Deep web content includes anything behind a paywall or requires sign-in credentials. It also includes any content that its owners have blocked web crawlers from indexing. If your ISP is aware you’re using Tor, it could put you under increased surveillance. They might assume you’re using it for no good and keep a closer watch on you. Use a VPN to surf the dark web privately with a Tor-Over-VPN connection. If you connect to a VPN first, your ISP won’t know you’re on Tor.

Archive, Index and Torrent

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…? Tor was initially developed by the US Navy to facilitate secure communication for informants. Similarly, the CIA launched its .onion site to provide worldwide anonymous access to its resources. From Flickr to Facebook posthaste – that would be an accurate description of Dark Lair, an image hosting platform turned social media.

Dark Web Sites Offering Educational resources

• Even one of the best search engines, called Grams, returns results that are repetitive and often irrelevant to the query.
• For security research, Ahmia is the safest choice because it filters illegal content and has Tor Project endorsement.
• This focus on privacy makes it the Tor Browser’s default search engine and one of the best onion search engines.
• First, it’s difficult to track and monitor activity on the dark web since much of it is encrypted.
• Daniel lists more than 7,000 dark web links and automatically tests them.
• It’s important to note that although the dark web has many valuable services, it is also a hangout for cybercriminals.
• Ahmia also discourages access to illegal content and promotes safer internet practices.

Vendors on the site undergo strict screening, which reduces exposure to undercover investigators. Reputation scores and user feedback guide buyer decisions in the absence of real-world verification. 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.

Dark Web Chat/Social Networks

Otherwise, the first node in the onion relay system sees your real IP address, which can be used to locate you and unveil your identity. The New York Times can also be anonymously accessed via the dark web. Some locations block access to the site, so the New York Times began hosting on the dark web to unblock links to their news and make it accessible to everyone around the world. Tor Browser prevents someone watching your connection from knowing what websites you visit. All anyone monitoring your browsing habits can see is that you’re using Tor.

• Just Another Library is one such service, with a wealth of books covering computer programming, science, and niche hobbies (sailors’ knots, anyone?).
• This makes it extremely difficult to find out who you are transacting with.
• So, I put together a list of the best dark web sites in 2026 to help you get started.
• The dark web is a section of the Internet not searchable through traditional search engines, where privacy and anonymity reign.
• Some content can be unmoderated, though, so it’s worthwhile to be careful while using this platform.

Avoid downloading dark web files

Enable MFA wherever possible to protect your accounts from unauthorized access. Hidden Answers is one of the biggest question-and-answer dark web sites. This makes Riseup a vital tool for people in oppressive environments or anyone concerned with online privacy. ProPublica is independent, so you’ll find trustworthy news reports on topics ranging from corruption to inequality and environmental issues. As a bonus, the site is one of the most polished on the deep web, so you shouldn’t get a clunky experience that feels sus. ProPublica is a non-profit investigative journalism outfit based out of New York City.

Best Dark Web Sites

These domain names are not registered with a central authority but are instead derived from cryptographic keys. Following the NYT, the BBC launched a dark web “mirror” of their international edition in 2019. Note that some features of the normal website are not available on the .onion version, including BBC iPlayer. This privacy-focused digital currency has become increasingly popular among darknet operators seeking to evade traditional financial monitoring systems. When you’re done surfing or shopping on the dark web, don’t forget to shut down Tails. The major advantage of using a live OS such as Tails is that, on shut down, the OS wipes itself from the thumb drive you’ve installed it.

Enjoy more secure browsing with a VPN

The VPN encrypts your traffic before it enters the Tor network, preventing your ISP from seeing that you’re using Tor. This double encryption also protects against compromised Tor entry nodes that could potentially monitor your activity. However, many are used for illegal activity and onion websites are often popular hangouts for cybercriminals and scammers. Using common sense like avoiding clicking on shady links or download buttons, sticking to known sites and adding a VPN for an extra layer of protection, you should be fine. The dark web remains a largely unregulated and unmonitored part of our digital world. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a thriving community there though.

Can I use a free VPN to access the dark web?

VPNs are often recommended as protection in such cases, but Whited disagrees. The Escrow’s .onion link provides a platform for conducting anonymous transactions on the Dark Web by holding funds securely until agreements are fulfilled. It supports Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, ensuring safe transactions between parties. Escrow has handled thousands of trades, helping to reduce fraud in Dark Web marketplaces. It’s a lifeline for activists, whistleblowers and journalists seeking safe spaces to connect and speak freely.

