Best 20 Dark Web Websites You Shouldnt Miss

Assume any search could be logged and avoid searching for anything that identifies you personally. Download Tor Browser only from the official Tor Project website. The official browser comes preconfigured with security settings optimized for anonymous browsing. Exploring the dark web can be eye-opening, but it’s also risky without the right protection. While the Tor browser boosts privacy, pairing it with a VPN adds a critical layer of security. ProPublica is an investigative news site owned by an independent nonprofit that exposes abuses of power and corruption.

other dark web sites offering Email Services

Onion sites are “crawled” and added to the list provided their “robots.txt” file permits it, and if it is not on their blacklist of sites with abuse material. Site operators can also submit their own .onion sites for indexing. Onion sites (aka Tor sites) are websites only accessible on the dark web; you can’t view them using a regular browser. Their URLs (aka dark web links) have .onion as the domain, instead of the common surface web domains like .com or .net. Learn more about our various degree and certification programs today by requesting more information. Policing involves targeting specific activities of the private web deemed illegal or subject to internet censorship.

ways small to midsize businesses can stay safe in the cloud

While Tor protects your browser traffic, a VPN shields the rest of your network activity, like email apps, background refreshes, and system updates. It also encrypts your connection to Tor’s entry node, preventing your ISP from seeing that you’re using Tor at all. Fortunately, unless you have a dark web browser installed, nothing will happen if you click on a link to ​onion sites​. You’ll simply get a “Server not found / The site can’t be reached” message.

Introduction: How Much of the Internet Can You See?

You can buy credit card numbers, all manner of drugs, guns, counterfeit money, stolen subscription credentials, hacked Netflix accounts and software that helps you break into other people’s computers. Buy login credentials to a $50,000 Bank of America account, counterfeit $20 bills, prepaid debit cards, or a “lifetime” Netflix premium account. Between malware, scams, and surveillance, the dark web has no shortage of ways to hurt you. This guide shows you how to get on the dark web and some safe sites to visit. You’ll get access to a bunch of stats helping you understand where dark web traffic comes from and why people use the dark net.

Dark web tools and services

However, it’s much harder to get at the people who are doing the uploading and downloading. Sections of the dark web are often closed down too, as part of police operations. Open up Tor, and you won’t suddenly see the dark web staring back at you.

How To Access Darknet Links Safely And Anonymously

You might be used to typing in a word or phrase on the surface web, hitting “Enter,” and receiving pages of results. You must type in a valid web address instead of “surfing the web” to find what you want. Before entering the dark web, you need to download a dark web browser—most people use Tor (The Onion Router) or I2P (The Invisible Internet Project). For example, ProPublica—a renowned investigative journalism non-profit— uses the dark web to communicate with whistleblowers and ensure readers can access content without facing retaliation. That is important for those who may fear persecution for their actions or live in areas where access to information is regulated. Install Avast SecureLine VPN for iOS to protect your privacy and keep your data from falling into the wrong hands.

The New York Times

For those wanting maximum safety when searching through the best dark web sites, Tails will be the best possible environment. It’s a part of the internet that’s less regulated and more shadowy, for better and for worse. The dark web also helps individuals communicate about or sell illegal items such as weapons, drugs, malware, etc. Many people see hacked information and stolen card data being sold on the dark web.

Other privacy tools and services

Changes in site availability, communication channels, or technical setup are closely monitored. Sudden instability often indicates enforcement pressure or internal failure. Past behavior is used to assess credibility, including uptime history, prior shutdowns, and administrator actions. Repeated patterns often signal whether a marketplace is nearing collapse. Each takedown affects the wider ecosystem by spreading distrust across other marketplaces. As a result, platforms fragment, rebrand, or disappear faster after major enforcement actions.

Popular Dark Web Links & Websites

Its seedy reputation, fostered by controversy like that surrounding the Silk Road website, is well-earned. Hopefully you have trusted ​antivirus​ software like Avira Free Security. It’s also advisable to change your passwords as hackers may have accessed your credentials and could be making their way into your online bank account as we speak.

