The Best Dark Web Search Engines in 2025

The 12 best dark web search engines

The best search engines for the dark web include Torch, Candle, Not Evil, and Tordex — but there are many to choose from. As of March 2025, the dark web has over 3 million users daily, with netizens from the United States accounting for around 18% of these.

The dark web is more than just a shady cyber bazaar for illicit goods, questionable transactions, and other potentially illegal goods and services sold on dark web markets. It also supports independent journalism, provides secure email services, and helps people evade government censorship and surveillance.

Note that many of these search engines work best when paired with the anonymous Tor browser and, for greater privacy and security, a VPN.

Torch

A combination of Tor + search, the Torch search engine is one of the oldest and most established search tools on the Tor network, specifically designed to index .onion websites — the domains used by dark web sites. It offers relatively fast search speeds and provides access to a wide range of dark web links.

Torch doesn’t track web users beyond standard Tor protections. It displays uncensored, unfiltered search results, giving users unrestricted access to the dark web’s indexed content. However, because of this, search results may include malware-infected sites and other unsafe or illegal material, so it should be used with caution.

The Torch search interface. Source: techjury.com

Ahmia

Ahmia is a traditional web search engine that’s also compatible with Tor’s onion services. While many dark web sites host illegal content, Ahmia helps make legitimate onion sites more accessible by weeding out some unsafe websites.

Its simple, Google-like interface makes the Ahmia search engine one of the most beginner-friendly tools for exploring the dark web. While you can access Ahmia results on a standard web browser, .onion links still require the Tor Browser to open.

Ahmia’s search interface.

Not Evil

Not Evil is a search engine for the Tor Browser network (via .onion links), named in homage to Google’s old motto “Don’t be evil.” It indexes a large number of dark-web sites and promotes itself as a non-profit, volunteer-moderated project built without advertising or tracking.

However, because .onion addresses change frequently and the dark-web ecosystem is volatile, results may vary. Users should still exercise caution and recognize that using Not Evil doesn’t guarantee safety or legal protection.

Not Evil search engine interface.

OnionLand

OnionLand Search is a Tor-only search engine that indexes .onion links. It doesn’t require registration and offers a straightforward interface, similar to surface web search engines. Results aren’t curated, so users must stay vigilant against scams, tracking, and illegal content.

It is a fast-growing search engine and reports a monthly growth rate of 20% (as of October 2025). People value fast results, minimal clutter, multiple .onion mirrors, and occasional third-party clearnet gateways.

OnionLand search interface.

Kilos

The Kilos search engine is primarily used to find and access dark web markets where illicit drug transactions are one of the main activities. While many search engines steer clear of the dark web’s seedier elements, Kilos embraces it and doesn’t filter search results.

That approach has resulted in Kilos becoming one of the premier black market search engines, but it’s also why it’s a dangerous portal to a landscape teeming with potential threats. It’s also notoriously unreliable and is often offline.

Kilos search interface. Source: cybersecuritynews.com

LibreY

LibreY is a secure dark web search engine that prioritizes privacy by operating without JavaScript, a commonly used programming language that can be used to track web activity. As a dark web aggregator, LibreY combines search results from other top dark web search engines like DuckDuckGo and traditional sites such as Google, offering a comprehensive search experience across multiple content types.

LibreY supports text, image, and torrent searches, making it user-friendly and accessible for beginners looking to explore the dark web.

LibreY search engine interface.

TorDex

TorDex is an unfiltered dark web search engine that allows users to suggest new .onion websites. This user-driven approach can help dark web netizens uncover a wider range of sites than some rivals.

Its open, uncensored model can surface a broad range of content — but because it lacks transparent vetting, TorDex may include malicious or illegal links without warning labels or filters.

TorDex search interface.

Toorgle

Toorgle is a dark web search tool that helps users locate hidden torrenting websites on the Tor network. Unlike most dark web search engines, the Toorgle search engine allows access to onion sites without requiring the Tor browser. Acting as a proxy, Toorgle searches onion links and presents text-based content and torrent files directly through its interface.

