Useful Sites and Services on the TOR Network

The TOR network is used by over 2 million people daily, with around 100,000 .onion addresses registered for various services. Anyone with an inexpensive Android device or Raspberry Pi can anonymously create their own corner of the internet. This article highlights a selection of useful sites and services available on the TOR network, which can help you enhance your privacy and security online.

Who Uses TOR?

Many reputable organizations and media outlets, such as the EFF, The GuardianThe Guardian, founded in 1821, is one of the world’s leading newspapers, known for its investigative reporting, cultural coverage, and in-depth analysis. To protect press freedom and ensure global access, it launched a Tor mirror of its website, accessible only through the Tor Browser. This version allows readers to bypass censorship, browse anonymously, and safely connect with journalists. By adopting Tor, The Guardian strengthens its role as a defender of free speech in the digital age. More, Forbes, and Gizmodo, promote TOR to the public. Contrary to popular belief, TOR is not just for criminals. According to the official TOR website, its users include:

• Everyday people – to bypass censorship and protect against mass surveillance.
• Journalists and their sources – for secure document transfer and anonymous communication via tools like SecureDropSecureDrop is an open-source platform that lets whistleblowers securely and anonymously share information with journalists. Accessible through Tor, it protects sources by hiding their identity and enabling encrypted two-way communication with newsrooms. Many major outlets, including The Guardian and The Washington Post, use SecureDrop to receive sensitive documents. While it requires strict security practices, it has become a vital tool for press freedom in the digital age. More.
• Law enforcement – to investigate and catch criminals.
• Activists and whistleblowers – to report human rights violations and organize safely.

TOR is not limited to HTTP sites; it also supports SSH, FTP, SMTP, Bitcoin, XMPP, Ricochet, and IRC servers, many of which are password-protected or private.

1. TOR Search Engines

• Candle: Minimalist .onion search engine. Only supports word-based queries.
• Grams: Search for jobs, digital and physical goods, often purchasable with Bitcoin.
• Haystack: Claims to index over 1.5 billion pages from 260,000 .onion sites.
• Not Evil: Indexes over 32 million .onion links.
• TorchTorch is one of the oldest and most well-known darknet search engines, often described as “one of the first” to index hidden services in the Tor network. With a minimalist, retro-style interface and a large database of .onion sites, it has long served as a basic navigation tool for both newcomers and experienced users. Unlike more modern alternatives, Torch does not filter results, offering broad access but also exposing users to potential risks. Its longevity and pioneering role have made it a symbolic part of darknet history. More: Search engine with 450,000 links.
• Tor Onionland: Indexes about 5 million pages from 57,000 sites.

2. Search Engines for the Regular Web

Google tracks users via tools like Google Analytics and cookies. For anonymous searching, consider:

• DuckDuckGoDuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine launched in 2008 that does not track users, store IP addresses, or personalize search results. It offers unique features like !bang commands for direct searches on other sites and is the default search engine in the Tor Browser. For maximum anonymity, DuckDuckGo also runs an official .onion version that allows secure searching within the Tor network. The company proves that profitability and privacy can coexist, relying on keyword-based ads rather than personal data collection. More: Privacy-focused search engine.
• SearX: Open-source metasearch engine aggregating results from over 100 sources.
• TPB: Search and download software and media files for free.

3. Security and Privacy Resources

• GnuPG (GPG): Tool for cryptographically signing and encrypting data.
• OnionShareOnionShare is an open-source tool that lets people share files, host websites, and even chat securely through the Tor network. Instead of relying on cloud services, it creates a temporary onion address directly from your computer, ensuring anonymity and direct peer-to-peer transfers. Once the app closes, the link expires, making it ideal for one-time, private exchanges. While slower than traditional services, OnionShare is a vital tool for journalists, activists, and anyone who values privacy over convenience. More: Open-source tool for secure, anonymous file sharing over TOR.
• OpenPGPKeyserver: Anonymous PGP key repository.
• Privacy International: UK-based charity advocating for digital rights.
• Security in a Box: Guides for digital security tools and practices.
• SKS OpenPGP: Another anonymous PGP key server.
• TorProject: Official site for the TOR network and its resources.
• Whonix: Community and guides for advanced privacy and OPSEC.

4. Pastebin Alternatives

• DeepPaste: Simple pastebin with self-destruct feature.
• Felixxx: Lesser-known pastebin alternative.
• RiseupRiseup is a secure digital platform created by activists to provide privacy-focused tools like email, mailing lists, VPN, and file sharing. It publishes official onion addresses for IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, ensuring anonymous and secure access through Tor. Unlike commercial services, Riseup is independent, funded by donations, and committed to protecting privacy without logging or selling user data. It has become a vital resource for activists, human rights groups, and social movements worldwide. More Paste: Pastes auto-delete after a week, max 50MB.
• Pasta: Open-source pastebin with 10MB upload limit and self-destruct options.
• Stronghold Paste: Long-standing open-source pastebin.
• ZeroBin: Minimalist, open-source, end-to-end encrypted pastebin.