• If you’re looking for a secure and anonymous hosting website, Impreza Hosting is your answer.
• Again, we can’t emphasize enough that security and anonymity are paramount to those on dark websites.
• As the thesis project of Ian Clarke, a student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, the Freenet was built to help people anonymously communicate, exchange files, and interact online.
• WormWeb is a user-friendly search engine built specifically for the dark web, providing quick and easy access to .onion websites.
• The dark web brings to mind visions of dark deals and shady places to buy and sell things.
• The final server (or the exit node) fully deciphers your request and sends it off to the website you’re trying to reach.
• Using a reliable VPN with Tor provides a way to improve security when accessing dark web links.

Cryptocurrency services:

The accuracy-oriented approach makes the search engine suitable for concentrated threat intelligence-gathering situations, where quality of result is favored over coverage. It provides a more refined search experience for the users by focusing and upholding quality over quantity, but this may compromise the accuracy of its search results on an omnipresent scale. It operates under maximum anonymity and simplicity, avoiding JavaScript entirely on the premise that they might improve overall security and lower risks of browser fingerprinting. The platform’s promise of no tracking of search history or personalizing of search results fits the bill perfectly for the anonymity requirements of the dark web. A curated collection of darknet resources for educational purposes, offering insights into darknet frameworks, tools, and security practices.

Dark web news and media

It lets you send messages anonymously without a third party knowing your identity. Cybercriminals plant data-collecting malware all over the dark web to target vulnerable visitors. This makes it ideal for whistleblowers who would suffer if their identity got out. The Tor-Over-VPN method means you connect to a VPN before you fire up Tor. Your internet provider usually sees your online activity, but when you connect to a VPN first, they won’t know you’re using Tor.It’s important to use a VPN you can trust.

The Best Onion Sites on the Dark Web in 2026

Tune into the deep web radio if it’s getting too quiet, and you’ll definitely find something interesting to listen to. (Psst…it’s on the dark web even though the name suggests otherwise). Malicious sites could easily compromise your safety, as can the cybercriminals waiting for you on Tor nodes. To make sure you stay protected, it’s safest to use Tor with a VPN.

What kind of content is on the dark web?

Specifically, the I2P darknet is accessible, while the Tor network is accessible through the Orchid Outproxy Tor plugin. Think of Tor as a regular browser like Firefox, Google, or Safari. The only difference is that it passes your traffic through random nodes before reaching the destination. This means your activities cannot be traced or your browser history exposed. The early version of Tor was created to mask spy communications.

Google Feud

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.

Is it illegal to visit onion sites?

If you get a reliable vendor, you should procure the services to stay safe when accessing the dark web. You can also run a dark web scan to see if your information has been leaked on the dark web. This dark web monitoring will help you track illicit activities and minimize the risks of cyber-attacks. When harmful links turn up, this darknet search platform removes them and points you toward safer resources instead. So compared to regular search engines — and even most other dark web search tools — it’s a much safer choice. Unlike other search engines, it does not collect or share web activities and personal data of users.

Understanding these differences is crucial for making an informed decision about which tools best suit your needs. While these tools provide substantial protection, it’s essential to maintain vigilance and follow security protocols consistently. Regular updates of security tools, verification of darknet links through trusted sources, and avoiding suspicious downloads form the foundation of safe darknet access. Remember that no security measure is foolproof, but implementing these steps significantly reduces potential risks. The dark web is a hidden part of the internet where users are anonymous and can access illegal marketplaces and hacking forums and partake in illicit activities. In some cases, it’s also used for private messaging, cybersecurity training, whistleblowing, and other legitimate uses.

• Any onion websites you visit from these search engines is another story.
• Most dark web links are hosted on “.onion” domains due to the sensitive nature of the businesses or services they host.
• Visit it to find out about Dark website closures, arrests, drug seizures, and other news topics related to the dark web and its use.
• This aligns with the general ethos of privacy on the Tor network.
• This setup helps obscure your IP address from your internet service provider (ISP) and hides your Tor use.
• And most importantly, be patient as you’ve to sort through a lot of useless results.
• When you search for something on Google or Bing, you’re using the clear web.

Security professionals use these tools to track cybercriminal activity, uncover leaked credentials, and identify potential threats before they escalate. Our platform penetrates the hardest-to-reach cybercrime locations with expert human intelligence analysis, providing you with the attacker’s perspective of your exposure. Ideal for organizations integrating dark web monitoring into security operations. Best for teams that value automation and privacy but still need visibility into unfiltered networks. Strengthen your defenses with KELA’s threat intelligence platform that monitors dark web markets and uncovers threats before they strike.

