12 Best onion sites on the Dark Web

First, check out our beginner’s guide on how to use Tor, then come back when you’re ready to get started. The Dark Web and Darknets offer valuable spaces if you value privacy, freedom of speech, or research security technologies.If you misuse them, the consequences can be severe. Darknet tools have real value in privacy-focused, humanitarian, and journalistic efforts. Unlike the Deep Web, Darknets are intentionally hidden and designed to preserve privacy and anonymity. Even platforms like Netflix, which require paid access, are technically part of the Deep Web. There are estimated to be 1.1 billion websites on the Surface Web as of 2025 (Internet Live Stats).

News

LifeLock Standard helps safeguard your personal information, accounts, and identity. DuckDuckGo is built into the Tor browser, making it a convenient option for looking up dark web websites. However, before you start your search, toggle the button beside “Onionize” to anonymize your session.

Forums and communities

Finding actual leaked passwords demonstrates risk more effectively than theoretical vulnerabilities. Sites use .onion addresses that only resolve through the Tor network. Google’s crawlers can’t connect to Tor, so they never see these sites. Security teams use them to investigate breaches and check credential exposure. All content in this repository is published solely for educational use and is intended to promote ethical research and knowledge. Any unauthorized use of this information for illegal activities is strictly discouraged.

Dark Web Links for Web Hosting Services

Get CyberGhost VPN to encrypt your connection and browse the dark web safely. The dark web is an encrypted part of the internet you can only access with a special web browser (Tor Browser). Websites on the dark web aren’t indexed like they are on the regular surface web. Many dark internet users favor Tor which uses a network architecture originally developed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab as a system of decentralized, anonymous nodes to enable anonymous online communication.

Best Dark Web Sites to Visit in 2026

This approach allows evaluation without direct interaction or participation. It could initially look abandoned, but the community members answered questions in the end. It served as a great place to learn more about it for people new to the dark web.

What are the best onion sites?

(Psst…it’s on the dark web even though the name suggests otherwise). It lists over one billion .onion pages, so you’ll definitely find the pages you’re looking for. Torch won’t censor your search results or keep logs of your search history. It also doesn’t use web trackers or analytics code like Google does.

• This inconvenience is by design, because using Google wants access to your communications and wants to keep you logged in while you use Search.
• The dark web accounts for around 6% of the internet, and it is the secretive portion of the web where drug dealers, black hat hackers, hitmen, and human traffickers sell their wares or services.
• Start with a dark web exposure scan to see what’s already leaked.
• It is a popular tool for journalists, researchers, and users who need to document online content.
• I found their technical explanations clear and well-researched, though the site updates less frequently than other news platforms.
• The deep web is generally a safe place, particularly when compared directly to the Dark Web.

Verify All .onion Links

This contrasts greatly with the practices of Big Tech companies, which commoditize your personal data to drive profit. If you want to use the internet without giving up your most sensitive, valuable data, many European services offer a privacy-forward alternative. Bad stuff happens on the dark web, but it’s also a vital privacy tool. And that starts with understanding them beyond sensational headlines. However, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to use the dark web.

What should I do if my Social Security number is on the dark web?

Law enforcers can use custom software to infiltrate the dark web and analyze activities. You could be monitored closely even if you are not doing anything darknet link illegal. If the above average Joe’s explanation isn’t enough for you, below are some legitimate reasons to use the Dark Web in a bit more detail.

Tails OS (The Safe OS)

The topics you can find vary from literature, programming, science, and….artistic photography. Bear in mind that downloading materials from this site may put you in violation of local copyright laws, so exercise caution should you decide to do so. BBC Tor Mirror has one international site, alongside individual pages for specific countries, including Ukraine and Russia.

Safe dark web links to explore

Torzon Market promotes stability and uptime, making it appealing during periods when other markets face outages or takedowns. It markets itself as a reliable platform with strong operational security. Government of Canada reporting confirms that traffickers use both the surface web and dark web to sell drugs delivered by mail or courier. The same reports highlight gaps in the national ability to measure the full scale of this activity. STYX Market emerged as a security-focused platform serving the illicit-finance sector.

