Being on the dark web also lets whistleblowers send material to ProPublica without fear of reprisal. We also discuss more reasons why you should use a VPN when connecting to Tor in the Tor Won’t Keep you Safe on Onion Sites section.Thank you & stay safe. Each Tor node replaces your IP address with its own and removes exactly one layer of encryption.

News and document archives

Torch’s open indexing approach ensures users can access both mainstream and obscure corners of the dark web. Its open-source codebase allows security teams to analyze underlying code and contribute to platform development. Unlike the surface web indexed by Google or Bing, the dark web prioritizes anonymity and actively resists crawling and indexing. The 2025 DBIR found that 30% of infostealer-compromised systems were enterprise devices. Those credentials went straight to criminals without passing through searchable dark web sites.

• Yes, you definitely need a VPN if you want to access the dark web on your phone.
• Our model has several advantages over classifier-based systems.
• I possess a keen interest in exploring and understanding the intricacies of malware, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), and various cybersecurity challenges.
• It could initially look abandoned, but the community members answered questions in the end.
• If you try to Google a known onion site, you usually won’t find it.
• Instead of “.com” or “.org”, dark web addresses can be distinguished by the top-level domain, “.onion“.
• And (c) is the dark web, which is the part of the deep web that isn’t indexed by search engines and requires special tools like Tor Browser to access.
• The holiday season should be all about gifts, celebrations, and time with loved ones.

OnionLand Search

Also, you must log in or have a specific IP address or URL to access the deep web content. Another website is Dread, which is often called the “Reddit of the Dark Web.” It’s a community platform where users can discuss new markets, share onion links, add reviews, and much more. If you’re lucky enough, you can find it on clearnet privacy forums. Blockchain even has an HTTPS security certificate for even better protection. RiseUp is a top dark web website that offers secure email services and a chat option.

Is the Dark Web Illegal?

• “A lot of people use it in countries where there’s eavesdropping or where internet access is criminalized,” Tiquet said.
• For instance, services like ProtonMail and SecureDrop (mentioned above already) have hidden sites for their users who live in countries with high levels of censorship.
• Moreover, due to its popularity, many copycats of the Hidden Wiki exist.
• Never click on dark web links unless you know exactly what they are.
• Your activities on the dark web are not entirely shielded from tracking, and relying solely on anonymity can lead to a false sense of security.
• I’ll also discuss how to access the dark web safely with a VPN and give you some dark web links to visit.
• However, many sites on the dark web host illegal content or activities, and engaging with those can lead to serious legal consequences.
• The best way to understand the internet is to imagine it as an iceberg.
• That may seem an extreme way to browse the web, but such protections are increasingly worth considering, says Sarah Jamie Lewis, executive director of the Open Privacy Research Society.

Facebook’s dark web portal also provides end-to-end encryption, which Facebook Messenger only enabled in December 2023. Your traffic is relayed and encrypted three times as it passes over the Tor network. The network is comprised of thousands of volunteer-run servers known as Tor relays.

The New York Times — globally recognized news coverage

Many dark websites are perfectly legal and safe to use and, in many cases, are better for your privacy than clear websites. The dark web has no shortage of criminal activity, scams, phishing sites, suspicious links, and malware designed to trick newbies. Links posted to the clear web, in particular, are often malicious.

VPN Usage For Safety

In addition, know that while accessing the dark web is legal in most countries, engaging in illegal activities (buying or selling contraband, hacking services, etc.), is illegal everywhere. You should be aware that law enforcement agencies may be monitoring the dark web and that visiting certain websites or engaging in illegal activities can result in criminal charges. You can also check out this ultimate dark web safety guide to browse safely. To find .onion links for dark web sites, you’ll need to use a dark web search engine. Many of them are safe for beginners to use since they filter out dangerous/illegal content to only provide safe .onion links.

Alternative methods to access dark web links

Malware and scams are scattered like landmines around the dark web. And with many unfamiliar-looking sites on the dark web, it’s harder to distinguish safe websites from shady ones, and easier to fall victim. By monitoring known dark web marketplaces, Avast BreachGuard will alert you immediately if and when your data is found.

How We Reviewed Dark Web Marketplaces?

Crucially, dark web search engines vary in safety and filtering. On the surface web, Google will blacklist obviously harmful or illegal sites. On the dark web, some engines attempt to do similar by filtering out known abuse material such as child exploitation, violent illegal content and known scam or malware sites.

notable dark web Search Engines

The website is available on the surface web and has a .onion site. This means you can visit the site anonymously using the Onion browser, especially if you live under an oppressive regime. Purchases through links on our pages may yield affiliate revenue for us. We review and list tools and products without bias, regardless of potential commissions. Darknetlive contains articles about everything related to the dark web. Articles are published regularly and include interesting information, images, and quotes from officials.