It hosts an onion site so people in countries with restricted press freedom can access its journalism, which covers everything from hacktivism to government repression. Download Avast SecureLine VPN to encrypt your internet connection and protect your privacy wherever you go online. Install Avast SecureLine VPN to encrypt your internet connection and protect your privacy wherever you go online. SecureDrop is one of the most reliable file-sharing sites on the deep web. SecureDrop helps whistleblowers anonymously send sensitive material to media outlets via a unique SecureDrop URL.

It’s still possible to track someone’s traffic pinging through the Tor nodes, though it is difficult. Using the Tor browser is simple, but knowing when to fire it up is more complicated. Another challenge is CAPTCHAs; because Tor behaves differently than other browsers, it’s more likely to trigger the bot-hunting system, so be prepared to face more of them than usual. Get on the Dark Web (GOTDW) is your go-to guide and safe search engine for exploring the dark web responsibly. To learn how to safely access the Dark Web sites listed above, read our Dark Web Access Guide here. All ISO publications and materials are protected by copyright and are subject to the user’s acceptance of ISO’s conditions of copyright.

Dark web browsing is not as simple as regular web surfing, but there are some tools you can use to chart your journey. Dark web search engines and forums like Reddit can help you find reliable dark websites, and you’ll need to use a dark web browser to visit them. The dark internet is designed to provide anonymity by keeping communication private through encryption and routing online content through multiple web servers. While the dark web is often depicted as an anarchic forum for criminal activity, that’s not necessarily true.

Like I2P, Hyphanet is a self-contained network within the network that can’t be used to access sites on the public web. It can only be used to access the content uploaded to the Hyphanet, which is a peer-to-peer distributed data store. Once you upload something, it stays there indefinitely even if you stop using Hyphanet, so long as it is popular. Then there’s the less popular VPN over Tor, which is advised against by the official Tor Project. Only two VPN providers that we know of, AirVPN and BolehVPN, offer this service, although neither of these score highly for speeds. Internet traffic first passes through the Tor Network, and then through the VPN.

By using Tor, and especially in combination with a VPN, your internet signal is encrypted, making it invisible to your ISP. It makes up about 6% of the internet, and it’s where you find everything from illegal marketplaces to forums for whistleblowers. If you’ve ever checked your medical results online through a portal that required a login, you were navigating the deep web. It’s huge, making up about 90% of the internet, but it’s mostly mundane, hidden behind login screens for privacy and security. Many advanced search engines now include APIs or integration options that allow teams to feed dark web data directly into systems like SIEM or SOAR. Connecting Tor before VPN (Tor → VPN) is generally not recommended because it defeats much of Tor’s anonymity protection.

• The benefit of operating anonymously on the dark web has allowed them to withstand legal action taken against them by the major publishing companies.
• You can also check out this ultimate dark web safety guide to browse safely.
• The dark web, an even more puzzling sublayer, exists within this hidden world.
• Cryptocurrency miners and other malicious software often target dark web users.
• It is imperative to stay alert and trust your gut when on the web.
• Hyphanet is still an experiment designed to resist denial-of-service attacks and censorship.
• Alt Address provides disposable email addresses specifically designed for dark web use.

It’s particularly useful for sensitive communications that need to remain private. Proton Mail’s dark web version provides end-to-end encrypted email with enhanced privacy protection. The service doesn’t require personal information to create an account and works seamlessly through darknet link Tor. I found in my tests that all features work identically to the regular version. Ahmia is a dark web search engine designed to index and search tor websites. This traditional search engine is also compatible with the dark web and can help you find dark web websites.

Impreza Hosting is a service that helps you host a site on the Tor network. It provides an .onion URL and an interface for you to manage your Tor site easily. It also boasts that no personal information is required to use the service, and payment can be made with cryptocurrency. Keybase also offers extremely user-friendly secure chat and file-sharing services through its app.

Professional dark web monitoring platforms solve the limitations of manual search. They maintain access to private forums and monitor infostealer channels in real-time. When infostealers harvest credentials from infected devices, those credentials go directly to the criminals.