If you can’t get a personal recommendation from someone you trust, verify the URL from multiple sources. When using a VPN for the dark web, your ISP will not be able to see that you are connected to a Tor node, only an encrypted tunnel to a VPN server. The easiest way to access Tor is through a special browser known as the Tor Browser. You might want to hide your Tor Browser download using a VPN and your existing browser’s private/incognito mode. The dark web, or dark net, is a small part of the deep web that is kept hidden on purpose.
Why Use The Tor Browser With A VPN
Our rigorous research and testing have revealed revealing truths and busted myths. We’ll navigate this intricate maze with you, uncovering its secrets while ensuring your online safety. Analytics Insight is an award-winning tech news publication that delivers in-depth insights into the major technology trends that impact the markets.
Hotspot Shield’s free version gives you 500MB of data per day, which resets every 24 hours. During our testing, we ran Tor over Proton VPN on both desktop and mobile. It handled multiple tabs inside Tor without slowing to a crawl, even when pulling text-heavy .onion sites and small downloads. If you’re looking for a completely free VPN for the dark web that doesn’t sell your data or cap your connection after 500MB, Proton VPN is the one. It’s one of the very few free services we actually trust, and it holds up surprisingly well when paired with the Tor browser. The US military created the dark web to protect US intelligence communications online.
Dark Web Search: The Best Dark Web Search Engines In 2025
On top of that, Tor’s nodes can also malfunction because they’re owned by volunteers, which will expose your traffic and sensitive information. This is where a VPN comes in, and a reliable VPN like NordVPN (read our NordVPN review here) can do wonders for you. You might’ve heard of the domain extension called “.onion“, which sits at the end of each dark web website.
Cybercriminals often disguise harmful files as legitimate downloads, making it easy to get tricked. However, since iOS browsers are required to use WebKit (Apple’s built-in web rendering engine), the Onion Browser doesn’t have the same level of privacy as the Tor Browser on desktop or Android. To ensure your traffic is properly routed through the Tor network, you’ll also need to install Orbot, which helps secure and anonymize your connection. Avoid logging into accounts that are linked to your real identity. Instead, use disposable email services and end-to-end encrypted communication tools like ProtonMail or Signal.
Proton VPN
This multi-layered redirection ensures your actions leave no trace, offering a high level of anonymity. Choosing Tor over standard browsers is crucial for dark web navigation due to its unique privacy features.
Is It Illegal To Enter The Dark Web?
Bitcoin, on the other hand, ensured through its anonymized transactions that even the police would get nowhere with their investigations. Though based in the United States, IPVanish is a tier-1 VPN service with absolute control over all its VPN servers. In fact, among the many features, it has unique options such as double VPN and Tor over VPN.
VPN Over Tor (Not The Best Option)
A VPN encrypts your traffic before it goes into the Tor network. This adds an extra layer of protection to thwart tracking and monitoring in case the traffic passes through a compromised exit node. DuckDuckGo is the best dark web search engine, as it offers an excellent user experience akin to surface web search engines. Its effectiveness in scouring the shadowy depths of the dark web can be likened to what Google does on the surface web. After all, some websites on the deep web are like those on the open internet, except that they are hidden behind a paywall or protected via passwords to limit access. The dark web is part of the hidden web, which comprises non-indexed websites that are mostly used for illegal and illicit activity.
Should I Use The Tor Browser For Everything?
- Later in our guide, we’ll see why this isn’t ideal for browsing the dark web safely.
- To access the Dark Web, you have to use a browser called Tor, also known as The Onion Router.
- A VPN automatically encrypts your data as soon as it leaves your device through the VPN server.
- Both networks have unique strengths, and while they aren’t as user-friendly as Tor, they offer excellent alternatives for those seeking robust privacy and decentralized communication options.
- However, effectiveness comes down to how well the tool aligns with your risk profile and operational needs.
This will open a window that will automatically connect to the Tor Network and let you access any onion sites you want. Even if you’re in a normal Brave window, the browser automatically detects when you enter or paste an onion URL in the browser and shows a Tor button to open the proper window. The internet providers and websites can still see that you’re using Tor as Tor node IPs are public. Services such as Tumblers are also available on the dark web to help hide transactions.
More Computing Guides
Some folks have been cautious enough when browsing the dark web only to fumble at the last minute once they are done – they just get too lazy not to close everything. It means that it can be overwhelming to get what you’re looking for, and as a result, it’s very easy to stumble into a place you could never want to be. Therefore, to ensure that you stay anonymous on the dark web, you can use Bitcoin mixers (also known as cryptocurrency tumblers) or opt for a privacy-focused coin such as Zcash and Monero. Victims accidentally download RAT when clicking on a website or any other link. If you don’t remain vigilant enough, you can easily fall victim. Furthermore, you must download and install it via the router console port before configuring its settings.
The VPN boasts bullet-proof 256-bit encryption, solid leak protection, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and split tunneling to safeguard your online privacy and safety. Another feature that makes it reliable is Onion over VPN, allowing you to use the deep web anonymously. The VPN has a vast and well-established network, with 6,000+ servers spread across 111+ countries. When exploring the deep web, this VPN will offer fast and stable connection speeds on most servers.
These services are used to obfuscate the origins of cryptocurrency transactions, making it harder to trace them. Users can mix their digital currencies to break the connection between the sender and the receiver. This infects a user’s device and essentially blocks them out of it until they pay a “ransom,” usually in the form of cryptocurrency (so it’s harder to track and recover). Users could accidentally fall victim to ransomware just by clicking the wrong link or downloading a file on the dark web. If you’re in the U.S., you can make use of helpful tools like ExpressVPN’s Identity Defender to inform you if and when any of your data ends up on the dark web. This will allow you to take action right away and reduce the risk of any further damage to your data or identity.
First, most of the content on the dark web is highly illegal, and no matter the precautions are taken to stay anonymous, you should be aware that you enter the dark web world at your own risk. You’ll find the more dangerous content and activity at the dark end of the deep web. This is where Tor websites are located, deemed the ‘dark web,’ and can only be accessed by an anonymous browser. The Internet is an extensive network of millions of servers, databases, and web pages that run continuously.
If you know the right websites, you can easily access a tremendous amount of information, including research articles, news stories, and more. If you want to access the Tor network on your iPhone or iPad, you can use the Onion Browser app. The mobile app uses DuckDuckGo as its default search engine and is supported by the Orbit framework to provide secure access to the Tor network. The Tor network is operated by thousands of volunteers worldwide who maintain the proxy servers that protect your identity. You can download the Tor Browser for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Android. A VPN will mask your location and stop the online breadcrumbs that can lead back to you.
You can never be sure of the motive of the person operating the node that your traffic is routed through. Discovered pages are indexed in an extensive database and ranked based on numerous factors. When you search a term (or query) in a web browser, the search engine combs through the database to find relevant results and serves them up on SERPs.
