It’s in people’s nature to be thoroughly interested in hidden and obscure stuff. And while the surface internet is populated with interesting and varied sites, due to this nature, people often want to know how to get on the dark web safely and securely.
If you’re thinking the same way, I don’t blame you. The dark web is a pretty large internet space, mostly known for its “.onion” sites that your Chrome, Edge, or Firefox can’t access. In addition, it is notorious for illegal activities and is often associated with hackers and criminals.
This, of course, isn’t entirely true, as you can find some educational and useful – above all LEGAL – sites that you can’t find on the surface web. Having that in mind, I’ll explain how to get to the dark web and to it safely, which is pretty important for the reasons explained below.
What Is the Dark Web?
When thinking about the Dark Web, we usually think about the websites that you can’t access using your conventional browsers. Indeed, this part of the internet isn’t indexed by traditional search engines and doesn’t use typical domains you see online.
Instead, it uses the “.onion” domain which applies to all of its websites that also don’t have typical names. They’re instead a garbled mess of numbers and letters that are often changed to prevent tracking.
Basically, it’s an intentionally hidden part of the internet that can only be accessed using Tor. Tor stands for The Onion Router and it’s a browser based on Firefox, specifically made with accessing “.onion” websites in mind.
It’s easy to see why it’s called The Onion Router.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s illegal to get on the dark web. Much like the surface web, the dark web is filled with different sites, out of which, only a small portion is illegal – much like the surface web, once again.
Thus, if you want to know how to get on the dark web, you should first know that doing so is NOT illegal.
Dark Web vs Deep Web: What’s the Difference?
One thing I often see is people confusing the dark web and deep web. As explained, the dark web, or darknet, as it’s often called, is intentionally hidden from the public eye and can only be accessed via Tor or its alternatives.
The deep web, on the other hand, can be accessed with a conventional browser such as Firefox or Safari. This part of the internet is not indexed by search engines and it’s the largest part of the entire internet.
It includes content locked behind a paywall, private company networks, your Gmail inbox, hidden medical documents, etc, etc. This type of content isn’t indexed by any search engine but on the other hand, it is accessible through browsers like Brave, Chrome, or any other.
Although, you’ll need special clearance to access it, such as the ability to log into your email account, pay for certain content, or be a part of a company network – you get the point.
How to Get on the Dark Web Safely and Anonymously
Okay, so let’s get to the meat & potatoes of this topic. How do you get on the dark web? Actually, it’s pretty simple but there are a few things to know before attempting to do so.
The first one is that, to get to the dark web, you need to use Tor. By the way, you can download Tor for free from its official site. It’s available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. However, using Tor alone isn’t enough to make you 100% safe and secure.
You need to use a high-quality, reliable VPN, in addition, to prevent any potential issues that often appear as a result of Tor’s anonymity promises.
Why Use a VPN?
In short, I’ll explain how Tor works and talk about its shortcomings. Tor bounces your traffic through multiple nodes or relays in the Tor network, which anonymizes your traffic as a result. The issue lies in its nodes, especially the entry node which is all but anonymous.
Through it, your ISP can see that you’ve entered the Tor network, although it has no ability to track your activities. Still, this is enough to make them suspicious of your activities on the dark web, as Tor is used mainly for this purpose.
And due to the misconception that everybody on the dark web sells drugs or distributes underage pornography, your ISP can report you to the authorities for further questioning. Moreover, even Tor’s middle nodes can be dangerous.
A corrupt node will expose your IP address and let hackers and snoopers steal your data. Besides, there are lots of them on the dark web, so this is something to keep in mind. The silver lining is that a VPN can remedy this issue when it’s used before connecting to Tor.
In simple words, it’ll conceal your IP, replace it with the new one, and encrypt your connection. This way, it immediately anonymizes your traffic, making sure your ISP or anyone else can’t track your activities and see what you’re doing online.
Even if there’s a corrupt Tor node, a VPN is safeguarding your privacy as the primary layer of security, making sure that no one can do you harm.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Get to the Dark Web
Now that you know that using a VPN is mandatory for safe and secure dark web access, let’s see how to combine it with Tor to achieve the result you want.
1. Subscribe to a Quality VPN (ExpressVPN)
The first step is to get a quality VPN and for this case, I recommend ExpressVPN. This provider fully supports Tor over VPN, which means that it can be used to get on the dark web. Beware that this is NOT a free VPN and we intentionally avoid free providers due to security issues.
However, the good thing is that it offers a large 49% discount and 3 months free for its annual plan, making it very affordable. Additionally, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee with no conditions, meaning that you can request a refund if you don’t need it anymore.
You can get this cheapest deal by using the button below, so go ahead, choose the payment method, and complete the purchase.
Get on the Dark Web Safely With ExpressVPN
2. Download and Install ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN subscription gives you access to its apps. Don’t forget that it supports ALL systems, so you can install it wherever you like. But since Tor only works on Windows, Linux, Android, and Mac, I suggest choosing one of these platforms.
