OnionShare

OnionShare is an open-source tool for Linux that supports private communication and file sharing through the Tor network. It allows a person to share files, host a website, or chat with other people without moving the activity to a separate hosting service. The software fits the Security & Privacy category because it is designed around anonymous access and direct sharing from the user’s own computer.

OnionShare starts a web server on the Linux computer where it is running. It publishes that server as a Tor onion service and protects access with a randomly generated password. A recipient can open the resulting OnionShare address in Tor Browser to reach the shared service.

The person using OnionShare is responsible for sending the address to the intended recipients through a communication channel of their choice. This can include an encrypted chat message or a less secure method such as unencrypted email, depending on the user’s threat model. Since the local computer acts as the web server, the files and conversations are handled directly through that computer rather than through OnionShare’s developers or another third party.

OnionShare works best when the people involved are available at the same time. If the computer running the service is suspended or disconnected before a transfer is complete, the service is unavailable until the computer is active and connected again. MirrorNest distributes the official Linux build from its own storage after scanning it for malware before publication.