated.
All eight of our jurisdictions permit relay operation. Moldova and Panama sit outside EU judicial cooperation entirely, which is a reasonable consideration for an operator who would rather not field EIOs.
Setup, briefly
Install the Tor package from the official repository rather than your distribution’s, set ORPort, Nickname and ContactInfo, leave ExitPolicy reject *:* for a middle relay, and set a RelayBandwidthRate that fits your transfer allowance. Expect roughly three days for the bandwidth authorities to measure you and about sixty days to reach full utilisation.
Set AccountingMax if you are on a metered plan — it is much better to have the relay hibernate than to blow through the allowance.
Frequently asked questions
01 Do you allow Tor exit relays?
Yes, with a conversation first. Exit relays generate substantial abuse volume, so we place them in dedicated ranges to protect other customers. Contact us before deploying one.
02 Will running a relay get my server suspended?
No. Middle relays, bridges and onion services are explicitly permitted in all eight jurisdictions and generate no abuse reports. Only unannounced exit relays cause problems.
03 How much bandwidth does a relay use?
As much as you allow. A well-used middle relay at 10 Mbps sustained moves roughly 3 TB a month. Set RelayBandwidthRate and AccountingMax to fit your plan.
04 Which location is best for a relay?
Whichever has the fewest existing relays — network diversity is the goal. Moldova, Bulgaria and Panama are under-represented. The Netherlands is heavily saturated already.
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