It’s widely used by people on that browser, but you can also use it on regular browsers as a privacy-focused search engine alternative to Google. For example, most public records are stored in databases and not on individual static web pages. However, Google isn’t able to find everything on the Web, as there is a deep and invisible web that is not accessible by Google.
Dark Web Search Engines – Detailed List
DuckDuckGo is a hidden web search engine that works similarly to Google. Torch is arguably one of the greatest darkweb search engines for researching the dark web. Torch not only provides an unrestricted list of search engines, but it also inhibits web tracking. Torch is the oldest search engine on the Tor network. Investigate the technology that allows users to navigate the depths of the internet unnoticed and discover a domain where traditional norms of engagement no longer apply.
So, I put together a list of the best dark web sites in 2025 to help you get started. That’s because there’s not much information about the sites you can browse. The integrated Password Manager Pro even alerts you if your data is leaked on the dark web. Before you open files disconnect your device from the internet. Play it safer by never clicking on suspicious links or you may end up on a website infected with malware.
- The dark web is an unknown hidden part of the internet that cannot be accessed with default browsers.
- These signatures are a powerful trust signal — they confirm the identity of the site’s operator and help you distinguish between real and fake versions.
- It also provides insights, helpful statistics, and updates regarding the Tor network.
- It provides easy access to information for researchers, journalists, and many other purposes.
- Its design is modern, lightweight, and focused on speed, which sets it apart from many of the more established tools.
What Is A Tor Browser?
For example, perpetrators of trafficking and cyber attacks use the dark web to disguise their actions. Nonetheless, if whatever you do is deemed illegal in your country, you can get into trouble. Besides, victims of crime may want to hide their identities from their perpetrators. For example, you shouldn’t pirate copyrighted material, engage in terrorism, or share illegal pornography. Remember that illegal activities can still incriminate you, whether you are using a Tor browser. With rising online privacy concerns in the current digital age, the Tor network’s anonymity is becoming essential.
Cybercriminals often leverage the anonymity to leak sensitive information, like stolen credentials, credit card numbers, or company data. This process makes tracing the user’s location and activity nearly impossible. It has a reputation for being fast and effective, though the content it indexes varies widely in quality and legality.

DuckDuckGo (on Tor)
For instance, you may want to tease your brain with one of these intellectual websites serving every category. Opening the onion links is very easy from the Tor browser, which you need to download and install in advance. Nevertheless, the dark web is home to certain disturbing and illegal content you’ll never find on the surface web. As long as you are not looking for anything illegal in the real world, it’s perfectly legitimate to use the dark web to find whatever you need. For the record, there are more scam sites for every genuine one, and it’s good to have a discussion forum about this. It offers a Reddit-like interface, where you can learn everything you need to know about darknet websites and spotting the real from the scammers.
How To Stay Anonymous While Browsing The Dark Web?
A budget-friendly VPN service allowing users to access dark web safely anytime, anywhere, and on any number of devices they want. It has a proprietary onion site in the Tor network to give you safe access even if your country restricts VPN usage. The Tor browser allows you to browse the internet anonymously and visit inaccessible sites.
Vorm Web focuses on quality over quantity and splits findable results into three security categories, from secure to risky. 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. 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.
Can I Use DuckDuckGo To Access The Dark Web?
A real dark web search engine focuses on clean results and basic functionality. Fake search engines usually give themselves away with poor design or broken functions. Its combination of size, speed, and history ensures it remains a trusted entry point for exploring onion links. Its long presence has made it one of the most recognized names for anyone who has spent time exploring onion sites. This commitment to privacy is one reason it has attracted positive feedback from researchers and regular users alike. Phobos is known for indexing new onion sites quickly.

Best Threat Intelligence Platform Vendors: Enterprise Buyer's Guide
Links and sites can be malicious, and transactions on the dark web may not be secure. We protect your privacy.” However, it does display ads on both the clear and dark web networks. However, because Kilos is for the dark web, many of the items you may find may be unsafe or illegal.

Is It Illegal To Visit And Use Dark Websites?
- Kilos is often used to discover and access dark web marketplaces, where you can find illegal drug trading.
- Now let us look into the top 5 search engines which are used widely to access darkweb.
- If you fancy a read about the differences between clear-, deep-, and dark web(s), you should definitely check out Miriam Cihodariu’s article on that topic.
- This marked the beginning of efforts to explore the vast, unindexed parts of the internet.
In this guide, you’ll find the top 9 dark web search engines, complete with .onion links. Since regular search engines don’t index .onion sites, finding what you need on the dark web can be tricky. The dark web and deep web are home to countless hidden forums where users discuss everything from privacy tools to cybersecurity to hacking,… The Tor browser is a privacy-focused web browser that allows users to browse the internet anonymously, including accessing .onion domains on the dark web.
PRIVACY ALERT: Websites You Visit Can Find Out Who You Are

The Ahmia search engine is widely appreciated for its clean design and focus on legal, safe content. Instead, it sends your search query on to 70 different search engines, then returns the best results. It's what's known as a "metasearch engine," in that it doesn't spend time crawling the web to find links like Google or Brave. DuckDuckGo is well-known as one of the best private search engines for the visible web and offers one of the best privacy-focused smartphone browsers. Volunteers compiled the list of links by hand, creating a high-quality index of deep web content across dozens of categories.
Dark Web Links: The Best onion And Tor Sites In 2025
At $9.99/month, you can migrate to a premium plan with 500 GB storage and unlimited messages. When you create a free Proton account, you get encrypted email with 1 GB storage, two password vaults, and one VPN connection. Some countries and ISPs may try to prevent access to DuckDuckGo’s direct link. It further enjoys an excellent reputation for search privacy. However, one of the less obscene discussion sites is Raddle, named and styled somewhat in the style of Reddit.