The dark web, or darknet, has a bad name for itself, often associated with several illegal activities kept apart from your general search engine. Despite this, it isn't the platform that's inherently bad, but simply how it's used.
Accessing the dark web requires special anonymous browsers, like Tor, I2P, and Freenet, but it is critically important to make sure you safeguard your privacy when doing so - which is why we also recommend using a virtual private network.
We list the best VPNs for the dark web and show you how to use a VPN on the dark web.
What are the best VPNs for the Dark Web?
Here is a quick rundown of our best dark web VPNs and how they can help you. If you want to know more about each provider, keep scrolling.
- AirVPN - The most secure VPN for the dark web
- ProtonVPN - A fast and secure VPN for the dark web
- NordVPN - A fully-featured VPN with Tor compatibility
- Mullvad - A great choice for total anonymity
- ExpressVPN - A top tier service with its own VPN protocol
5 Best Dark Web VPNs- In-depth Analysis
Below is a list of our experts' top picks for the best dark web VPNs available today. If you need more information about any of the services below, click through to the provider's website or take a look at our informative VPN reviews.
AirVPN offers a comprehensive list of features that work great with Tor AirVPN is an excellent, incredibly secure VPN provider based in Italy. AES 256-bit encryption, DNS leak protection, Tor network integration, and a kill switch make AirVPN a solid choice for anyone who needs to access the dark web. On top of that, AirVPN collects no logs and accepts a wide array of cryptocurrencies for payment. Adding to the overall privacy of the platform, no personal information whatsoever, not even a real email address, is required to create an account. The AirVPN client is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and routers. The only drawback for beginners is that AirVPN is made by "hacktivists", and is geared more towards the techie crowd. That’s not to say though that beginners won’t be able to get the hang of it, and use it properly, it’s just that it may not be as straightforward or simply “plug-and-play” right from the get-go for novices. In any case, AirVPN offers a no-strings-attached 3-day free trial, so you can test it out to see how it works for you. ProtonVPN's kill switch and DNS leak protection make searching the dark web easy ProtonVPN is a super-secure and super-fast VPN provider based out of Switzerland, home to some of the world’s most stringent privacy protections and safely out of the jurisdiction of the fourteen eyes network. ProtonVPN supports Tor integration, keeps no logs, and offers excellent encryption standards to secure users’ connections. Additional security features include DNS leak protection and a kill switch. What’s more, to further bolster the security of ProtonVPN’s network, the company houses its Secure Core servers in a Swiss military fallout shelter located a full kilometer underground. ProtonVPN also houses servers in a former Icelandic military facility and in a Swedish underground data center. You can also sign up anonymously with a ProtonMail email address. The ProtonVPN client works flawlessly across all major operating systems and allows you to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. NordVPN is bursting with features and additions that secure your experience NordVPN is a superb all-round VPN service that happens to also be a top choice for dark web users. Alongside being incredibly simple to use, NordVPN offers airtight security features including AES 256-bit encryption, automatic kill switch, and CyberSec technology that blocks potentially harmful websites that could host malware. Those security features, coupled with world-class connection speeds, a strict no-logs policy, and Tor compatibility make NordVPN one of the best when it comes to surfing the dark web. With NordVPN, you get access to 55,000 servers spread out across 59 different countries. You can also pay for your subscription anonymously using Bitcoin. NordVPN offers a great all-around product that’s highly secure and works well on each of the major operating systems, all at a very reasonable price point. If you want to see if NordVPN is the right service for your dark web browsing, feel free to give it a shot risk-free thanks to its generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Mullvad lets you sign up with absolutely no personal information, ideal for privacy Mullvad is simply one of the best VPNs when it comes to protecting your privacy and anonymity, which is obviously a good thing if you’re keen to surf the dark web. You can sign up for an account without divulging a single blip of personal information, and the company encourages users to pay anonymously via cryptocurrency or even cash. They also offer low-cost monthly plans that don't require you to sign up to a long-term contract. Mullvad keeps no logs and offers Tor integration on top of airtight security, robust encryption protocols, and blazing fast server speeds. The client software is exceptionally easy to use and available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you’re looking for a top-class VPN provider that’s really focused on security for your dark web needs, you really can’t go wrong with Mullvad. ExpressVPN offers one of the largest selection of servers in 94 countries ExpressVPN consistently ranks amongst the top VPN providers across many of the various categories we analyze here at ProPrivacy.com. It’s certainly no different here, as ExpressVPN is one of the best when it comes to protecting users on the dark web as well. ExpressVPN offers a special network of “stealth” servers specifically designed to outwit China’s “Great Firewall” and allow users to evade government censorship efforts. On top of that, Express VPN is extraordinarily easy to use, and employs a strict no-logs policy and offers robust security features including a kill switch, AES 256-bit encryption, and DNS leak protection. With its recently launched Lightway protocol, users can even benefit from faster and more secure VPN encryption. You won’t have trouble finding lighting fast servers close by either since ExpressVPN offers one of the largest and most comprehensive networks of VPN servers available, consisting of 160 server locations spread out over 94 different countries worldwide. You can pay for your subscription via BitCoin, and you can even sign up completely anonymously through Tor on ExpressVPN’s dark web mirror site. Though ExpressVPN is admittedly one of the pricier options on the market today, with all the security features and privacy protection you get, it’s worth it. And as a special bonus, if you spring for the yearly plan you’ll get an additional three months tacked on for free.
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Features a VPN needs for the dark web
- Secure - First and foremost, your VPN should be secure. This includes supplying strong encryption protocols, as well as IP leak protection.