With its "Tor Anonymous View" feature, Toorgle lets users view onion sites securely, hiding IP addresses and maintaining privacy without JavaScript or tracking. This makes Toorgle a private, easy-to-use window into the dark web.

Toorgle search engine interface.

VormWeb

VormWeb is a German deep web search engine known for its clean, minimalist interface and strong privacy focus. It deliberately avoids JavaScript, ads, and trackers, reducing the attack surface and enhancing user security. Accessible on both the clearnet and through a .onion address for Tor users, VormWeb combines manual curation with automated crawling to ensure a balance between quality control and broad coverage.

Search results are labeled as Verified, Warning, or Risky, making it especially useful for less experienced dark web users who want to steer clear of unsafe sites. Sites with a warning indicate that it hasn’t yet been verified, while sites flagged as risky are known to contain potentially harmful or dangerous content.

Candle

Candle is a web crawler and dark web search engine for Tor’s onion services. Candle’s index contains over 100,000 web pages, including dark web marketplaces and forums. Its index includes sites selling illicit goods, so be careful when browsing and protect your privacy with a VPN.

However, Candle is currently not reliably accessible — its onion address appears offline, and recent users report no results, suggesting that it may be defunct or unmaintained. It’s unclear whether we can expect Candle to return to our screens any time soon.

Candle search engine interface.

Haystak

Haystak was once known for indexing over 1.5 billion dark-web pages, claiming one of the largest .onion databases of any Tor-based search engine. It also had a reputation for being fast and helping to protect your identity and privacy.

However, Haystack no longer seems to be operational. Reddit users report that their attempts to use the service typically result in no search results — likely due to backend failures — marking it effectively defunct.

Haystak’s search interface. Source: threatmon.io

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is the default search engine on the Tor Browser and one of the most trusted options for private searching. While it doesn’t index dark web (.onion) sites directly, and thus can’t be used to find them, it can still be used through Tor to search more anonymously.

The platform’s no-log policy ensures your searches aren’t stored or tracked, and its simple interface mirrors Google’s clean results layout. When combined with a private browser, DuckDuckGo offers a powerful layer of anonymity for exploring both the surface web and privacy-focused parts of the Tor network.

DuckDuckGo’s search interface.

DuckDuckGo gained control of duck.com from Google in 2018, ending years of redirects to Google Search — a small, symbolic win for the privacy-first engine.

OnionLinks

OnionLinks isn’t a traditional dark web search engine — it functions more like an online directory or “yellow pages,” organizing sites into categories so users can easily find specific types of services or content. This structure makes it simple to explore a wide range of dark web sites within particular areas of interest.

The platform lists a variety of resources, including marketplaces, academic and literary materials, and chatrooms. However, users should exercise caution when using OnionLinks, as the directory also includes links to illegal or potentially dangerous sites.

Is The Hidden Wiki a dark web search engine?

The Hidden Wiki is not a dark web search engine and instead functions like a dark web version of Wikipedia — a curated, community-edited directory of links to onion websites, including marketplaces, forums, and whistleblowing platforms. While it helps users discover parts of the dark web, it doesn’t crawl or rank sites as search engines do.

Some versions of the Hidden Wiki attempt to exclude illegal content, but the safety of links cannot be guaranteed.

The Hidden Wiki interface. Source: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hidden_Wiki.

What is a dark web search engine?

A dark web search engine is an online tool designed to find websites on the unindexed part of the internet known as the dark web. Regular search engines search the visible parts of the internet, which account for only 4-5% of all web content. The rest of the internet must be accessed with a direct URL, IP address, or via a dark web search engine.

The internet consists of two parts:

• The surface web: Also known as clearnet, the surface web includes many of the public sites we use when we browse the web, such as news sites, e-commerce sites, social media sites, etc. These sites are all indexed on search engines and visible to everyone.