FAQ: More about onion sites

When you purchase using links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Mercari has grown into one of the most popular online marketplaces for buying and selling secondhand… It is a relatively new provider but offers better features than most established VPNs. In addition, it has an automatic kill switch (Network Lock) that stops traffic if the VPN connection fails. Accidental leaks at the Tor entry nodes can potentially expose your IP address.

When you use Hidden Wallet, you bypass this problem and can purchase with complete anonymity. People often recommend The Hidden Wiki as the best place to find dark web links. But the truth is the majority of links on The Hidden Wiki are criminal sites, crypto scams, or carry malware. However, certain countries outlaw anonymous browsing in general. Countries like Russia, China, and Venezuela actively try to block private browsing. CyberGhost VPN offers an important layer of privacy and we don’t log any of your activity.

I think it’s safe to say that these are unsanctioned exploits, all the more reason to boast them on the dark web. I have to admit to having a soft spot for Tunnels, an onion website about underground “urban” exploration. Apart from having that “As above, so below” vibe, Tunnels is a great source of info for users who are into dark urban history.

How Do You Search the Dark Web Safely?

• And while the dark web isn’t synonymous with illicit activities, it’s undeniably the breeding ground for the internet’s black markets, hacker forums, malware vendors, and other illegal activity.
• And most importantly, be patient as you’ve to sort through a lot of useless results.
• That’s why we recommend using Tor-over-VPN so you can hide your Tor activity too.
• However, make sure you’re careful which links you click on — some of them lead to sites that contain illegal content and services.
• Formerly known as Archive.is, it is one of the best onion sites on the dark web.
• For many, DuckDuckGo’s onion site serves as the ultimate proof that you can utilize the Tor network for completely legitimate, everyday internet needs without sacrificing privacy.
• Deep web websites have to be hosted somewhere, and Impreza Hosting is one of those anonymous dark web hosting services.
• Data breaches happen all the time, and your login credentials and other data might be on the dark web already.
• The Hidden Wiki is the best way to start browsing the dark web because it contains dozens of links to popular .onion sites.

That groundwork was the basis for the Tor Project, which was released in 2002 and launched a browser in 2008. With the creation of Tor, users could now browse the internet completely anonymously and explore sites that were deemed part of the “dark web.” The deep web is just the part of the internet you can’t find with a search engine. It’s not mysterious or spooky; it’s home to everyday things like scientific research, medical records, private financial information, and secure communications. Phishing attacks on the dark web often involve fake versions of popular sites. Always verify .onion addresses from trusted sources before entering any information.

More on Tor Onions

It also helps whistleblowers expose corruption while masking their true location. Tor is the most popular instance of a darknet,[19] and it is often mistakenly thought to be the only online tool that facilitates access to darknets. Get the latest in privacy news, tips, tricks, and security guides to level-up your digital security. If you only want to mask your IP address and don’t need to access the dark web, then going online with a VPN is much easier and faster than using Tor.

While this straightforward directory claims not to collect user data and says it reviews the links it lists, additions and removals are made at the administrators’ discretion, often without notice. As a result, the directory can contain a mix of legitimate resources alongside risky or illegal websites, making it essential to verify the links carefully before clicking them. Haystak allows users to fine-tune their search parameters by providing customizable retrieval options for each user.

It’s, ironically, more conspicuous than using popular browsers and sites. To make its journalism more accessible to readers around the world, the New York Times launched its onion service in 2017. You won’t find any “hidden” stories here—it’s the same content as the normal web edition—but users in countries with government censorship will appreciate having a secure way to access it.

• The Deep Web includes all content not indexed by search engines.This isn’t necessarily illegal—it’s just private or restricted.
• Unlike the Deep Web, Darknets are intentionally hidden and designed to preserve privacy and anonymity.
• Whether that statement is actually true, remains to be seen; the proverbial grain of salt.
• By monitoring hidden forums and marketplaces, teams can detect early warning signs of breaches, planned attacks, or data exposure involving their organization.
• Second, shutting down or controlling access to the dark web would be a huge undertaking and could have unintended consequences.
• If you’re reading an independent news site or doing research, it’s probably fine.
• Definitely yes, especially if this is your first time on the dark web.
• Onion search engine has made it easy for people to rely on content exploration without possessing advanced technical skills.
• That’s why we took the guessing work out of it for you, and made this list of the best dark web sites you should check out.

