Popular Dark Web Links & Websites

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. You simply have to know what you’re looking for, and finding reputable onion links can be a challenge. That’s why we took the guessing work out of it for you, and made this list of the best deep web links you should check out. 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best tor and onion links for you to check out, in no particular order. 

Tor Taxi

http://tortaxi2dev6xjwbaydqzla77rrnth7yn2oqzjfmiuwn5h6vsk2a4syd.onion

Tor Taxi is a great starting point to those new to using the dark web. It serves as a directory for many popular onion sites, from news outlets, forums, search engines, and Tor services to name a few.  

Hidden Wiki

http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion

Similar to Tor Taxi, Hidden Wiki is another great starting point for dark net newbies. 

Just Another Library

http://libraryfyuybp7oyidyya3ah5xvwgyx6weauoini7zyz555litmmumad.onion/

Leaving the questions about copyright and free distribution of media aside for a moment, Just Another Library is a digital collection of books, works of art, course material, and audiobooks available for download. 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. 

Archive Today

http://archiveiya74codqgiixo33q62qlrqtkgmcitqx5u2oeqnmn5bpcbiyd.onion/

Formerly known as Archive.is, Archive Today is an awesome platform that helps preserve the knowledge of the web.It stores snapshots of websites, enabling you to “travel back in time” and see the content of websites throughout its snapshot history.

This is an important tool that helps preserve digital cultural heritage, track changes across government and corporate websites, and save knowledge in a safe space, outside of the reach of any government or spy agency. Anyone can archive or retrieve data on any site they want, wherever available.

Secure Drop

http://sdolvtfhatvsysc6l34d65ymdwxcujausv7k5jk4cy5ttzhjoi6fzvyd.onion/

SecureDrop is a really awesome Tor service that can be used to share information without revealing your identity. Many news publications (including many of the ones listed above) use SecureDrop on their .onion sites.

Here are some Secure Drop onion links from major publications:The Guardian: http://xp44cagis447k3lpb4wwhcqukix6cgqokbuys24vmxmbzmaq2gjvc2yd.onion/

New York Times

https://ej3kv4ebuugcmuwxctx5ic7zxh73rnxt42soi3tdneu2c2em55thufqd.onion/

Zero Bin

http://zerobinftagjpeeebbvyzjcqyjpmjvynj5qlexwyxe7l3vqejxnqv5qd.onion/

Zero Bin is another great Tor service that helps maintain anonymity and privacy by offering an encrypted pastebin service. Pastebins are text sharing services, usually for sending and sharing text snippets. ZeroBin encrypts and decrypts text in the browser, so their servers have no way of knowing what’s happening on the browser side. 

Simply Translate

http://xxtbwyb5z5bdvy2f6l2yquu5qilgkjeewno4qfknvb3lkg3nmoklitid.onion/

Simply Translate is an onion based language translation service using the google translate engine. It’s an easy and simple way to de-couple your internet usage from Google’s monopoly over the web

ProPublica

http://p53lf57qovyuvwsc6xnrppyply3vtqm7l6pcobkmyqsiofyeznfu5uqd.onion/

ProPublica was the first online publication to win a Pulitzer prize. They were also the first to host a .onion site to make their content accessible to everyone everywhere, regardless of censorship or anti-journalist laws in certain countries. 

Deutsche Welle

https://www.dwnewsgngmhlplxy6o2twtfgjnrnjxbegbwqx6wnotdhkzt562tszfid.onion/en/top-stories/s-9097

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. 

The Tor Times

http://tortimeswqlzti2aqbjoieisne4ubyuoeiiugel2layyudcfrwln76qd.onion/

The Tor Times is a Tor and Onion site focused publication. They offer user generated reviews of forums and darknet markets, alongside breaking stories and news from the Tor-sphere. 

Piss Mail

http://pissmaiamldg5ciulncthgzudvh5d55dismyqf6qdkx372n2b5osefid.onion/

Looking for an email from an edgy domain like edgelord@cringe.com? Pissmail is the service for you, offering an onion based web service accessible via Tor browser. 

Proton Mail

https://protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion/mail

Swiss based ProtonMail is an encrypted email service that is quite popular with the cryptocurrency community. It’s a paid service, and while it’s extremely secure you will need another email address to sign up, which can leave traces of your true identity without you realizing.

The CIA 

http://ciadotgov4sjwlzihbbgxnqg3xiyrg7so2r2o3lt5wz5ypk4sxyjstad.onion/

Yes, that CIA. They have an onion site as well, presumably to allow access to the website's content in countries that aren’t so friendly to the notorious intelligence agency's ... .activities. 

Dutch National Police

http://tcecdnp2fhyxlcrjoyc2eimdjosr65hweut6y7r2u6b5y75yuvbkvfyd.onion/

The USA isn't the only government with a presence on Tor. The Dutch national police have made their onion site function as a billboard, warning all would-be criminals on darknet marketplaces to think twice about their actions. 

Vorm Web Search Engine

http://volkancfgpi4c7ghph6id2t7vcntenuly66qjt6oedwtjmyj4tkk5oqd.onion/en/

It’s a bit of a contradiction to talk about search engines for dark web sites because, by definition, these are not sites that get indexed by traditional search engines. Many search engines on the darknet suffer from spam, because these spammy sites want to be indexed and found by the search engines as opposed to genuine onion sites. Vorm Web focuses on quality over quantity and splits findable results into three security categories, from secure to risky.

