Running a Tor relay or bridge on a VPS

The Tor network runs on volunteer relays. Spinning one up on a VPS is one of the most useful things you can do with spare bandwidth — and a no-KYC, crypto-paid server is a natural fit, since operators value hosts that don't tie the relay to an identity.

Which relay type to run

• Middle/guard relay: the safest place to start. It only passes traffic between other Tor nodes, never to the open internet, so abuse complaints are essentially zero.
• Bridge: an unlisted entry point that helps users in censored networks connect. Low bandwidth, low noise, high impact.
• Exit relay: the most valuable and the most demanding — exit traffic leaves your server's IP, so only run one on a host that explicitly tolerates it and never on a home connection.

Setting it up

Install Tor from the official repository, then edit /etc/tor/torrc: set ORPort 443, a Nickname, a ContactInfo address, and a RelayBandwidthRate that fits your plan. Restart Tor and watch the log for "Self-testing indicates your ORPort is reachable." Your relay joins the network within a few hours.

Picking a plan

A relay is bandwidth-bound, not CPU-bound. A 1 vCPU / 1 GB KVM VPS with generous, unmetered traffic in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction is ideal. Offshore locations that tolerate Tor traffic keep a middle or bridge relay trouble-free.

Run middle relays or bridges freely; only run an exit where the host clearly allows it. When in doubt, a guard/middle relay is a pure win for the network with none of the abuse headaches.