• The Dark Web is the part of the deep web that is not indexed by search engines, like Google or Bing.
• It publishes a newsletter in multiple languages and not only runs onion services for its website but all its email and chat services.
• ProPublica is an investigative news site owned by an independent nonprofit that exposes abuses of power and corruption.
• ProPublica is a non-profit investigative journalism outfit based out of New York City.
• That way, you can change your passwords and lock down your accounts to help block scammers from using your data against you.
• These assets are often used as initial entry points for ransomware operations.

Defunct services and those accessed by deprecated V2 addresses are marked. A handful of dark web search engines that do index .onion sites include NotEvil, Ahmia, Candle, and Torch. This dynamic nature of the darknet creates an environment where privacy and security become paramount considerations for anyone attempting to access these specialized networks.

There are different levels of security in the browser that are worth considering. To review security settings, click on the onion logo in the top left and select “Security Settings”, which will bring up a slider offering a choice of the default of standard, or safer and safest. In “safer” mode, JavaScript is disabled on HTTP sites, some fonts are disabled, and all audio and video won’t run automatically, you’ll have to click to play.

Journalists and whistleblowers, including Edward Snowden himself, often use the dark web and Tor to exchange sensitive information. For instance, the Ashley Madison data dump was posted to a site only accessible to Tor users. The darknet operates on a decentralized network structure, utilizing multiple layers of encryption and routing protocols to maintain user anonymity. Hacking and cybercrime forums on the dark web are spaces for newbie hackers to ask questions, veteran cybercriminals to share their expertise, and buyers to find sellers. Cybercrime services are more commonly sold through marketplaces, but you can usually find someone offering hacked servers, computer logins, and stolen data on such forums. Your information might be on the dark web if it was exposed in a data breach, sold, or stolen by hackers.

DarkSearch emphasizes privacy and automation, allowing access to hidden services through a web interface and a free API. It relies on automated crawling to maintain coverage, paired with community reporting to flag illegal materials. Ideal for experienced researchers who need wide and unrestricted visibility across dark web content. Suited for users confident in managing unfiltered data without built-in safeguards. Ahmia stands out through robust content filtering systems that exclude illegal materials and harmful sites from search results.

This means that using the dark web may attract attention from your ISP or even law enforcement. To reinforce your privacy while on the dark web, consider adding on a VPN like Windscribe as an extra layer of protection. The BBC’s international edition Tor version is available on the dark web, giving access to unbiased news in regions where the BBC is blocked or censored. Feather is a free and open source Monero wallet available on most major computer platforms. Monero is a crypto currency that can be used to conduct transactions anonymously on a peer to peer level without any centralized authority watching over.. The topics you can find vary from literature, programming, science, and….artistic photography.

This might seem very strange, given that the site’s goal is to allow people around the globe to communicate with them in a secure and anonymous way to submit intelligence, tips, or information. Even with user-chosen curated lists, diligence is the last line of protection for users. Hence, it provides a verifiable Cryptographic Proof of who they are, even whilst being anonymous. Unlike Ahmia, Torch does not function as an engine that actively filters dangerous material and illegal content. Thus, it is critical that users actively monitor themselves against exposure to any potentially compromising material returned by Torch. The dark web brings to mind visions of dark deals and shady places to buy and sell things.

The search engine doesn’t impose censorship, meaning you can find a broad spectrum of sites, including those that may be illegal or disturbing. Additionally, hidden wiki websites function as directories of categorized .onion links, providing common entry points for users delving into the hidden internet. Installing the Tor darknet link Browser is the best way to access the dark web. Note that your ISP will be able to see you’re connected to Tor. However, your online activity is encrypted and hidden from view thanks to Tor’s onion routing. This means your ISP can’t see that you’re accessing the dark web (or indeed, the specific sites you’re accessing).

The last item on our dark web websites list is Google Feud or rather its evil twin. For those of you unfamiliar with this, G-Feud is a clear web game where you have to guess the answers to some random or topic-related search strings. For instance, if you choose a topic (e.g. food), G-Feud will give you a string such as “can I eat…? In this sequel, I’m going to show you some of the not-so-clear-web’s hidden Easter eggs and how to get there.

If you’re going on the dark web, you obviously don’t want anyone recording everything you do. I’m not saying you’re going to be 100% safe by using this method to get on the dark web. You still risk phishing attacks, malware infection, and psychological trauma. Here’s the most common and safe way to access the dark web — a Tor-Over-VPN connection.