Shoot Web Search Engine

http://shootnnngg4akh7fkjmx5b5omsppt2zaefohzwnwryhy2c6mm3kbx6qd.onion/

Shoot is another dark net search engine that focuses on quality over quantity, avoiding spam results wherever possible. As they themselves say: “99% of Tor sites are scams or dead - it doesn't make sense to scrape them”

Feather Crypto Wallet

http://featherdvtpi7ckdbkb2yxjfwx3oyvr3xjz3oo4rszylfzjdg6pbm3id.onion/

Feather is a free and open source Monero wallet available on most major computer platforms. Monero is a crypto currency that can be used to conduct transactions anonymously on a peer to peer level without any centralized authority watching over. 

Deep Web vs Dark Web

A common misconception is that the deep web and the dark web mean the same thing.

The deep web is the part of the internet that’s not indexed by search engines, like emails, social media feeds, files in cloud storage, and internet of things device networks. These digital assets are usually locked behind a virtual padlock or paywall.

The dark web forms a small part of the deep web. The dark web exists inside layered proxy networks, known as darknets. Tor, or “The Onion Router” is by far the largest of these darknets.

The dark web can only be accessed by the Tor Browser, and mostly consists of Onion sites.

What are Onion sites?

Simply put, onion sites are websites that are hosted on the Tor darknet that use the “.onion” top-level domain instead of “.com,” or  “.gov” for example. All Onion sites use The Onion Router (Tor) protocol to encrypt the user's connections. It’s only possible to access onion sites through the Tor browser or by setting up some special network configurations. 

Anonymity of the dark web is one of the main draws for using onion sites, and most dark web links use a “.onion” domain. This is usually due to the sensitive nature of the businesses or services they offer. Onion sites may offer secure access to cryptocurrency wallets or anonymous email clients. Or, they can help avoid government surveillance and censorship.

Are Onion Sites Dangerous?

Generally, onion sites are not inherently dangerous. 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. 

How Do I Access Onion Sites?

Connecting to Tor is pretty straightforward. First you’ll need to head on over to the Tor Project Website and download the Tor Browser for your operating system. Once you’ve downloaded the file, install and open up the browser. You’ll see a screen that looks like this:

All you need to do is click connect and you are officially connected to the Tor network.

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Learn how to access the dark web using Tor

How do I Stay Safe While Using the Dark Web?

You should take extra steps to protect yourself while using the dark web, especially if you’re going to be a frequent user. Following  these three steps can help you stay safe while using Tor:

  1. VPN first: Use a VPN prior to initiating the Tor connection. This will result in increased privacy and anonymity as the entry node can only see the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to, not your device. 
  2. Stay Anonymous: A little common sense goes a long way. Don’t share any identifiable information on any forum or community website and make sure to use safe browsing habits like avoiding suspicious plugins, downloads, or websites
  3. Double check onion links: Always make sure that you’re using a legitimate onion link, especially if you’re downloading something or sharing sensitive information. There are a lot of mirror websites that are scam, so checking the link twice is worth the extra few seconds.

Is Using Tor Safe?

It is usually safe to use Tor, but it does have risks you should be aware of, including:

  • Risks of Exit Nodes: In the final stretch of your Tor journey, the exit node plays a critical role in delivering your connection to the destination website. However, this last stop can also create an opening for potential threats. As the exit node decrypts your traffic to complete the connection, a malicious operator could theoretically view your unencrypted activity or browsing data. To safeguard yourself, always ensure that you’re connecting to sites with HTTPS encryption and consider using a VPN before starting your Tor session as an added layer of security.
  • Threats from Malware and Phishing: Navigating to dark web sites through Tor, especially those offering downloadable content, carries significant risks. Avoid downloading files from onion sites unless you are certain they’re safe, and be cautious about sharing personal information. Phishing is a serious risk, and since protection on the dark web is limited, it’s best to only provide information to trusted websites.
  • Recognizability from Traffic Patterns: Frequent Tor users should be aware that browsing patterns may reveal their identity to exit node operators. Repeated behaviors could make you stand out, even on the anonymous Tor network.
  • Objectionable/illegal content: It’s no secret that the dark web has a reputation as a place for illegal content. You don’t want to accidentally stumble upon this kind of content, it could be traumatizing or even have legal consequences. 

It’s not illegal per se to access an onion website, but that doesn’t mean your actions while connected to the dark web are immune from law enforcement. It’s still illegal to commit crimes while connected to Tor, regardless of whether or not you think you’ll be caught. 

Can I be tracked on the dark web?

Your activities on the dark web are not entirely shielded from tracking, and relying solely on anonymity can lead to a false sense of security. The dark web draws not only serious cyber criminals but also law enforcement agents aiming to catch them. Many exit nodes are actually operated by law enforcement and scammers. 

This means that using the dark web may attract attention from your ISP or even law enforcement. To reinforce your privacy while on the dark web, consider adding on a VPN like Windscribe as an extra layer of protection.

How do I Use a VPN with Tor?

You can use Tor and a VPN together, but there’s really only one effective way to do it. Here’s why:

As we mentioned above, when you connect to Tor your data first goes through an entry node, which can see your IP address. By connecting to a VPN before using Tor, you mask your real IP address before it reaches this entry node, adding an extra layer of security and anonymity.

This setup provides strong privacy, but it does come with a speed trade-off. Your data has to pass through four different points: the VPN server, Tor’s entry node, a relay node within Tor, and finally an exit node. The extra steps add some delay to your connection.

Connecting to Tor first and then a VPN is generally not advised. This sequence offers less anonymity because your real IP address is still partially exposed along the Tor path. Plus, it’s slower since your data travels through the same four steps – entry node, relay node, exit node, and then the VPN server.

For most people and use cases, using only a VPN will offer sufficient privacy with much faster speeds than Tor alone. A VPN provides strong security for everyday browsing without the extra delays, middle checkpoint, and then finally the exit gate. The extra connection layers can act as a significant burden to your browsing experience if you’re doing something that is bandwidth intensive.