It is concealed from the clearnet (the part of the internet where you visit YouTube and Twitter) using encryption, and it allows web developers to publish websites anonymously. Regular browsers like Firefox and Chrome can’t access this concealed portion of the internet, because they are not designed to find websites listed using The Onion Router hidden service protocol. With plenty of scams, malicious links, and phishing sites, it can be easy to find yourself in trouble. Use a VPN when you go on the dark web to improve your privacy and security, and never click on random dark web links. Cybercriminals plant data-collecting malware all over the dark web to target vulnerable visitors.

Are onion sites dangerous?

There is a significant amount of malicious websites on the dark web which means it is essential to be extremely careful about where you go. As a result, it is essential that you use a strong firewall, and an antivirus with real time scanning and protection against incoming threats. If you’re looking at illegal dark web porn or purchasing illicit substances, it’s illegal. If you’re reading an independent news site or doing research, it’s probably fine. If you live in a country with heavy internet surveillance, the dark web might be illegal.

Best Ways to Hide Your IP Address (Free & Paid)

• Users could accidentally fall victim to ransomware just by clicking the wrong link or downloading a file on the dark web.
• Try ZeroBin, a covert, dark web-based, communication platform that allows you to send media and text messages to your confederate.
• In this article, we share our list of the 28 best dark web sites today, which include verified, trusted, and safe options to use when exploring the Dark Web.
• The ‘onion routing’ technology underpinning the dark web was developed by researchers at the U.S.
• Some of these sites are very helpful (but unseen as Google doesn’t show them), while others are just for fun.
• We offer a suite of end-to-end encrypted business solutions to protect your entire workspace, however big or small your business.
• Logs are easy to deploy, making the platform attractive to low-skill actors.

In addition to extensive Deep and Specialized Indexing capabilities, Haystak has created an Index of the dark web that may be among the best currently available. The readers like you support Beencrypted to help keep up the good work. When you purchase using links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. 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. Arrests of operators usually lead to immediate shutdowns or silent exits.

Despite these measures, dark web marketplaces are unstable and often shut down due to scams, internal problems, or law-enforcement action. Mercari has grown into one of the most popular online marketplaces for buying and selling secondhand… 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. The provider also offers a dedicated CyberSec suite that prevents annoying ads and blocks malware and trackers.

Stay safe on dark web websites

However, interest in I2P has waned badly in recent years (which itself impacts I2P’s security), so many I2P “eepsites” and forums are now abandoned. Tor Onion Services was developed to overcome the exit node problem by removing the exit node. Onion Services are websites that exist within the Tor network and can only be accessed from the Tor network.

Understanding the various tools available and their respective advantages and limitations is crucial for maintaining anonymity. Essential precautions include using updated security software, avoiding downloading suspicious files, and never revealing personal information. Common mistakes to avoid while accessing darknet links include using regular browsers, clicking random links, and failing to verify site authenticity.

AI overload to accelerate zero-trust data governance adoption

In general, most average internet users will never need to access content on the dark web, although it is perfectly legal to use Tor. This part of the internet is notorious for illegal activities, facilitated by the anonymity it offers. Crimes range from data theft and selling illegal goods for cryptocurrencies to human trafficking and more severe offenses. Excavator is perhaps as controversial as it gets, among the most comprehensive search engines on the dark network. Built in 2019 by anonymous activists, Excavator would be an extremely deep digger into the onion content, trying to be open for everything.

It’s still possible to track someone’s traffic pinging through the Tor nodes, though it is difficult. Get the latest in privacy news, tips, tricks, and security guides to level-up your digital security. These domain names are not registered with a central authority but are instead derived from cryptographic keys. Archive.today is considered an important tool to track changes across government and corporate websites, preserve cultural heritage, and keep knowledge outside of autocrats’ reach. You can archive any site you want, or retrieve historical records wherever available. Most e-commerce providers offer some kind of escrow service that keeps customer funds on hold until the product has been delivered.

