These layers upon layers give this network its iconic “onion” name—as the onion itself has layers upon layers. Knowing this, we tested many dark websites, and only the safest and most reliable ones made it to our list of 29 best dark web sites you should know in 2025. Download Avast SecureLine VPN to encrypt your internet connection and protect your privacy wherever you go online.
Tor And The Onion Browser
It comprises websites, resources and services that aren’t indexed by regular web crawlers. The websites are hidden in layers of encryptions and use dot (.) onion domains, which is why they are called onion sites. However, the dark web is also known for being a hub for illicit activity. Anonymous marketplaces (such as The Silk Road) offer everything from recreational drugs and forged documents to firearms and malware toolkits. The dark web — aka, the deep web — is the second layer of the internet, which is not indexed by search engines.
Is It Illegal To Visit Onion Sites?
- Beginner directories like The Hidden Wiki offer a starting point, but extreme caution is advised—many sites listed may be outdated, broken, or link to illegal content.
- While an iOS version of the official Tor browser is not available, there are Tor-compatible browsers available in the App Store.
- Staying aware of what’s happening on the dark web is key to improving digital safety.
- SecureDrop is a really awesome Tor service that can be used to share information without revealing your identity.
- Our search engine at GOTDW is here to help you explore more safely, but we still urge extra caution as you dive in.
Websites and pages in the deep web might include password-protected content, private forums, and personalized resources. From drug trafficking to arms deals to stolen data, the dark web provides a marketplace for many illegal goods and services. This has led to a negative reputation and is attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies. Your safety on the dark web depends more on cautious browsing habits than any single security tool. While a VPN adds valuable protection, being selective about which sites you visit and never sharing personal information are equally important. Stick to verified dark web directories and legitimate services to minimize your exposure to risks.
The Dark Web is the part of the deep web that is not indexed by search engines, like Google or Bing. For this reason, you cannot browse through these sites using your default search engine. Just like Google, the dark web has some search engines present on it. Though they have their limitations, most of the time you’ll see irrelevant or spammy links for your search results.
A vast number of URLs have domain endings such as “.onion”, which means that the URLs are only accessible by Tor users. Later on, the underlying Tor code was released into the wild under a free license, leading to the formation of the Tor Project. In 2008, the first Tor Browser was released, making it easier for any internet users to access the dark web. For example, the deep web is often a platform used by political activists who own a blog.
The Hidden Wiki — Collection Of Popular Dark Web Links
The US Naval Research Laboratory developed The Onion Routing (Tor) project in the late 90s. A network browser gives you access to sites with the ‘.onion’ registry operator. With the onion browser, you can access ordinary HTTPS websites on the web.
What Cybersecurity Surprises Does 2018 Hold?
But it also contains other news and religious sites, private discussion forums, and medical records. It might sound weird that Google doesn’t index these pages, but it does carry some logical sense. Google’s purpose is to show the most relevant information to all of its users quickly and easily. That means that Google wants to minimize the amount of time users spend searching for certain queries. So, it’s only natural to find ways to keep in touch with your darknet buddies and/or customers.
Tor Metrics
During my tests, ExpressVPN’s military-grade encryption and verified no-logs policy provided consistent protection against tracking and monitoring. The kill switch feature also ensures your real IP stays hidden if your connection drops. TorBook aims to be a privacy-focused alternative to mainstream social networks. It emphasizes anonymity while providing familiar social media features. Some content can be unmoderated, though, so it’s worthwhile to be careful while using this platform. Dark web websites look pretty much like any other site, but there are important differences.
Alternative Anonymous Networks
A reliable, fast, and user-friendly VPN service offering lots of customizable options for privacy geeks. If you are in a position to report the incident safely, you should report it to the authorities immediately. It’s recommended not to be too vigilant here and leave the investigation to the professionals.
The worst part of the network is that you don’t have control over the nodes your traffic is routed through. To better understand how the dark and the deep web work, you must first understand how the open web operates. Web crawlers run the regular internet, scouring the web to discover newly published websites or pages in a process called crawling. Anonymizing browsers are banned in some countries like China and Russia. Moreover, given the nefarious nature of the dark web, some government agencies may set up Tor gateways to monitor what’s happening on the dark web. We also recommend using a virtual private network (VPN) such as NordVPN — the best dark web VPN — to add an extra layer of protection.
Another cool features it you can sort results by age (past day, week, month, or year), and lots more. Awazon Marketplace is the leading dark-web marketplace that claims to provide a secure destination for anonymous trading. The site also uses strong encryption to protect against cyberattackers, such as anti-DDoS protection. It doesn’t use JavaScript, which goes a long way toward keeping you anonymous.
As an average Internet user, you may accidentally stumble upon such content. Your access to illegal content, even if it is unintentional, can violate laws in many countries. On the other hand, the deep web is the hidden part of the Internet that contains private or restricted content that is not indexed by search engines. Unlike the surface web, you can’t access deep web resources directly through a search engine; they require login credentials or special permissions. There are multiple search engines on the dark web that can help you find what you’re looking for. DuckDuckGo’s no-track dark web search service can be accessed in the Tor browser and is an excellent resource for information about the dark web.
Rely On Secure Browsers (eg, Tor)
Hidden Wiki, although comprehensive, contains some very disturbing and very illegal info. While people and organizations do host legitimate and useful sites on the dark web, it’s still best to tread cautiously. Despite Tor’s privacy-focused design, malicious entities are more likely to target your data in transit and on .onion sites.
Vorm Web Search Engine
This makes it nearly impossible for anyone—governments, internet providers, or hackers—to trace your browsing activity back to you. While the Tor Browser looks and feels similar to Firefox, it’s specifically designed to connect to websites that aren’t accessible via regular browsers. Archive Today’s .onion link allows users to access its web page archiving service anonymously, preserving snapshots of websites for future reference. The platform has saved millions of web pages, ensuring information remains available even if the original sources are removed or changed.