5. News Sites

• Dark Web News: News, anonymity tools, and .onion links.
• Deepdotweb: News on dark web arrests and TOR-related crime.
• The New York TimesThe New York Times, founded in 1851, is one of the world’s most influential newspapers, known for investigative reporting and global coverage. To protect readers and sources from censorship and surveillance, it launched a Tor mirror — a version of its website accessible only through the Tor Browser. This onion site allows people to bypass blocks, read anonymously, and safely share information with journalists. By adopting Tor, the NYT reinforces its role as a defender of press freedom in the digital age. More: Available via TOR since 2017.
• ProPublicaProPublica is an independent nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism. With a team of more than 150 reporters, it uncovers corruption, abuses of power, and systemic problems in politics, business, healthcare, education, the environment, and more. ProPublica goes beyond one-off stories, pursuing issues until they drive change—leading to new laws, policy reversals, and accountability for leaders. Funded primarily by donations, the organization is built on transparency, independence, and a commitment to serving the public interest. More: Nonprofit investigative journalism.

6. Email Services

• Confidant: Open-source, encrypted, anti-spam email.
• Daniel Email: Free, anonymous email (25MB storage per account).
• Elude: Encrypted webmail, accessible only via TOR.
• GuerrillaMail: Free disposable email with anti-spam.
• Mailpile: Modern webmail with integrated PGP encryption.
• ProtonMailProtonMail, launched in 2014 by scientists from CERN and MIT, is one of the world’s most trusted encrypted email services. Built under Swiss privacy laws, it offers end-to-end encrypted email, calendar, cloud storage, and VPN as part of the broader Proton ecosystem. With features like self-destructing messages and password-protected emails, Proton ensures users keep full control of their data. Guided by the principle “Your data, your rules,” Proton has become a global symbol of digital privacy and security. More: User-friendly, open-source, end-to-end encrypted email.
• RiseupRiseup is a secure digital platform created by activists to provide privacy-focused tools like email, mailing lists, VPN, and file sharing. It publishes official onion addresses for IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, ensuring anonymous and secure access through Tor. Unlike commercial services, Riseup is independent, funded by donations, and committed to protecting privacy without logging or selling user data. It has become a vital resource for activists, human rights groups, and social movements worldwide. More: Activist-run secure email, accessible via TOR.

7. Blogs and Personal Sites

• drksh: Hacker blog and Git repository.
• Jamie Scaife: Notes on Wi-Fi security, encryption, .onion services, and Linux.
• Sarah Jamie Lewis: Researcher involved in OnionShareOnionShare is an open-source tool that lets people share files, host websites, and even chat securely through the Tor network. Instead of relying on cloud services, it creates a temporary onion address directly from your computer, ensuring anonymity and direct peer-to-peer transfers. Once the app closes, the link expires, making it ideal for one-time, private exchanges. While slower than traditional services, OnionShare is a vital tool for journalists, activists, and anyone who values privacy over convenience. More, Ricochet, and TOR studies.
• Traudt: Naval research project on TOR and internet technologies.

8. Libraries

Most TOR libraries allow unrestricted downloads, but some content may be illegal or copyrighted. Always respect copyright laws.

• Comic Books: Large collection of public domain comics (may include illegal content).
• Imperial: Open-source repository for DRM-free ebooks (user uploads allowed).
• Z-Library: Claims to be the world’s largest library with over 3.4 million books.

9. Social Networks

• Cyph Messenger: Open-source video chat and file sharing.
• DNM Avengers: Forum for pharmaceutical discussions and reviews.
• Dread: Reddit-like forum, including pharma topics.
• FacebookFacebook launched an official Tor mirror in 2014, becoming the first major tech company to provide direct access through onion routing. The mirror allows users to bypass censorship, secure their connections, and avoid phishing risks while using the platform. This step also underscored Facebook’s recognition of free expression and inspired other outlets like the BBC and ProPublica to create their own Tor versions. More: Accessible via TOR.
• Hidden Answers: Stack Overflow-style Q&A for hacking, security, privacy, and more.
• Smuxi: Free, user-friendly IRC client.
• Suprbay: Official Pirate Bay forum.
• TheHub: Forum for news, pharma, and security topics.

10. Hosting Services

• Black Cloud: Encrypted file hosting.
• Daniel Uploads: File hosting (up to 10GB per file).
• dhosting: Free, anonymous hosting with PHP, MySQL, FTP, and .onion support.
• Image Hosting: Free image hosting with up to 2GB storage.
• OnionContainers: Secure hosting with Nginx, PostgreSQL, and WordPress support.
• 0ut3r Space: Files auto-delete after 14 days (max 200MB).
• PopFiles: Simple file hosting (max 500KB per file).
• RiseupRiseup is a secure digital platform created by activists to provide privacy-focused tools like email, mailing lists, VPN, and file sharing. It publishes official onion addresses for IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, ensuring anonymous and secure access through Tor. Unlike commercial services, Riseup is independent, funded by donations, and committed to protecting privacy without logging or selling user data. It has become a vital resource for activists, human rights groups, and social movements worldwide. More Etherpad: Open-source collaborative editor for real-time teamwork.

