You've probably heard about Proton VPN's fantastic unlimited free plan already, so let me set expectations right out of the gate. Yes, you can use Proton Free forever, there are no bandwidth limits at all. But no, you cannot connect to the Tor network on the free plan.
That said, it's worth the upgrade. Proton offers a set of native Onion over VPN servers that connect you straight to the Tor network without any extra software. This is great if you're trying to view an Onion site on your phone for example, as Proton takes care of all of the translation for you. In fact, Proton is so committed to supporting the Tor network that it even hosts an Onion site you can access if you want to download or pay for the VPN service anonymously.
Needless to say, you get a much more impressive service on a paid plan. The cheapest option is just slightly above average at $4.99 per month on a two-year plan but that gives you blistering speeds of 950 Mbps, as well as the native Tor support I've mentioned and access to servers in 100 countries.
Like all the other providers on our list, ProtonVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can see if Proton has what you need without risking a lengthy subscription.
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How to pick a dark web VPN
There a few key factors to consider when choosing a dark web VPN:
- No-logging policy: ideally, a VPN provider should be keeping as little information on you as possible. However, it's impossible to take any "no-logs" claim at face value so you should check that the VPN is regularly independently audited to make sure it can back up its claims. This is especially important if you're using the dark web for activities like journalism or whistleblowing.
- Speed: all VPNs will use a certain amount of your bandwidth for protocol overhead, but a quality one will be engineered to leave as small of a footprint as possible. Wrapping the Tor protocol into your VPN traffic also leaves less bandwidth for your data, so you should pick a VPN provider that offers high speeds to make sure you're able to browse the Tor network without spending ages staring at your browser window slowly loading.
- Price: you shouldn't be tempted to buy into a cheap VPN if it compromises on security or privacy, but you should always ask the question if what you're buying is value for money. If you just need to access the dark web and don't need a bunch of extra features, take that into account.
- Tor Support: you'll need to be able to access Tor to get into the dark web. If your VPN provider doesn't offer Tor connections, don't even consider it. It's a waste of time.
How we test dark web VPNs
There's no better way to test a VPN than hands-on experience, so we take every VPN we review for a test run to see how it handles several key areas.
First, it's research. Before we even start the VPN up, we get a good idea of the numbers and stats. This is stuff like the number of servers, the locations of those servers, which protocols are supported, and any interesting extra features in the marketing.
Then we take a magnifying glass to the privacy policy and go over all the fine print. It's here where most VPN providers fall down, so we pay extra attention to anything that might suggest a provider is logging data it shouldn't.
Once we've got a good idea of how a provider handles data, we switch on the VPN. There's a bunch of bespoke tests we run to highlight things like IP and DNS leaks, whether the kill-switch really works, and how many services the VPN can unblock. Of course, we also run some speed performance tests regularly to get a good idea of how the VPN handles on a day-to-day basis.
Finally, when we know what the VPN does well at and what it fails to accomplish, we start looking through the customer support channels to see if there's any help offered either online or through its customer service representatives.
All in all, this gives us a strong idea of what the average customer experience is like while also providing enough information to allow us to write a recommendation (or warning!) from a technical expert standpoint.
How to access the dark web
Before you access the Tor network, take heed. It's designed to be a protocol that's entirely decentralized, unregulated, and hard to track by law enforcement. This has its upsides: no censorship, the free trade of ideas, the ability for journalists and whistleblowers to discuss ideas away from the overzealous surveillance of autocratic nations… you get the idea. It's a lot closer to how the web used to be in the early days of Web 1.0.
However, the flip side is that it's also a haven for criminals, hackers, and even government agents. Malware is rampant because there's no meaningful way to enforce the law on the dark web apart from hunting down the hackers responsible in real life.
Note: be careful. Don't download anything suspicious, keep to .onion sites you've been recommended from the clear net, and do your research. Okay, disclaimer over. Don't say you weren't warned!
Anyway, to access the dark web you'll need software that provides a connection to the Tor network. This is the routing software that encrypts your traffic and allows access to Onion sites, which are websites that can only be accessed from the Tor network.
If you're using a VPN like NordVPN that gives you direct access to the Onion network, you can skip this step and use any browser.
Otherwise, you need to download the Tor Browser. It's a modified version of Firefox that routes your internet traffic through the Tor network. You can also download and install Tails OS, an operating system that is built to work directly with the Tor network, but for the sake of simplicity, we'll go with the Tor Browser for now.
So, go to the official Tor Project website and download the Tor Browser for your operating system. When it's downloaded, just follow the installation instructions for your specific OS.
Once you've opened the browser and you're connected to the Tor network, that's it. Your portal to the dark web is open. All you have to do is find an Onion URL (it'll end in .onion) you want to connect to, and enter it into your browser. It's really that simple.
Dark web FAQs
Should I use a VPN to access the dark web?
Yes. If you download the Tor browser without a VPN, your ISP will have a record of that. If you connect to the Tor network without a VPN, they won't be able to view the traffic you send, but they will be aware you're using the Tor network which in some jurisdictions might be enough to trigger an investigation. Using a VPN looks far less suspicious and also hides your IP from the Tor node you're connecting to.
Is it legal to access the dark web?
Yes, it's legal to access the dark web. What you do on the dark web is a different matter. We don't condone illegal actions, and while there are plenty of legitimate reasons to be concerned with your privacy or host a service on the dark web, you should be careful you don't end up doing something you shouldn't.
Is the dark web the same as the deep web?
No. The deep web is all of the internet that's "hidden" from the average user, either because it's behind a paywall, a login page, needs special software to access, or just isn't indexed by a search engine. Technically, there are several different dark webs, but when most people think of the dark web they're referring to Onion websites which can only be accessed through the Tor network.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