Tor Metrics

In addition, nearly everyone has heard stories of drugs and people trafficking or even murders being arranged on the dark net. It serves the same purpose as ProPublica – facilitating access in countries where it may otherwise be restricted. Facebook’s onion portal is an essential communication tool for people living under oppressive regimes, despite the social media giant’s controversial reputation when it comes to privacy. But despite its many benefits, it’s sadly just a matter of fact that the dark web can be a dangerous place. Near total anonymity and a complete lack of regulation can easily attract criminality, and onion sites can harbor malware such as ransomware or spyware.

Dark Web Links for Financial Services

• This service helps protect your primary email when signing up for .onion services.
• Tor can be used together with a VPN to provide overlapping layers of privacy and anonymity.
• Malicious actors can prey on unsuspecting users without leaving much of a digital footprint on Tor, so it’s often just a matter of time before you run into one.
• 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.
• These search tools use different crawlers than Google, actively looking for the .onion address structure.
• You can choose the best darknet (.onion) website that suits you and start surfing.
• Avoid using payment methods that can easily expose your identity.
• It’s a lifeline for activists, whistleblowers and journalists seeking safe spaces to connect and speak freely.
• Every communication is encrypted, so even the simplest transaction requires a PGP key.
• Other dark web search engines include Not Evil, Torch, Haystack, and Ahmia.

On Tor, you can type in any URL you’d like to visit, including .onion links on the dark web. Unlike typical web browsers, Tor Browser uses onion routing, which encrypts and routes traffic through multiple servers around the world to hide your IP address and provide private browsing. In addition, all domains on the Tor network end with the top-level domain .onion (instead of .com).

Find our round-up of the 20 best dark web websites, alongside the specific .onion links you need to start browsing on Tor. We’ll also look more closely at the dark web, what it is, and how it works so you can stay safe when exploring the unknown. Security researchers and dark web analysts usually keep an eye on forums like Dread and other smaller online groups. Users often post and discuss new links here first, especially for marketplaces or services, giving early access to information, though this approach carries the highest risk.

Articles are published regularly and include interesting information, images, and quotes from officials. This way, if you’re interested in a specific topic, you can find it quickly. By following these precautions, you can explore the dark web with a greater degree of safety and security. Ahmia promotes transparency by being open-source and allowing contributions. Its operations focus on respecting user privacy and maintaining anonymity through the use of the Tor network.

ZeroBin is an attractive option for anyone looking to share sensitive information without compromising privacy. It’s particularly useful for journalists, whistleblowers, and those who urgently need to send or receive confidential data. It’s similar to Reddit or Quora but designed for anonymous users. Users can ask questions, share answers, and engage in discussions without revealing their identities.

Learn how to search the dark web effectively and turn hidden threats into actionable intelligence for your security team. 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. The darknet marketplaces 2026 files are automatically encrypted, and the sender’s IP is not logged. Tor Links is a backup directory of “.onion” sites in case other directories go offline. The best Tor sites are under constant threat of closure, including Tor directories like the Hidden Wiki, so having a backup in case one goes down is handy.

How to access the Dark Web safely

It contains 7,500 terabytes of information, compared with only 19 terabytes of information in the “surface” web. To look at it in a different way, it makes up between 90% and 95% of the internet. Founded by security researcher Juha Nurmi, Ahmia is essentially a list of “hidden” sites that do want to be found. 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.

Using a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN with dark web search engines is essential for protecting your privacy. It hides your IP address, encrypts your internet traffic, and prevents your activity from being traced. A VPN also masks your online behavior from ISPs, which could flag you as suspicious for accessing the dark web. This added layer of security keeps your identity hidden and shields you from online threats. The darknet represents a hidden layer of the internet that operates on encrypted networks, requiring specialized software for access.

I recommend enabling automatic updates and checking for new versions before each session. SecureDrop stands out as the leading platform for secure document sharing used by major news organizations. This open-source whistleblowing system enables anonymous file transfers with strong encryption.