I’ll use Windows, by the way.
In this case, you’ll need to download the setup file from ExpressVPN’s site and follow the on-screen instructions to install it. It’s easy and the whole process lasts about 20 to 30 seconds, so it’s not going to chip away too much of your time.
3. Open the VPN App and Sign In
With the app in place, open it up and sign in with the credentials you provided when subscribing. Usually, it’s your email and password, but on some platforms, ExpressVPN allows you to use the activation code which you can see on the download page.
Either way, doing so will bring you to the dashboard which looks like this at the moment:
4. Connect to a VPN Server
From here, I recommend connecting to a VPN server first and then using Tor. This is something called Tor over VPN, where the VPN will mask the fact that you’re using Tor once you connect to a VPN server.
To do this, simply open the server list and select the server location you want. ExpressVPN offers 3,000+ of them in 160 locations, so to maximize the performance, you should choose the one closest to you.
Double-click on the server location you want and you’ll establish a connection, as indicated by ExpressVPN turning green.
5. Download Tor
If you haven’t downloaded Tor, it’s time to do it now. The important thing is that you download it from the official site or Google Play (Android)/Apple Store (Mac). It’s free to download, so you won’t have to pay a single cent to get it.
6. Open Tor and Get on the Dark Web
Once both Tor and ExpressVPN are in place, it’s time to see how to get on the dark web safely and anonymously. With your VPN enabled, simply open Tor and visit https://thehiddenwiki.org/ to find some of the dark web websites.
You can use other “hidden Wiki” sites as well but I recommend this one because it offers dozens of dark web websites with frequently updated addresses. Needless to say, all you need to do is click on the site you want and it should open with no issues.
If you wish, you can even use DuckDuckGo or other search engines that operate on the Dark Web.
As you can see, accessing the dark web was successful for me, and with the VPN in place, I can rest assured I can explore the depths of the internet anonymously and securely.
Tor Over VPN or VPN Over Tor?
Since you now know how to access the dark web with Tor and VPN, I think I should clarify two very popular methods of doing so. Namely, you can first connect to a VPN and then connect to Tor – or vice versa.
The first method is called Tor over VPN while the second option is known as VPN over Tor. What do they mean and how do they function, though? Well, let me explain to you thoroughly.
Tor Over VPN Explained
If you want safe and secure dark web access, going for Tor over VPN is our recommended option. Besides, we already explained how to use it – simply connect to a VPN server, connect to Tor afterward, and get on the dark web.
What happens, in this case, is that the Virtual Private Network encrypts your connection which prevents your ISP from seeing that you’re using Tor. Then, once you connect to Tor, your connection is encrypted once again, so you basically get a double layer of encryption.
Of course, before arriving at its destination i.e. the website you want, your traffic is decrypted so that you can access the site. In my opinion, this is a much better option for many reasons aside from the fact that your ISP won’t see your Tor usage.
Namely, this method prevents even your VPN from seeing your activities, it prevents the entry node from accessing your original IP, and allows you to remain anonymous while browsing. Another benefit is that every bit of outgoing and inbound traffic is under encryption.
This means that even outside of Tor, a VPN will keep you safe and secure, preventing your ISP, hackers, or snoopers from spying on your activities. However, some websites block Tor connections, and since they’ll see Tor’s exit node, particular sites won’t function.
While in this case, you’ll fix the issue of the entry node, the exit node can still be compromised and potentially expose your data. The good news is that this happens very rarely and in 99.99% of the cases, users have no issues with this method.
VPN Over Tor Explained
The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about VPN over Tor. If you want to know how to get on the dark web, I should explain this method as well. In this case, your traffic will first pass through the Tor network and then through the VPN server.
This method is way less secure and its complex setup retracts many people from trying it out. First, you should know that very few providers support VPN over Tor. And if they do, you can’t just go for it because it requires additional setup which requires help from the provider.
Basically, they’ll need to configure this setup on a specific server, which will route your Tor traffic. Since you’re first using Tor and then VPN, it’s clear that the entry node will be visible to your ISP who will be able to tell that you’re using Tor.
Additionally, the entry node itself will be able to see your IP address and the VPN can also see your traffic. Although, if you use a safe and secure provider, that shouldn’t be a big issue. On the other hand, your ISP won’t be able to tell that you’re using a VPN.
For me, this is a “pointless benefit” because VPNs are legal, and using them won’t raise any suspicion. Using Tor, while legal, will raise suspicion due to its association with the dark web and its association with various illegal activities.
The only “good” benefit of VPN over Tor is that websites that block Tor traffic will work, as the VPN will make it seem like ordinary traffic. And instead of protecting the entry node, a VPN will protect the exit node in this case, which is already a much smaller problem than the entry node.
Is Accessing the Darknet With a Free VPN a Good Idea?
While the deep web can be accessed using a conventional browser, getting on the darknet requires Tor and a quality VPN like ExpressVPN. Sadly, free providers aren’t considered quality given their annoying limitations that reduce their usability.