- No logs - The VPN provider should have a strict no-logs policy to ensure it will never have a record of your online activity when connected to its service. This is especially important because if any authority attempts to compel a zero-logs VPN to hand over user data, it will have literally nothing to hand over.
- Kill switch - A kill switch is a vital security feature for any dark web VPN because it will automatically stop your internet connection in case your VPN disconnects for any reason. If your VPN cuts out but your internet connection remains intact, then you risk exposing the fact you’re using Tor to your ISP, government agencies, or anyone else who may be snooping on your connection.
- Tor support - VPN providers that offer special Tor-related features are far better equipped to cater to dark web users than those that do not.
- Fast server speeds - Tor, by its inherent nature, is indeed quite slow. Encrypting and re-encrypting your connection multiple times through multiple nodes around the world doesn’t exactly accommodate fast connection speeds. This is why it is essential that your darknet VPN provider supply lightning-fast servers to limit the overall degradation of your connection speeds as much as possible when using Tor.
- Accepts anonymous payments - Of course, the point is to remain anonymous while using the dark web. If your dark web VPN provider accepts anonymous methods of payment like Bitcoin or even cash, it can help you to ensure your anonymity is fully secured.
How to access the dark web with a VPN and Tor together
Although browsing the dark web requires some vigilance and at least a basic understanding of the risks taken, protecting your privacy is incredibly simple. You just need to:
- Download the Tor browser.
- Subscribe to a VPN (preferably using one of the providers listed in this article), log in, and make sure that the kill switch is enabled.
- Connect to a server. Remember, servers closer to you are usually faster than those in other countries or continents.
- Launch the Tor browser.
- Surf the dark web. Connecting to the dark web this way will ensure that no one will be able to detect that you’re using Tor or accessing the dark web since your internet connection will be fully encrypted by your VPN.
- Make sure to always end your Tor session first, prior to disconnecting from the VPN server.
What is the dark web?
The dark web can be a scary place. It has acquired a reputation for being filled with underground marketplaces specializing in selling stolen personal data, hacked accounts, illicit drugs, weapons, and counterfeit goods. Many dark web marketplaces even deal in things like child pornography, human trafficking, and hitman services.
On the other hand, despite its shadowy reputation, the dark web can also be a legitimate and necessary venue for dissidents, whistleblowers, journalists, human rights investigators, or for anyone that simply wants to evade censorship or maintain optimum anonymity online.
Essentially, the dark web represents a small portion of the much larger deep web, a part of the internet that is not indexed by the search engines like Google. The dark web is an intentionally hidden area of the deep web that can only be accessed by using software like Tor, which routes your internet connection through various servers run by volunteers around the world, changing the IP address and re-encrypting your traffic each time it passes through a node, making it virtually impossible to trace your online activity back to you.
While using Tor is essential for accessing the dark web and remaining anonymous when doing so, using a VPN for the dark web can have added benefits for your overall privacy as a VPN can help conceal your Tor usage from your internet service provider or government entities.
For a more in-depth explanation, check out our complete guide to the dark web guide.
Deep web vs. dark web
Many people often confuse the terms “deep web” and “dark web” as being interchangeable. There is, however, an important distinction between the two.
The deep web refers to any part of the internet that is not indexed or searchable by the search engines you use on a daily basis. This includes, but is not limited to, any part of the internet that is password-protected, such as personal bank accounts, email accounts, medical records, private databases, Amazon accounts, Facebook accounts, and so on. I couldn’t, for instance, search Google for access to Anne’s personal Netflix account or to check Larry’s PayPal account balance. That’s because all that information resides appropriately secured on the deep web. In fact, it is very likely that you access the deep web on a daily basis.
The dark web, on the other hand, represents a minuscule fraction of the deep web that is intentionally hidden from search engines and requires special anonymization software like Tor to access. Anyone that requires the ability to bypass censorship, exercise free speech, or needing complete online anonymity for any other reason can achieve it on the dark web.
Basically, all the dark web is part of the deep web, but not all the deep web is part of the dark web.
Why using a dark web VPN is beneficial
There are several reasons why it can be very beneficial to use a VPN to access the dark web. For one, Tor is often blocked, or at least partially blocked in places like China, Iran, Turkey, and Venezuela - areas of the world that aren’t exactly privacy-friendly. If you are located in such an area, you can use a VPN to route your connection through a different country to access Tor, and ultimately the dark web.
On top of that, by using a VPN, you are effectively hiding the fact that you are using Tor from any government authority who may be interested in snooping on what you are up to online. And this is not just pertinent for users under the watch of authoritarian regimes like China; using Tor can reportedly even land you on the NSA’s watch list from the United States and elsewhere.
Using a dark web VPN will also hide your Tor connection from any other third party that may be monitoring your online activity, including your internet service provider (ISP). You’d do well to conceal the fact that you’re using Tor from your ISP because most, if not all, ISPs record, collect, and store your online activity, and are in some corners of the globe notorious for selling that data to advertisers and other interested parties.
Conclusion
While Tor keeps you anonymous while accessing the dark web, using a VPN on top of that will add an extra, much-needed layer of privacy. For more information on the differences between them, check out our Tor Vs VPNs guide. In the meantime, here's a quick reminder of our top picks for dark web VPNs:
- AirVPN - The most secure VPN for the dark web
- ProtonVPN - A fast and secure VPN for the dark web
- NordVPN - A fully-featured VPN with Tor compatibility
- Mullvad - A great choice for total anonymity
- ExpressVPN - A top tier service with its own VPN protocol
FAQs
Below, you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the dark web in general and using a VPN to access the dark web.