Tails review
Tails pairs live Tor use with optional encrypted storage and a suite of privacy tools.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Tails is a free, open-source Linux operating system for people who need a portable environment for privacy-sensitive work. It boots from a USB stick or DVD instead of installing to a computer's hard disk, and it routes internet connections through Tor. Activists, journalists, sources, and others seeking additional privacy may value its clean-start design: amnesic sessions erase session data on shutdown and are intended to leave no hard-disk traces. Tails dates to 2009 and is developed by the Tor Project.
The live-session model is central to Tails, not just a delivery option. Each session starts clean, while optional encrypted Persistent Storage lets users retain selected files and configuration between sessions. That creates a deliberate tradeoff: the default is to discard session state, but ongoing work can be kept when needed. The included toolkit covers browsing, email, file sharing, document work, password management, and metadata removal, with Tor Browser and uBlock, Thunderbird, GNOME Secrets, LibreOffice, OnionShare, and Metadata Cleaner among the named applications. This breadth makes Tails more useful for varied privacy tasks than a system limited to Tor browsing alone.
Its fit is narrower than a general-purpose desktop distribution. Tails is designed to run as a live removable-media system, not as a permanently installed server distribution, and it has no server deployment option. It is categorized for desktop use and x86-64 architecture. According to the vendor's notes, it is funded by donations; there is no paid subscription. Support is through documentation and community channels. Choose Tails when portable Tor access and minimizing local traces are the priority; choose another operating system if you need a conventional permanent installation or server environment.
Tails pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Routes internet connections through Tor from a USB stick or DVD
- Amnesic sessions erase session data on shutdown
- Includes encrypted Persistent Storage and privacy-focused tools
- Where it doesn't
- Designed for live removable-media use, not permanent installation
- No server deployment option
- Support is through documentation and community
Tails fact sheet, pricing and score →
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