• The deep web: Also known as the invisible web, the deep web is hidden from search engines and often contains sensitive information, such as classified government data, health records, personal banking portals, and email accounts. This content is usually hidden behind password-protection protocols and other security systems.

The dark web is a subset of the deep web — a small part of the deep web that sits on a special network accessible only via dedicated software tools like Tor browser. Most dark websites are hosted and accessed on the Tor network and can be identified with the use of Tor’s own top-level domain: “.onion.”

You can download the desktop version of the Tor browser directly from the Tor project’s website or get a Tor browser app for Android or iOS. Once installed, you can use the browser to visit a dark web search engine to look for the content you want.

Dark web search engines usually don’t track web activity or log your search history. But that doesn’t mean your dark web activity is completely anonymous — some may use JavaScript or browser fingerprinting to keep tabs on you. Before you start browsing websites on the dark web, make sure to protect yourself by using a VPN or proxy.

Is it illegal to use a dark web search engine?

Using a dark web search engine or visiting dark web sites is generally legal in many countries, including the US and the UK. However, engaging in illegal activities on the dark web — such as buying illicit goods or accessing prohibited content — is a criminal offense and punishable by law.

Some countries, including Russia and China, have banned Tor because it can bypass government censorship and surveillance. And even where Tor is legal, strict internet laws in certain regions may make accessing specific dark web content legally risky.

Additionally, visiting onion sites, downloading dark web torrents, or clicking unknown onion links carries serious security risks. Many of these unregulated sites may host malware or viruses that can steal personal data, compromise devices, or enable unauthorized remote access.

Types of dark web search engines

There are many dark web search engines available, each offering different features for browsing, privacy, and content access. Most dark web search engines fit into the following categories:

• General dark web search engines index onion sites, returning results across text, image, and torrent formats. They offer broad access to the dark web, where users may encounter harmful or illegal content. Popular examples include Torch, Haystak, TorDex, and Candle.

• Restricted dark web search engines limit access to illegal or harmful material. Moderated by users and volunteers, these platforms aim to create a safer search experience, though some malicious sites can still appear. Examples include Ahmia and VormWeb.

• Dark web market search engines like Kilos refine their searches to marketplaces on the dark web. These markets are often hubs for buying and selling illegal goods such as drugs, malware, and illicit content

• Privacy-focused dark web search engines prioritize user anonymity, often operating without JavaScript and using IP-masking for secure browsing. They can combine surface and dark web results or limit searches to either. The best example is LibreY.

• Proxy dark web search engines such as Toorgle enable dark web access through a regular browser, bypassing the need for the Tor network or Tor browser download. Acting as intermediaries, they simplify browsing while reducing exposure to dark web threats, albeit with potentially slower performance.

The importance of using a VPN when searching the dark web

Whenever you’re online, but especially if you go on the dark web, you need a VPN to encrypt your online communications and data.

While Tor’s onion routing hides your traffic by passing it through multiple encrypted nodes, some activity can still be visible to your internet service provider (ISP), network administrators, or malicious exit nodes. A VPN adds an extra layer of protection by encrypting all traffic before it reaches the Tor network, and hides your IP address from hackers, your ISP, and even government surveillance systems.

VPN encryption protects your data from being intercepted while on the dark web.

Setting up a VPN is easy, and many reliable options are available for all major devices. To use a VPN to access the dark web:

1. Download a secure VPN and install the app on your device.

2. Connect to a VPN server using your provider’s list of options.

3. Launch the Tor browser and start browsing the dark web.

Stay private and protected online with a VPN

Whether on the clearnet or the dark web, using search engines and other browsing tools can lead to data leaks that expose your search history and other personal information. That’s why it’s important to use online security tools that protect your personal data.

Avast SecureLine VPN hides your IP, secures Wi-Fi connections, and encrypts your data to protect your online activity. Plus, you’ll be able to access more of the content you love. Try Avast SecureLine VPN today.