It’s one of the most well-known secret search engines on the dark web. Since activists, journalists, and advocates need the dark web to communicate securely, find evidence, and bypass censorship, it remains a tool for privacy and free expression. Although there is some crossover, the list of sites on OnionLinks is broadly different from those on The Hidden Wiki. Given the regularity with which .onions sites go offline and disappear, the more directory sites you know about, the better.
Lastly, to stay up-to-date with the happenings on a particular dark web website, forums are set up as a hub for information exchange. It can’t provide solutions should users encounter issues while using the website. We ensured that the dark web sites we chose had reviews and feedback from real users on other forums; this way, we can be sure of the site’s reliability and legitimacy. The developers of ProtonMail recommend using the Tor browser to visit the dark web version of the service. This ensures greater security and privacy, making it much more difficult for snoopers to get in.
OnionName — Buy Readable Onion Domains
The platform’s popularity continues to grow, attracting both new and returning customers. Valued at approximately $15 million, Abacus Market is one of the most lucrative platforms in the dark web ecosystem. If you make use of a password manager, then it may come with a feature that monitors the dark web for mentions of your email address and password, or any other personal details. It’s something built into the password management services offered by Apple and Google as well, so you don’t need to trawl through data leaks manually yourself. Hackers spend a lot of time on the dark web, and it’s not too difficult to get access to hacking tools and data leaks in this part of the internet.
Hidden Wiki

Apparently, Hack-Rent-A-Hacker’s most popular ‘service’ is Facebook account hacking – figures! Anyway, if you’re in this sort of thing, someone can help you get inside a Facebook account for 250 euros. It goes without saying that I do not advise you to seek this sort of service. A little refresher on the dark web – it’s like a gathering house, where all sorts of people congregate. Get the latest in privacy news, tips, tricks, and security guides to level-up your digital security. Wasabi Wallet is a Bitcoin wallet that not only hides all your data in the Tor network but also allows you to “join” your transactions with others to increase your anonymity.
The New York Times — Globally Recognized News Coverage
That said, you still might get malicious links in your search results, so you still need to proceed with caution with any page DuckDuckGo takes you to. This is a free service that lets you upload images to share them with other people. It’s great for people who live in or travel through restrictive countries to securely access and use image hosting and sharing services, which might be unavailable. SecureDrop is an open-source submission system that nonprofit organizations (NGOs), journalists, and news organizations can use to share and receive sensitive files securely. It’s used by 50+ news organizations, including ABC, Bloomberg News, CBC, and The New York Times.

Top 10 Dark Web Search Engines Of 2025 For Safe & Private Access
However, these methods can compromise your online security and would be very slow, so it’s better to just use Tor. Similar to Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) also offers a Dark site if you want to access the platform using Tor. Still, you might want to use additional security tools to protect your data when accessing these sites. Dark Websites can only be accessed using specialized privacy browsers, which encrypt your online data. Kilos is a dark web marketplace search engine that lets users search for specific products they’re looking for.
Many reputable websites and news outlets like ProPublica and SecureDrop often share official domain addresses of onion sites on their pages. Some users also share links on encrypted apps like Telegram or Keybase that you can check. Unlike other search engines, it does not collect or share web activities and personal data of users.
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- It is a relatively new provider but offers better features than most established VPNs.
- “Darknet sites that profit from the sexual exploitation of children are among the most vile and reprehensible forms of criminal behavior.
- If you do need to access a dark web website for legitimate reasons, you can check directories like The Hidden Wiki to help find options.
- This is the best place to get short and reliable links to an unalterable record of any webpage across government and corporate websites.
- 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.
If you are a cryptocurrency enthusiast, you will love Wasabi Wallet. It offers a secure and anonymous way to handle transactions on the dark web. While it is not free, the small fee is a fair trade for the privacy and reliability it provides. The non-profit newsroom is funded by organizations such as the Sandler Foundation and has made countless contributions in the fight for free speech and privacy. By following these precautions, you can explore the dark web with a greater degree of safety and security.
- Wherever you go online, but especially if you’re on dark web websites, using a VPN helps you secure your communication data and protect personal information you send or receive.
- Yes, you can access the dark web on a smartphone, but you’ll need an appropriate browser, like Tor browser for Android or Onion browser for iPhone.
- Whether you’re looking for stronger privacy, a simple interface, or a tool designed specifically for hidden services, there’s likely an option that fits your needs.
- Quality and validity of the data it provides justify its higher cost over other marketplaces.
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Near total anonymity and a complete lack of regulation can easily attract criminality, and onion sites can harbor malware such as ransomware or spyware. ProtonMail is an email service that uses end-to-end encryption, making your email accessible to you and only you. The service retains no copies of any data that passes through a ProtonMail account.
When you first venture into the dark web, choosing the right search engine can significantly influence your experience. Here’s a clear overview of four trusted search engines that can help you navigate the hidden corners of the internet. There are thousands of websites on the dark web, many—but not all—of which are illicit marketplaces selling stolen personal data. Learn more about the kinds of sites that can be found on the dark web and how you can access them. Then, try LifeLock free for 30 days to help find out if your personal data is leaked on the dark web.
People in countries with heavy internet censorship must get a VPN or Tor browser to access the surface web. 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. It will offer you an additional layer of encryption to access the deep parts of the internet. Check out these best onion sites to access the dark web securely and anonymously. Since you cannot access a library of dark web links using the regular Internet, you can check out platforms dedicated to indexing these sites, like The Hidden Wiki.
The dark web is a hidden collective of sites that you can only access through special browsers, most commonly Tor Browser. Data sent through the dark web is encrypted and relayed through multiple nodes hosted by a global network of volunteers. This setup ensures users and website operators are able to remain anonymous. The dark web is a subset of the deep web, neither of which can be indexed by regular search engines.

Best Dark Web Websites: Video
It is one of the best sites on the dark web to find your favorite comics. The Imperial Library currently holds around 1.5 million books, some of which may be hosted illegally, and thus, their consumption might violate copyright laws. To protect yourself against any legal repercussions, you should consider using NordVPN.