I don’t know why this is so hard to find the answer to online, every website just wants to advertise paid VPNs at me and I can’t get sensible answers.
From what I’ve read, it says doing a double-hop using OpenVPN + a paid VPN is better. But does this mean if I only use openVPN through the Pi, it will not give me anonymity online?
I imagine you do always have to use a paid VPN because literally everything I’ve read mentions one, but I would like to know for sure.
Could anyone give me any information, or point me in the direction of threads or articles that answer this, please?
Thanks.
A VPN is just a link from point A to point B. Virtual private network - Wikipedia
With a VPN you simply redirect your traffic through “yet another hop”.
To achieve anonymity, you must use a hop that is shared by lots of people, while making sure that your traffic can’t get identified.
If you’re at work and want to go to the strip club, you could be wearing your tshirt saying “I’m u/alfiestoppani” and first go to your home, then go to the strip club. Not very discreet. However, if you wear neutral gear and hop on the bus in front of your workplace and go to the strip club without babbling about how you’re actually u/alfiestoppani in “disguise”.
The bus is the paying VPN. Paid VPNs are used my multiple people so analysis can’t say “hey, that’s his traffic”, just “that might be their traffic…?”. You’re also responsible for not wearing clothes that identify you: https://amiunique.org/ Device fingerprint - Wikipedia Tor Project | Download
anonymity from whom? If the answer is your ISP, then you need to purchase a so-called privacy VPN service from like expressvpn, pia, etc. Then only the website you visit and the VPN provider will know what you are doing. You are essentially just moving the trust from your ISP to a vpn service. If the answer is anybody besides your ISP, then setting up a pivpn will work to keep you anonymous from random wifi hotspots when you are away from home. If you want real anonymity use TOR.
Wonderfully put. It makes a lot of sense. Thanks. 
Is TOR just a browser? Can you use it on a rasp pi?
you can make a tor router out of a raspberry there are many guides online. see for example How to make a Tor router with the Raspberry Pi. – Howto Raspberry Pi