For one, free providers aren’t as secure and they often fail in bringing the highest level of encryption to the table. Many of them are known for storing logs of your personal information, which is pretty dangerous and can infringe on your privacy.
That’s because free providers usually sell this information to earn money, not caring about keeping you anonymous online. Not to mention their lackluster performance and limited monthly bandwidth that will, in conjunction with Tor, severely decrease connection speeds.
This will make the entire browsing experience sluggish, which will surely strike a nerve. Thus, if you want to know how to get on the dark web safely, using a premium provider is my recommended choice.
In this case, you’ll get unlimited bandwidth, impenetrable security, a no-logs policy, and blazing-fast speeds. With these benefits, gaining access to the dark web will be a breeze, which cannot be said about free providers that I simply can’t recommend.
Summary
You now know how to access the dark web using Tor and VPN. Getting on the darknet requires no special knowledge, yet, knowing how to do it SAFELY is crucial. With the cover of ExpressVPN, using Tor to get on the dark web is an easy task.
Once you’re there, you’ll be able to enjoy 360-degree protection against hackers or other malicious entities on this part of the internet. If you ask me, this is the only proper way of enjoying the darknet without worrying about possibly corrupted Tor nodes.
FAQ
In the end, let us address a few important questions we haven’t answered in this article.
⚠️ How dangerous is it to access the dark web?
It’s not really dangerous if we consider the protection of a VPN service. Generally speaking, most websites are legal and they’re safe to use. But if we’re talking about forums, marketplaces, and other “social” websites and platforms, the darknet can quickly turn into an unsafe place.
Whenever you’re interacting with people, chances are that some of them are skilled hackers looking to steal your personal information. In fact, many of them spend their time on this part of the internet, so it’s vital to protect yourself with a VPN.
On top of that, it’s crucial that you spend your time on verified websites and not wander around too much. Also, I should mention avoiding making accounts or subscribing using your business email. Instead, make a new email and use it if you want to sign up on certain websites.
If you take the necessary steps to ensure safety and security, the dark web will be a safe place. However, if you use only Tor without a VPN, the risk of compromising your privacy is significantly bigger.
📱 How to get on the dark web on an iPhone or Android phone?
If you want to get on the dark web on your iPhone, know that Tor isn’t available for this platform. However, the developers of Tor recommend Onion Browser which you can download for free from the Apple Store.
It functions the same, of course, so you’ll still need an active VPN connection before connecting to Onion Browser. Besides, this is the best Tor alternative, so it’ll allow you to visit “.onion” sites with no issues.
On the brighter side, Android supports Tor directly, so you can download this browser for free on your phone. Once you connect to a VPN server on your phone, it’s easy to open Tor, visit the site you want, and enjoy browsing it safely and securely with the added encryption of a VPN.
🔍 What can I see on the darknet?
You can see the websites. A lot of them. All jokes aside, you can see pretty much the same stuff as on the surface web, with a few spicy additions that you can’t find otherwise. The dark web houses websites about conspiracy theories, whistleblowing sites, forums, and even social media sites like BlackBook.
Furthermore, there are news portals and marketplaces where you can buy drugs, guns, stolen/forged passports, PayPal accounts, hardware, software, and many other stuff. The websites on this part of the internet range from benign to very malicious.
Thus, through the dark web, you can buy illegal substances, order a hitman, watch underage pornography, and engage in all sorts of illicit activities. Needless to say, we don’t recommend indulging in this nasty side of the darknet.
🌐 Is Tor capable of accessing surface web websites?
Of course, it is. Tor is based on Firefox, after all, so it functions like a normal browser that even supports extensions and add-ons. If you want, you can use it to visit Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, or any other surface web website without problems.
Just be aware that Tor will be much slower than Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser. As said, it’ll route your traffic through multiple nodes, which will decrease your internet speed but add to your anonymity. That’s why it takes much longer to load a page in Tor than in Chrome, for instance.
🔝 What are the best VPNs for going on the darknet?
In this article, we talked about ExpressVPN and how it is the best choice for going on the dark web. However, if you find this VPN unsuitable due to a slightly higher price, you can consider CyberGhost instead – another provider that fully supports Tor Over VPN.
This service has servers in nearly 100 countries and offers great speeds, making it one of the top choices for going on the dark web. Aside from that, it has a no-logging policy audited by Deloitte, 256-bit encryption, an ad blocker, and even IP/DNS leak protection.
Another solid choice is NordVPN. We like this provider because it offers special Onion Over VPN servers that allow you to go on the dark web instantly, as long as you have Tor installed. NordVPN even has Threat Protection, a bundle of features containing antivirus, anti-malware, and an ad blocker.
Needless to say, it has 3 security audits – 2 from PwC and 1 from Deloitte, both of which are backed by a plethora of security features that millions of users enjoy. All three providers are super reliable and capable of keeping you safe and secure while your browse the dark web.
ExpressVPN
