You've heard of it before: the mysterious dark web. You're probably equally curious and apprehensive about the whole thing.

But what is the dark web? And more importantly, what cool dark web sites are out there? Here's our list of the best dark web websites to visit.

Dark Web vs. Deep Web: What's the Difference?

The deep web refers to anything on the internet that you can't find using a search engine. That includes emails in your Gmail account, direct messages on social networks, and even your Facebook photos that you marked as private.

The dark web is a subsection of the deep web. It is responsible for the deep web's bad reputation. You'll find black markets selling drugs and other substances, grisly images, and even new identities and online accounts for sale. Indeed, there are lots of reasons to avoid the dark web entirely.

Yet, at the same time, the dark web is well worth exploring. Amidst the chaos, you'll find some great websites. There's much more to learn about the dark web, but here, we'll focus on listing the best .onion sites you won't find on Google.

Use a VPN to Access the Dark Web

We strongly recommend shielding yourself with a VPN before you access the dark web. The notion that the Tor browser provides failsafe anonymity is false; you need to protect yourself.

Don't know which VPN is best for you? There are plenty of options out there, both free and paid, but our top-ranked VPN is ExpressVPN, which comes with Tor support and three free months.

1. The Hidden Wiki

Homepage of the Hidden Wiki

Onion URL: http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

To visit a .onion site, you'll have to both know it exists and have its URL ready. There are a few ways to find active .onion sites. One of them is by using a directory of sites, like The Hidden Wiki.

Some sites are perfectly legit—such as domain services and email providers. Some—like whistleblowing—may face government censorship in your country. Others cross the divide into illegality. Make sure you're smart about which dark web links you click on.

2. Facebook

Facebook Onion Screenshot

Onion URL: https://www.facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion/

You can access Facebook via the dark web by using the official Facebook .onion mirror. Doing so has two primary benefits.

Firstly, you can create and use an account anonymously. You can use Facebook's services without exposing yourself to the company's privacy-eroding tentacles. Secondly, if Facebook is blocked in your location, you can use the dark web Facebook mirror to circumvent the censorship.

3. Hidden Wallet

Screenshot of Hidden Wallet onion site

Onion URL: http://d46a7ehxj6d6f2cf4hi3b424uzywno24c7qtnvdvwsah5qpogewoeqid.onion/

Cryptocurrencies weren't so popular among the general public until recently. However, dark web users have relied on Bitcoin transactions for over a decade, as they allow people to make payments while staying completely anonymous. And Hidden Wallet is one of your best options if you're looking for a Bitcoin wallet for use on the dark web.

Like any other crypto wallet, you can trade Bitcoin using Hidden Wallet. But unlike other wallets, you don't have to worry about your personal information being leaked since it's hosted on the Tor network. Hidden Wallet promises bank-grade security for your Bitcoins and claims that it can never access your keys or crypto funds.

4. ProPublica

ProPublica website

Onion URL: http://p53lf57qovyuvwsc6xnrppyply3vtqm7l6pcobkmyqsiofyeznfu5uqd.onion/

ProPublica was one of the first major news outlets to launch a dark web version of its site back in 2016.

ProPublica is a non-profit news organization that aims to "expose abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust by government, business, and other institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism."

One of its journalists, Hannah Dreier, won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her coverage of gangs in Los Angeles. It was ProPublica's fifth Pulitzer Prize.

5. DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo

Onion URL: https://duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion/

DuckDuckGo is one of the leading private internet search engines on the open web. It doesn't track your browsing history, location, or any other data. It's so secure and privacy-oriented that the Tor browser uses it as the default search engine.

However, there's also a dark web version of the search engine. It's a great dark web search engine that affords users an extra layer of protection and anonymity.

6. SecureDrop

Screenshot of SecureDrop onion site

Onion URL: http://sdolvtfhatvsysc6l34d65ymdwxcujausv7k5jk4cy5ttzhjoi6fzvyd.onion/

SecureDrop is a popular site where whistleblowers can anonymously share confidential information with journalists. Since it's hosted on the Tor network, dark web users don't have to worry about being tracked or their personal information being revealed while exchanging information with media outlets.

Popular news publications like The Washington Post, The Guardian, TechCrunch, and more have set up their own SecureDrop URLs so whistleblowers can contact them effortlessly. SecureDrop claims that all the messages you send and receive are encrypted in transit to prevent third parties from intercepting them.

7. Dread

Dread onion site

Onion URL: http://dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion/

Reddit has dominated the "forum-meets-news" space for more than a decade, but a string of controversies, an influx of new users, and ongoing censorship accusations have seen the site lose its charm in recent years.

Consider Dread as the Reddit of the dark web. We used to have Hidden Answers as well, but that site no longer works, and this one's the perfect replacement for any queries you may have. It's one of the few darknet sites you can use to gather reliable resources.

Whether you're looking for personal advice while shopping on the dark web or you want to discuss a wide range of topics, Dread has you covered. And unlike Reddit, this darknet site offers its users complete anonymity.

8. Mail2Tor

Mail2Tor homepage

Onion URL: http://mail2torjgmxgexntbrmhvgluavhj7ouul5yar6ylbvjkxwqf6ixkwyd.onion/

Email is one of the least secure communication systems; the email providers have access to the contents of your inbox. For evidence, look no further than the way Google automatically adds travel information, meetings, and other diary entries onto your calendar.

Mail2Tor is an alternative email provider. It lets anyone send and receive email anonymously via webmail or with an email client.

All messages are encrypted, and the company does not log your IP address.

9. Haystak

Screenshot of Haystak onion site

Onion URL: http://haystak5njsmn2hqkewecpaxetahtwhsbsa64jom2k22z5afxhnpxfid.onion/

Tor's default search engine, DuckDuckGo, does not fetch you results from .onion sites, and that's exactly why you need a dark web search engine like Haystak. The good thing about Haystak is that it tries to filter out dangerous sites from your search results.

Haystack indexes over 1.5 billion pages on the dark web, and unlike mainstream search engines like Google, it does not track your search queries or gather user information for profit.

That said, you may come across advertisements while searching on Haystack. Fortunately, you can upgrade to the premium version and avoid that altogether while accessing advanced searches and results from historical onion sites.

Screenshot of OnionLinks

Onion URL: http://s4k4ceiapwwgcm3mkb6e4diqecpo7kvdnfr5gg7sph7jjppqkvwwqtyd.onion/

OnionLinks is an alternative site to The Hidden Wiki. It provides a list of dark net sites across endless categories. You can rely on this .onion site if The Hidden Wiki goes down temporarily or permanently.

Although there is some crossover, the list of sites on OnionLinks is broadly different from those on The Hidden Wiki. Given the regularity with which .onions sites go offline and disappear, the more directory sites you know about, the better.

Learn More About the Dark Web

All the dark web websites we've listed in this article will not be of much use to you unless you know how to access and use the dark web. So, before accessing the dark web, be sure you know how to do so safely and anonymously. And don't forget to turn on your VPN before you launch Tor.

Also, we'd like to point out that several dark net sites face technical issues and remain inoperative temporarily or shut down permanently. Although every site on this list works fine at the time of writing, we can't guarantee the same for a later date.