OnionShare is an open source file sharing, website hoster, and chat application, which relies on the Tor network to preserve the privacy and anonymity of its users.. It is available on most major platforms and free to use.
The distinguishing feature of OnionShare is that users can do these things while maintaining anonymity. Because of this, sensitive document sharing and whistleblowing activities are a primary use-case of the app.
Sending large files over the internet can be a hassle without centralized servers. OnionShare made it easier to share files because of its peer-to-peer nature. This also circumvented surveillance, possible because of centralized services. The circumvention is allowed by hosting shared files on tor network.
OnionShare allows hosting static websites without JavaScript from the app. This feature became available as of version 2.2. These sites can be visited by any browser that supports .onion sites, such as Tor Browser.
What is OnionShare?
OnionShare by Micah Lee, et al. (developed by Micah Lee) is open-source Windows software in the firewall & privacy category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among firewall & privacy in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2014. It is written in Python, Kotlin, and Swift. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.7, released on October 16, 2026. The version history goes back to June 1, 2021: 11 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 40,658 times. The source code on GitHub (onionshare/onionshare) has 7,183 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 2 of our languages. Similar programs include Portmaster, Prey Anti-Theft and dnscrypt-proxy.
Project description on GitHub: “Securely and anonymously share files, host websites, and chat with friends using the Tor network”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on macOS, Linux and iOS
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: OnionShare is an open-source firewall & privacy tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is OnionShare safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
86146718C646F5652B83C7B43B8D4614020B48AC6FD1E43F6A357351BA11B5C5· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 11 versions ›11 versions over 5 years · about 2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7Latest | October 16, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.6.5 | July 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.6.3 | February 25, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.6.2 | March 21, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.6.1 | February 28, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.6 | October 10, 2022 | — | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 2.5 | January 18, 2022 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2.4.0 | September 26, 2021 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id OnionShare.OnionShare -echoco install onionshare -yscoop install extras/onionsharemsiexec /i OnionShare-win64-2.7.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {ABF7E260-A164-4970-A718-D9208B749E51} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask onionshareflatpak install flathub org.onionshare.OnionShareInformation
- Publisher
- Micah Lee, et al.
- Developer
- Micah Lee
- Category
- Firewall & privacy
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/onionshare/onionshare
- Written in
- Python, Kotlin, and Swift
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Version
- 2.7
- Released
- October 16, 2026
- First release
- 2014
- Added to the catalogue
- June 1, 2021
- Versions listed
- 11
- Updates / year
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 40,658
- GitHub stars
- 7,183
- GitHub forks
- 736
- Website
- onionshare.org
- winget ID
- OnionShare.OnionShare
- Chocolatey package
- onionshare
- Scoop package
- extras/onionshare
- MSI product code
- {ABF7E260-A164-4970-A718-D9208B749E51}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to OnionShare
See all ›-
Portmaster2.2.3Portmaster is a free and open-source application that puts you back in charge over all your computers network connections.Open source21.4K ↓ -
Open source57.4K ↓ -
Open source15.1K ↓ -
DingTalk Workspace CLI1.0.65dws — DingTalk Workspace on the command line, built for humans and AI agents.Open source5.7K ↓ -
Open source21.7K ↓ -
Subsurface6.0.5504Subsurface can plan and track single and multi-tank dives using air, Nitrox or TriMix.Open source5.4K ↓ - Open source131.9K ↓
-
GreenTunnel3.0.5GreenTunnel is an anti-censorship utility designed to bypass the DPI system that is put in place by various ISPs to block access to certain websites.Open source854 ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is OnionShare free?
Yes. OnionShare is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is OnionShare safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install OnionShare with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can OnionShare be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does OnionShare run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of OnionShare?
The versions page lists all 11 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 1, 2021.
Can I use OnionShare without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to OnionShare?
Portmaster, Prey Anti-Theft, dnscrypt-proxy, DingTalk Workspace CLI and WindowsSpyBlocker. The alternatives page compares them.