While Google Chrome is popular, it’s also known for collecting significant amounts of user data. Alternative browsers like Brave, Tor Browser, and Mozilla Firefox will allow you to keep your online activity private. From search engines to messaging apps, browsers to cloud storage, other European alternatives can give you the tools to take back control. As governments expand their reach, often with the help of Big Tech, control over our lives online is at risk of slipping away.

What should you do if your information is found in a data breach or you think it’s been leaked somewhere? Change your passwords and watch out for suspicious activity on your credit reports. By monitoring known dark web marketplaces, Avast BreachGuard will alert you immediately if and when your data is found. That way, you can change your passwords and lock down your accounts to help block scammers from using your data against you.

The early version of Tor was created to mask spy communications. In due course, the framework was remodeled and made public as a secure browser. No one is hiding here—they’re just guaranteeing that people in censored countries can read the news without being flagged. As listed above in our article, even respected organizations like the BBC and ProPublica have a version of their site on the dark web. There are often copious amounts of how-to articles, software exploits, and hacked credentials for sale. Not every visitor is a criminal, but this is where most cybercrimes begin.

Think of it as a dark web version of Reddit and you are on the right track! It is a good place to get help and ask questions about the dark web when you are a total noob. This is one of the most valuable resources available on the dark web.

The dark web, for the uninitiated among you, is a virtual neighborhood beyond the borders of the normal, everyday internet (which includes the website you’re looking at right now). It’s somewhere Google and Bing don’t index, and you need special tools to get to it. Use Norton VPN to encrypt the data you send and receive and surf more anonymously.

• Over half of its listings pose potential risks to individuals and organizations.
• You can then use that username and password to log in to all Proton services.
• You can download CyberGhost to use Tor-over-VPN and keep your activities safely concealed from snoopers.
• These trusted sites will help you gain confidence and minimize risks.
• 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.

Various browsers and applications offer different levels of protection, each with their own unique features and security protocols. Understanding these differences is crucial for making an informed decision about which tools best suit your needs. This structure makes it simple to explore a wide range of dark web sites within particular areas of interest. It has indexed more than 1.5 billion pages from over 260,000 .onion websites, so you’ll easily be able to find what you’re looking for. Since .onion links aren’t listed and the browser doesn’t have a search engine, you’ll need to know the domain URL you want to visit in advance.

• It doesn’t use JavaScript, which goes a long way toward keeping you anonymous.
• Neither DuckDuckGo’s dark nor normal versions keep a log of your web activity.
• Unlike the publicly accessible surface web, the deep web includes sites requiring login credentials but is still accessible via traditional browsers.
• Strengthen your defenses with KELA’s threat intelligence platform that monitors dark web markets and uncovers threats before they strike.

Aside from government agencies, other entities, including corporations and hackers, could potentially monitor and track your movements across the dark web. Again, they can use various tools and technologies for this, like tracking tools or social engineering techniques. This is another reason it’s best to use a VPN and be careful on the dark web to preserve anonymity.

Many free VPN providers lack basic security features and track your online activity, so they don’t offer much privacy. SecureDrop is designed explicitly for journalists trying to preserve the privacy of their sources. Its anonymous nature enables users to create and submit encrypted documents, chat securely, and receive private responses from journalists. SecureDrop is an open-source platform that facilitates secure communication between whistleblowers and journalists.

These sites sit in the part of the internet known as the dark web. For extra protection, get Avast SecureLine VPN to encrypt your connection, access more content, and stay safer online as you explore the dark web. The Dark Web is just a collection of websites not listed by regular search engines like Google or Bing. Users cannot visit .onion sites using normal browsers like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

They also can’t access Telegram or Discord where criminals increasingly operate. Phishing attacks on the dark web often involve fake versions of popular sites. Always verify .onion addresses from trusted sources before entering any information.