For example, I looked up google.com and was able to find a snapshot of Google’s home page from 2008. The Mail Plus plan adds up to 15 GB of storage, unlimited messages, and 10 email addresses, plus advanced email settings (like automatic forwarding). You can also get Proton Unlimited and Proton Duo plans that add even more extras. ProPublica exposes corruption and abuses of power through investigative journalism. The articles are in-depth and informative, and the site is completely free to access — no random paywalls pop up in the middle of articles. A VPN connection is key to gaining greater privacy, security, and freedom on and off the dark web.
- By following these precautions, you can explore the dark web with a greater degree of safety and security.
- Pastebins are text sharing services, useful for sending and sharing large snippets of code or text.
- Many phishing pages and malware traps are hidden behind .onion URLs that look almost identical to the real thing.
- Recon is a dark web search engine that was built by HugBunter, a prominent dark web figure who is an administrator for the forum Dread.
- Individual sites on the dark web look much like they do on the regular web, though a lot of them are a bit more rough around the edges.
It also provides insights, helpful statistics, and updates regarding the Tor network. It is important to note that the people or journalists who use ProPublica to spread their truth recognize the risk of doing so. As a result, we want you to stay safe and anonymous by using a paid VPN service whenever you surf this dark web platform. Since the dark web is a hidden and uncontrolled part of the web, there is a high amount of malware infections present there.

🔍 How To Know If A Dark Web Link Is Real
- ZeroBin offers an extra secure version of this service by only encrypting and decrypting text in the browser, meaning their servers have no knowledge of what is passing through it.
- It’s not that you can’t find prohibited content on the surface web – it’s just harder to look for it, as Google or Bing filter the most harmful sites.
- You can also filter the results by telling Ahmia to only display links from the last day, week, or month.
- Some whistleblowers and journalists use these portals to safely leak information, especially when a source requires complete privacy.
The Camouflage Mode is intended for people living in countries with heavy internet censorship, like China. It will make your VPN activities seem like normal traffic, so you can use an uncensored internet. However, this feature is only available on iOS, Android, and Windows. The VPN will protect your traffic when you connect with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. This is high-level protection; no one can intercept your data or activities.

So-called “onion sites” are only accessible via special network configurations or browsers like Tor that can connect you to .onion domains via onion routing. And dark web search engines can help you find sites on the onion network. The dark web is the part of the internet that’s not indexed by public search engines like Google.
Email Services
To explore it, you need to install Tor and use a dark web search engine or directory to find and visit onion search engine links. Dark web platforms focused on news and transparency include ProPublica’s onion mirror, which delivers investigative journalism free from surveillance or censorship. SecureDrop, meanwhile, enables whistleblowers to send files to journalists anonymously and securely. These platforms are trusted by activists, reporters, and individuals in oppressive regimes who need to share sensitive information safely. Haystak is a specialized dark web search engine with one of the largest indexes of .onion domains.
Malware And Viruses
The site has a simple interface and offers filters to find books. However, not all books on this site are legally available, so they don’t have copyrights. That means you may violate copyright laws while downloading books, so use a VPN to protect yourself from any legal repercussions if you have a dire need to use it. Sci-hub is a helpful dark web platform for those looking to access important research blocked by a paywall.
Popular Dark Web Links & Websites
Many of these botnets have been shut down which has left their client computers fruitlessly polling Tor seeking the now dormant command systems. The six-month study sought to catalogue hidden services on the so-called “dark net” and work out which were the most popular. Most traffic to sites hidden on the Tor network go to those dealing in images of child sexual abuse a study suggests. Husain Parvez is a Cybersecurity Researcher and News Writer at vpnMentor, focusing on VPN reviews, detailed how-to guides, and hands-on tutorials. Husain is also a part of the vpnMentor Cybersecurity News bulletin and loves covering the latest events in cyberspace and data privacy. By following these precautions, you can explore the dark web with a greater degree of safety and security.

Dark Web Links: The Best onion And Tor Sites In 2025
It encrypts your connection and masks your IP address, providing an additional layer of protection against potential threats. Once you’re secure, download the Tor browser from torproject.org. Deutsche Welle (DW) is a German state funded news organization that reports on worldwide topics and events. In order to avoid censorship of their content, they’ve created a .onion site to ensure it’s accessible for all. Founded around 1999 by activists in Seattle, it has since grown to over six million users worldwide.
Best Dark Web Sites
Tor anonymity comes with a cost since malicious hackers and criminals like to operate in the shadows. For example, perpetrators of trafficking and cyber attacks use the dark web to disguise their actions. Activists and government critics prefer to remain anonymous, fearing repercussions if their identities are revealed. Besides, victims of crime may want to hide their identities from their perpetrators. Nonetheless, if whatever you do is deemed illegal in your country, you can get into trouble. Therefore, the legality of the dark web will mainly depend on how you use it.

Also known as Not Evil, this dark web search engine offers access to a wide array of .onion content. Dark web search engines are an alternative to having high technical knowledge, something hackers, journalists, and security firms are used to. With a single click of a button and going through some web pages, one can now easily visit a dark web page. It is that hidden corner of the internet that is hidden from the public and can only be used by a limited number of people.

Which Darknet Markets Are Up
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. I removed the links because the vast majority of them still used the v2 address format which Tor has dropped support for since 2022 in favor of their V3 address format. Plus links constantly go down all the time and keeping it updated would’ve been very time consuming. Avoiding these dangers means staying informed, sticking with trusted directories, and never trusting a .onion site just because it looks polished.
How To Access Onion Sites
These docs walk users through secure browsing, file storage, and messaging practices, all while maintaining the integrity of anonymous operating environments. ZeroBin is a paste tool that allows you to publish and share encrypted text anonymously. The tool is designed so that even the server cannot read the content you paste. It’s ideal for posting sensitive instructions, onion links, or short encrypted messages.