11. Operating Systems

• Debian: Free, user-friendly, community-supported OS.
• Qubes: Open-source OS focused on security through compartmentalization.
• Whonix: Privacy-focused OS with built-in TOR and stream isolation.

12. SecureDrop

SecureDropSecureDrop is an open-source platform that lets whistleblowers securely and anonymously share information with journalists. Accessible through Tor, it protects sources by hiding their identity and enabling encrypted two-way communication with newsrooms. Many major outlets, including The Guardian and The Washington Post, use SecureDrop to receive sensitive documents. While it requires strict security practices, it has become a vital tool for press freedom in the digital age. More is an open-source system for anonymously and securely receiving documents, mainly used by news organizations like The New York TimesThe New York Times, founded in 1851, is one of the world’s most influential newspapers, known for investigative reporting and global coverage. To protect readers and sources from censorship and surveillance, it launched a Tor mirror — a version of its website accessible only through the Tor Browser. This onion site allows people to bypass blocks, read anonymously, and safely share information with journalists. By adopting Tor, the NYT reinforces its role as a defender of press freedom in the digital age. More, The Washington Post, ProPublicaProPublica is an independent nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism. With a team of more than 150 reporters, it uncovers corruption, abuses of power, and systemic problems in politics, business, healthcare, education, the environment, and more. ProPublica goes beyond one-off stories, pursuing issues until they drive change—leading to new laws, policy reversals, and accountability for leaders. Funded primarily by donations, the organization is built on transparency, independence, and a commitment to serving the public interest. More, The New Yorker, and The InterceptThe Intercept is an investigative news outlet founded in 2014, known for covering national security, corruption, and human rights issues. To protect whistleblowers, it uses SecureDrop, a system that allows anonymous document submissions through the Tor network with no logs or metadata. While this provides stronger safety than conventional channels, past cases have shown that human error and legal pressures can still expose sources. Despite these risks, The Intercept’s secure platform remains an important tool for press freedom and independent journalism. More.

• The GuardianThe Guardian, founded in 1821, is one of the world’s leading newspapers, known for its investigative reporting, cultural coverage, and in-depth analysis. To protect press freedom and ensure global access, it launched a Tor mirror of its website, accessible only through the Tor Browser. This version allows readers to bypass censorship, browse anonymously, and safely connect with journalists. By adopting Tor, The Guardian strengthens its role as a defender of free speech in the digital age. More: Award-winning British daily newspaper.
• The InterceptThe Intercept is an investigative news outlet founded in 2014, known for covering national security, corruption, and human rights issues. To protect whistleblowers, it uses SecureDrop, a system that allows anonymous document submissions through the Tor network with no logs or metadata. While this provides stronger safety than conventional channels, past cases have shown that human error and legal pressures can still expose sources. Despite these risks, The Intercept’s secure platform remains an important tool for press freedom and independent journalism. More: Investigative journalism platform, originally for Snowden documents.
• NPR: American nonprofit news organization supporting 1,000+ public radio stations.
• VICE: Digital media company covering politics, entertainment, pharma, and tech.

13. Bitcoin Mixers

Bitcoin transactions are not fully anonymous. Mixers blend your coins with others to obscure the source. Warning: None of these links are verified for legitimacy. Use extreme caution.

• Bitblender: Random fees, bonus/referral program, PGP 2FA, no logs, fast processing.
• BitCloak: Free API, random 2% fee, 0.0004 BTC per withdrawal address.
• Blockchain: Little information available.
• CryptoMixer: Instant mixing, no logs, min 0.001 BTC, referral program, flexible fees.
• Elude: Random 1-3% fee per transaction.
• PrivCoin: Supports multiple cryptocurrencies.

14. Miscellaneous

• CloudFlare: Private DNS resolver, claims no data selling or abuse.
• ExpressVPN: VPN service.
• ExoneraTor: Database of IPs associated with TOR.
• Fingerprint Central: Browser fingerprinting data for anti-deanonymization research.
• jRAT: Cross-platform malware (currently inactive).
• Keybase: Public key database, secure messaging, and code hosting.
• Njalla: Private domain registrar allowing anonymous crypto purchases.
• SMSPrivacy: Anonymous SMS service with crypto payments.
• TorMetrics: Analytics tool for TOR network statistics and traffic patterns.
• Tor Nyx: Command-line utilities for managing TOR instances.
• 0day: Exploit database, some for sale via Bitcoin.

15. Onion Site Directories

Specialized spiders keep onion site lists up to date by removing inactive addresses. Here are some directories to help you find current .onion addresses:

• CB3ROB: Database of about 4,000 working onion sites (currently inactive).
• Daniel’s onions: Database of 7,000 addresses.
• Fresh Onions: Open-source directory with over 5,000 unique addresses.
• onionsoup: Curated list of dozens of onion services.
• UnderDir: Database of 25,000 onion services (most inactive).
• VisiTOR: Database of 5,000 addresses.

Conclusion

Most onion services disappear within hours of creation, often used for testing or experimentation. This offers a unique opportunity for quick, anonymous information sharing. However, finding legitimate content can be challenging. With affordable hardware like Android devices or Raspberry Pi, anyone can create an anonymous online presence without providing personal data, registering, or paying third-party providers.