Is this an exit node?

No — this guide is a middle relay or a bridge, not an exit. A middle relay only passes encrypted traffic between other Tor nodes; a bridge is an unlisted entry point that helps censored users connect. Neither makes outbound connections to the open internet on behalf of users, so neither attracts the abuse complaints and legal exposure an exit node does. We do not recommend running an exit here.

Relay vs bridge — which should I run?

A middle relay adds capacity to the public network and is listed in the consensus. A bridge (ideally obfs4) is unlisted and specifically helps people in censored regions get past blocks of known Tor addresses. If your goal is to help people bypass censorship, run a bridge; if it's to donate general capacity, run a middle relay.

Which plan does it need?

A dedicated-IPv4 plan so the relay can accept inbound on its ORPort. It's light on CPU/RAM — Nano-IP ($8/mo) works for a modest relay or bridge; step up if you want to donate more bandwidth. NAT plans can't accept inbound, so a dedicated IP is required.

Is running a relay legal / safe?

Running a middle relay or bridge is widely considered low-risk: you never originate traffic to the open web, so abuse reports don't point at you the way they do for exits. Keep it patched, use the ContactInfo field, and don't run an exit on our network. As always, follow local law.

Do you ask for ID or a card?

No. Register with an email, pay in USDC or USDT. No documents, no card, no KYC.

Run a Tor relay or bridge on a VPS (help the network

The Tor network runs on volunteers donating bandwidth. You can be one of them with a cheap VPS — and if you run a bridge, you directly help people in censored countries reach the open internet. This guide covers a middle relay and a bridge, deliberately not an exit node: exits carry users' traffic out to the open web and attract abuse complaints and legal exposure, which we don't host here. A relay or bridge has neither problem — it only moves encrypted Tor traffic.

Paid in crypto, signed up with an email — fitting for infrastructure that exists to protect privacy.

Relay or bridge?

Middle relay — adds capacity to the public Tor network, listed in the consensus. Passes encrypted traffic between other nodes only.
Bridge (obfs4) — an unlisted entry point. Because its address isn't in the public list, censors can't easily block it, so it helps users in Iran, China, Russia and elsewhere connect to Tor. This is the higher-impact option for anti-censorship.

Both are low-risk. Neither is an exit — we don't recommend or support exit nodes on our network.

What it needs

A dedicated IPv4. The relay accepts inbound on its ORPort (e.g. 443 or 9001), so you need a dedicated-IP plan. Nano-IP ($8/mo) is plenty for a modest relay/bridge; go bigger to donate more bandwidth. NAT plans can't accept inbound.
Very little CPU/RAM. Tor is light; bandwidth is the resource you're donating.
An EU location. Germany or Finland — clean routes, real data-protection law.

Set up a middle relay (Ubuntu 24.04)

# dedicated-IP plan, root shell
apt update && apt install -y tor
cat >> /etc/tor/torrc <<'EOF'
Nickname myrelay
ORPort 443                       # inbound relay port — open in the firewall
ExitRelay 0                      # IMPORTANT: never an exit
SocksPort 0
ContactInfo you@example.com      # so the Tor project can reach you
RelayBandwidthRate 10 MB
RelayBandwidthBurst 20 MB
EOF
systemctl restart tor
journalctl -u tor -f              # look for "Self-testing indicates your ORPort is reachable"

Or run an obfs4 bridge (helps censored users)

apt install -y tor obfs4proxy
cat >> /etc/tor/torrc <<'EOF'
BridgeRelay 1
ORPort 443
ExitRelay 0                      # IMPORTANT: never an exit
ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec /usr/bin/obfs4proxy
ServerTransportListenAddr obfs4 0.0.0.0:9002
ExtORPort auto
ContactInfo you@example.com
EOF
systemctl restart tor
ufw allow 443/tcp && ufw allow 9002/tcp

Your bridge line (share it with people who need it, or add it to Tor's BridgeDB) appears in /var/lib/tor/pt_state/obfs4_bridgeline.txt.

Honest scope

A relay or bridge donates capacity and helps circumvent censorship — it is not anonymity for you, and running one is not the same as using Tor to browse. Keep ExitRelay 0: we don't host exit nodes. Set ContactInfo and keep the box patched.

Why EQVPS for a Tor relay/bridge

Dedicated IPv4 from $8/mo, choose your ORPort, self-service reverse DNS.
EU locations (Germany, Finland) — clean routes, strong privacy law.
No KYC, crypto payment. Email to sign up, USDC/USDT to pay — fitting for privacy infrastructure.
Root in ~60 seconds. Clean Ubuntu/Debian; apt install tor and you're helping the network.

VLESS + Reality on a VPS (bypass DPI) → · Anonymous VPS hosting explained →

Run a Tor relay or bridge on a VPS (help the network — not an exit)