OnionName lets you generate an .onion domain name that starts with a specific keyword — like onionamev33r7w4zckyttobq3vrt725iuyr6xessihxifhxrhupixqad.onion/, which is OnionName’s dark web link. The keyword in that example is “onioname,” which is right at the start of the .onion link. With a readable site name like that, people will know what to expect when they click on the link. We check all comments within 48 hours to ensure they’re real and not offensive. Husain Parvez is a former writer at vpnMentor, focusing on VPN reviews, detailed how-to guides, and hands-on tutorials.

But lurking beneath lies the expansive, mysterious “deep web” or“dark net” – the gigantic submerged part that remains invisible to standard searches. Accessing darknet links requires careful preparation and the right set of tools to ensure your privacy and security. The most crucial aspect is maintaining anonymity while navigating through these hidden corners of the internet. Understanding the proper methodology and implementing security measures will help protect your digital footprint.

Thankfully, with the right guide — and a tool like a VPN (Virtual Private Network) by your side — you can navigate these hidden sites safely without falling victim to any hazards along the way. Please check your local laws to ensure your use of VPN complies with statutory requirements. To help you make educated choices about cybersecurity to keep you (and your data) safe and secure, by providing detailed, accurate, and practical information based on thorough testing. Watch for unexpected changes in system performance that could indicate malware. Cryptocurrency miners and other malicious software often target dark web users.

Whited’s rule of thumb is to use the Tor Browser instead of Private Browsing Mode or Incognito Mode. «Contrary to what most people think, these modes do not actually protect your privacy,» she says. If you’re new to the dark web, start with the resources in our list. These trusted sites will help you gain confidence and minimize risks.

Although some of these markets prohibit certain extreme content such as violence or exploitation, most operate with very few rules beyond ensuring the security and anonymity of their users. Reddit is actually available on the dark web now, so there’s no need to rely on third-party tools to access it via Tor. Just bear in mind that the addition of anonymity to a platform like Reddit causes people to behave without a filter. However, for many, this appears to have been a simple publicity stunt, as they’ve since abandoned them.

There are also many tools that can be use to monitor the dark web and scan for personally identifiable information and even respond to attacks. The only thing is, you can’t just access Riseup, you need an invitation code to set up an account. This can be a bit tricky if you don’t know anyone with an existing account. Use Secure Drop if you need to privately share data with a publication.

The Darknet is a subset of the Internet operating over encrypted, anonymous overlay networks that require special software like Tor, Freenet, or I2P. You’re only scratching the surface when you use the Internet for daily activities—reading news, managing finances, running businesses. Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo can access just about 4% of the web. Most e-commerce providers offer some kind of escrow service that keeps customer funds on hold until the product has been delivered.

For this reason, you must watch out and avoid opening anything that looks suspicious to you. Immediately close your entire Tor Browser window (not just that active tab). Note that engaging with the content in any way is not only distressing but could also put you at legal risk. This is because law enforcement often actively monitors these sites. Many dark net sites do not undertake the necessary measures to protect users like most websites on the surface web.

To do that, you’ll need a dark web search engine like Torch or Ahmia. While not an onion site, Tor Metrics can provide a fascinating peek “under the hood” of the dark web. It tracks Tor user activity by region, showing trends in access and adoption without collecting personal data.

Essentially, it’s a search engine like Google or Safari, but unlike other search engines, it doesn’t track your browsing activity or collect user data. So, search results won’t be based on your browsing history, location, or anything else. And I liked that if I visited a site that had a .onion version, it prompted me to switch to that version. It’s simply a part of the internet that isn’t indexed by regular search engines and needs special software, like Tor, to access.

Beyond that is the mysterious dark web, which makes up a small amount of the deep web. The dark web is a hidden network hosting .onion sites that are only accessible through the Tor browser. You need to know the .onion dark web links before you can visit these sites as they aren’t all indexed like on Google or Bing. The dark web is a section of the internet that hosts websites and links you can only access via the Tor network. The Tor network is encrypted and sends your traffic through a series of nodes.

It is essentially a list of all the notable websites available on the Tor Network that is kept in a single, organized place. For this reason, it is always better to use a trustworthy VPN for Tor while accessing the Dark Web, as this will provide a robust additional layer of privacy. The Tor network is designed to provide you with privacy and anonymity. That said, most experts agree that at least some nodes on the Tor network have been compromised by intelligence agencies like the CIA and the NSA.