The only downside to DuckDuckGo is that it might show you fewer dark web search results compared with the other search engines on this list. Unlike other dark web search engines, Ahmia has a policy against “abuse material” and blocks them. Before we get into dark web search engines, let’s get into what the dark web is. The dark web is a part of the internet that isn't indexed by traditional search engines like Google—you can't find it through standard browsing.
- The rest of the internet must be accessed with a direct URL, IP address, or via a dark web search engine.
- I2P, or the Invisible Internet Project, allows you to access the ordinary and dark web.
- Subjects include agriculture, education, history, medicine, law, military science, science technology, and more.
- Users can also view individual profiles of vendors and marketplaces, providing information such as ratings, alternate links, the number of listings, and the percentage of uptime.
- The website has an advanced search filter and an easy-to-use interface, which makes it easy to find what someone is looking for.
Look Back In Time
Books, DVDs, CDs, articles, and more are all available as search engine topics. Offering more than 100 terabytes of data or over 700 billion web pages, it gives you the history of any public site. When you pair DDG with the .onion version, you are then able to perform a much larger search of the Web that includes the Deep Web.
What Are Some Safe Dark Web Directories For Navigation?
Although the site is still continually expanding and improving, it has become a significant resource on the Tor network. Not Evil is a reflection of what the community is looking for and what the community reports as abusive or inappropriate content. Its philosophy emphasizes privacy and not registering user information. This engine uses information from publicly sourced sites (such as Wikipedia) with the aim of increasing traditional results and improving relevance. One notable feature is its "I'm feeling lucky" button, reminiscent of Google's counterpart, which displays searches for a random keyword chosen from popular searches on OnionLand.
Criteria For Evaluating Dark Web Search Engines
It describes itself as a tool for social change and “a project to create democratic alternatives.” Riseup requires you to have the onion link as well as an invitation. Riseup is an invite-only email and communications service that doesn’t hold onto any of the data you generate when you use it. However, The Wayback Machine allows website owners to block their sites from being archived, while archive.today does not. Although ProtonMail also exists on the clear web, accessing it via Tor provides an extra layer of privacy if you don’t want to leave a trace of you even using ProtonMail. The service retains no copies of any data that passes through a ProtonMail account. ProtonMail is an email service that uses end-to-end encryption, making your email accessible to you and only you.
Security On The Dark Web
However, not Evil is not a repository for illegal services and illegal material. The search engine provides several special features beyond the original word. DuckDuckGo is a search engine located in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, United States. Despite skipping similar results, OnionLand Search boasts an impressive database, returning nearly 6000 results for searches such as "Drugs," indicating its comprehensive coverage.
Are All Websites On The Tor Network Illegal Or Associated With Illicit Activities?
However, they can only provide a glimpse into the websites and information that lies deep beneath the surface web. They provide a crucial service by organizing the chaotic and often dangerous landscape of hidden websites. Forums dedicated to illegal activities, including human trafficking and terrorism, also exist in this hidden part of the internet. This process masks users’ identities and locations, providing high privacy and security. Tor, short for “The Onion Router,” anonymizes users’ internet activities by routing their connections through a series of volunteer-operated servers around the world. This hidden realm attracts legitimate users, such as journalists and whistleblowers.
Facebook Onion Site
A VPN provides strong security for everyday browsing without the extra delays, middle checkpoint, and then finally the exit gate. 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. As we mentioned above, when you connect to Tor your data first goes through an entry node, which can see your IP address.
Quick List Of The Best Dark Websites In 2025
Its purpose is to function as a repository enabling users to explore items from various sellers across diverse marketplaces on the dark web. While some search engines avoid the more shady side of the dark web, Kilos embraces it, by refraining from filtering search outcomes. Haystak is a dark web search platform specifically crafted for the Tor network. With our API, you can access millions of dark web websites, including marketplaces and forums.
It was created in 1999 as a secure communication platform for people and groups working on liberatory social change. However, note that the site only uses non-sensitive and public data for the metrics. This service is a good source of statistics if you have a school project requiring research on Tor and the dark web.
Ready To Explore Web Data At Scale?
For example, you might filter results by date or type, which is handy if you’re monitoring a particular topic. In terms of safety, Haystak does not actively filter out illicit content by default similar to Torch. The free version lets you search basic keywords and shows results with some ads. If you just search generic terms, be ready for a wild west of results. It might show you directories or references to them, but for serious dark web exploration you’ll need other engines on this list. It also has a built-in Safe Search filter for adult content.
Its goal is to offer anonymous access to the content without being censored, no matter where you live. The BBC news website has a special .onion site, which you need to access via the dark web. In some countries, such as China and North Korea, the government uses heavy online censorship and blocks many dark web websites. After all, it enables users to connect and communicate with each other from around the world. It does not share IP addresses or web search history to protect your privacy.
Also known as Not Evil, this dark web search engine offers access to a wide array of .onion content. It delivers an uncensored search experience, granting users access to a diverse array of information while effectively excluding illegal content. These top 10 dark web search engines are important for research, evidence collection, finding hidden resources, intelligence, and various other resources that are not easily accessible.
In addition, Ahmia and Haystack make every effort to filter out and blacklist sites known to contain harmful, abusive, or illegal content. Many of those sites are listed because their devs have submitted the site directly to the search engine for indexing. The nice thing about Ahmia is that it lists .onion sites that want to be found. The reality, however, is that many useful resources and services can be found using search engines similar to those on the surface web. Privacy advocates frown upon it because of the way it harvests data and profiles users.
To get the full potential of SearXNG, especially for deep web content, use the Tor browser. The main reason many people opt for it is that SearXNG does not keep any user data, meaning you can browse the web privately without being traced. SearXNG is a powerful metasearch engine appealing to privacy-conscious individuals. The Wayback Machine is a tool for those interested in internet history. When you browse around, you should do so with caution, as there is always a possibility of coming across illegal or dangerous content.
While technically not an onion site, we’re including Sci-Hub (sci-hub.se) as an interesting example of a site you can access via Tor. Founded around 1999 by activists in Seattle, it has since grown to over six million users worldwide. The process costs a fee, but unlike other "tumbler" or "mixing" services, there is no risk that Wasabi or any of its users could scam you out of your coins. 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 websites on the dark web have the domain name ‘.onion’ as part of their URL. Many of these unregulated sites may host malware or viruses that can steal personal data, compromise devices, or enable unauthorized remote access. And even where Tor is legal, strict internet laws in certain regions may make accessing specific dark web content legally risky.
