Summary: To access the dark web, you need a special browser. In this guide, we discuss the top 5, their risks, and a safer way for businesses to navigate the dark web.
The dark web has a dark side and a bright one. While it’s notorious for illicit activities, it also enables secure, anonymous communication for whistleblowers and activists in repressive states.
You won’t find dark websites on Google because they exist outside the regular surface web. This vast portion of the internet is not indexed by search engines—but is hidden in a way that requires specialized browsers, such as Tor, to access it. Is using these browsers legal? In most countries, yes. But is it safe? Not always.
In this article, we’ll break down the five most common dark web browsers. We’ll examine how they ensure anonymous browsing, reveal the dangers they pose, and share the best practices for navigating this underground corner of the Internet safely.
A dark web browser lets users access hidden sites that are not indeed through traditional search engines. These browsers anonymize online activity using onion routing, bouncing connections through multiple volunteer-run nodes around the world. Each layer of encryption masks the user’s IP address and location, helping protect their identity while browsing.
Dark web browsers operate on darknets—overlay networks that run on top of the regular Internet. The most well-known is Tor, which routes connections through multiple encrypted layers. While Tor ensures anonymous browsing, it’s important to remember that perfect anonymity is impossible.
Once connected, finding specific sites can be challenging. This is where dark web search engines are used. Unlike regular web browsers, which cannot access this part of the internet, these specialized search engines are designed to index .onion sites. However, because of the hidden and often temporary nature of these sites, search results can be inconsistent and may lead to unreliable or malicious destinations.
Some dark web browsers can work as a proxy server, and some can be installed as stand-alone software or an operating system. Here are the top browsers that can help you access the dark web.
Tor started as a project by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to secure government communications. Today, the Tor browser is a free, open-source tool that allows anyone to browse the dark web privately and anonymously.
Tor browser is sometimes called “the Onion Router", which refers to how it works. It wraps your connection in multiple layers of encryption, like an onion. Your traffic is then routed through a randomly selected path of three servers, known as relays, chosen from a global network of thousands of volunteers.
This layered encryption masks users’ IP addresses and anonymizes their online activity, making it difficult to trace their actions to a specific individual.
The Invisible Internet Project (I2P) is another option for accessing the dark web, but it works differently from Tor. While Tor is a global network, I2P operates as a localized, peer-to-peer one.
I2P ensures anonymity protects your activity, location, and identity by routing traffic through multiple tunnels. It comes with a router that connects you to the network and applications for messaging, file sharing, and other private interactions within the I2P ecosystem.
This browser also supports “eepsites,” websites hosted within the I2P network, which allow users to access dark web content while maintaining strong anonymity. While Tor emphasizes broader anonymity, I2P is built for privacy and security within its own encrypted environment.
Freenet is sometimes called the dark refuge for freedom of speech. It is a peer-to-peer platform for censorship-resistant and anonymous communication. It encrypts data before it is shared and routes traffic through multiple nodes, making it extremely difficult to trace or hack.
This browser uses a decentralized, distributed network to store and transmit information securely. Its users can access content uploaded only to the Freenet network and not outside it. This adds an extra layer of privacy and keeps the origin and content of shared information private within the Freenet ecosystem.
Tails is a security-focused operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux. Its main goal is to preserve your privacy and anonymity for all online activity. To do this, it routes all internet traffic—for both the regular web (clearnet) and hidden services (.onion sites)—exclusively through the Tor network. As a live operating system, Tails can be booted directly from a flash drive without needing installation.
Tails never writes to the hard drive or SSD and leaves no digital footprint on the machine unless explicitly instructed to do so. As an alternative, Tails can be run as a virtual machine, although this carries additional security risks.
While a regular browser like Mozilla Firefox can be customized to access the dark web, it's crucial to understand how—and why it's not secure.
The connection is possible not because Firefox is customizable, but because it has built-in network settings that can be changed. Users can configure Firefox’s proxy to route traffic through the Tor network.
However, this method doesn’t provide the same anonymity as the Tor Browser. The Tor Browser is a specially hardened version of Firefox with critical protections against tracking, fingerprinting, and data leaks. A standard Firefox browser with a simple proxy change lacks these security features, leaving your identity and data vulnerable.
Using dark web browsers comes with serious risks, including malware, phishing scams, data theft, and exposure to illegal activities. Cybercriminals on the dark web actively spread viruses, ransomware, and other harmful software while operating black markets for stolen personal information and illicit goods. Users also risk fraud, identity theft, and potential legal consequences for engaging with the dark web content.
First of all, employ a threat intelligence provider. Instead of browsing directly, you can subscribe to a dark web monitoring platform that gathers and analyzes threat intelligence relevant to your business and industry.
Secondly, focus on prevention and detection. Dark web monitoring identifies potential data leaks, compromised credentials, and other threats targeting your business, enabling early intervention. That means you don’t have to risk accessing the dark web; you can leave it to experts and still get valuable insights.
Accessing the dark web comes with significant risks. If you still choose to proceed directly, it is crucial to bear in mind the following security tips:
For most businesses, using a dark web monitoring solution is the safer and more effective approach. It provides threat intelligence without exposing your company to unnecessary risk.
Why expose your business to the serious risks of the dark web? Direct dark web browsing is a gateway for ransomware, data theft, and other threats that can compromise your entire network.
Gaining visibility into dark web threats is critical, but direct browsing isn't the way to do it. A safer, more effective approach is proactive threat exposure management.
NordStellar’s Dark web monitoring solution continuously scans thousands of sources—including Telegram channels, dark web forums, and dark web markets—and provides real-time alerts the moment your company’s credentials, data, or other assets are exposed. This gives you the critical advantage of neutralizing threats before they become a crisis, all without ever having to access the dark web yourself.
Your data could already be on the dark web. Don't wait for a breach to find out. Contact NordStellar for a personalized threat assessment.
Yes, in most countries, using browsers like Tor to access the dark web is legal. However, engaging with any illegal content or participating in unlawful transactions can lead to severe legal repercussions. Businesses should be familiar with the laws in their specific jurisdiction before accessing it.
No, it is not considered safe. Using the Tor browser on a company network bypasses corporate security controls and exposes the business to a high risk of malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. An infection on a single device can compromise the entire network, and infostealer malware can harvest corporate credentials, leading to a major data breach.
Yes, absolutely. It exposes a company to immediate and severe risks, including direct network compromise from malware, the theft of corporate data and employee credentials, and significant legal and reputational damage if company assets are associated with illicit activities.
To minimize risk, employees should never download files or make purchases, as these are primary vectors for malware and fraud. It is also critical to avoid using any company credentials or identifying information and to refrain from engaging directly with threat actors, which can provoke a cyber-attack.
Joanna Krysińska
Senior Copywriter
A writer, tech enthusiast, dog walker, and amateur pastry chef, Joanna grew up in a family of engineers and mathematicians, so a techy mind is in her genes. She loves making complex tech topics less complex and digestible. She also has a keen interest in the mechanics of cybercrime.
