This is a categorized list of notable onion services (formerly, hidden services) [1] accessible through the Tor anonymity network. Defunct services and those accessed by deprecated V2 addresses are marked.
SecureDrop and GlobaLeaks software is used in most of these whistleblowing sites. These are secure communications platform for use between journalists and sources. Both software's websites are also available as an onion service. [52] [53] Websites that use secure drop are listed in a directory. [54]
The Invisible Internet Project (I2P) is an anonymous network layer that allows for censorship-resistant, peer-to-peer communication. Anonymous connections are achieved by encrypting the user's traffic, and sending it through a volunteer-run network of roughly 55,000 computers distributed around the world. Given the high number of possible paths the traffic can transit, a third party watching a full connection is unlikely. The software that implements this layer is called an "I2P router", and a computer running I2P is called an "I2P node". I2P is free and open sourced, and is published under multiple licenses.
A darknet or dark net is an overlay network within the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorization, and often uses a unique customized communication protocol. Two typical darknet types are social networks, and anonymity proxy networks such as Tor via an anonymized series of connections.
Magnet is a URI scheme that defines the format of magnet links, a de facto standard for identifying files (URN) by their content, via cryptographic hash value rather than by their location.
.onion is a special-use top-level domain name designating an anonymous onion service, which was formerly known as a "hidden service", reachable via the Tor network. Such addresses are not actual DNS names, and the .onion TLD is not in the Internet DNS root, but with the appropriate proxy software installed, Internet programs such as web browsers can access sites with .onion addresses by sending the request through the Tor network.
Tribler is an open source decentralized BitTorrent client which allows anonymous peer-to-peer by default. Tribler is based on the BitTorrent protocol and uses an overlay network for content searching. Due to this overlay network, Tribler does not require an external website or indexing service to discover content. The user interface of Tribler is very basic and focused on ease of use instead of diversity of features. Tribler is available for Linux, Windows, and OS X.
Vuze is a BitTorrent client used to transfer files via the BitTorrent protocol. Vuze is written in Java, and uses the Azureus Engine. In addition to downloading data linked to .torrent files, Azureus allows users to view, publish and share original DVD and HD quality video content. Content is presented through channels and categories containing TV shows, music videos, movies, video games, series and others.
Tor is a free overlay network for enabling anonymous communication. Built on free and open-source software and more than seven thousand volunteer-operated relays worldwide, users can have their Internet traffic routed via a random path through the network.
DuckDuckGo is an American software company focused on online privacy, whose flagship product is a search engine of the same name. Founded by Gabriel Weinberg in 2008, its later products include browser extensions and a custom DuckDuckGo web browser. Headquartered in Paoli, Pennsylvania, DuckDuckGo is a privately held company with about 200 employees. The company's name is a reference to the children's game duck, duck, goose.
In the BitTorrent file distribution system, a torrent file or meta-info file is a computer file that contains metadata about files and folders to be distributed, and usually also a list of the network locations of trackers, which are computers that help participants in the system find each other and form efficient distribution groups called swarms. Torrent files are normally named with the extension .torrent.
The Associated Whistleblowing Press (AWP) is a not-for-profit information agency based in Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to the defense of human rights by promoting transparency, freedom of information and speech, whistleblowing and investigative journalism, conceived as a global network made up of cooperative local platforms and actors. According to its website, the initiative aims to work in a decentralized network structure, with local platforms that deal with local information, contexts and actors in a "from the roots upward model". The stories produced will then be published on the project's multilanguage newsroom under a Creative Commons license. The team consists of collaborators spread all around the world, led by two editors, Pedro Noel and Santiago Carrion.
The dark web is the World Wide Web content that exists on darknets that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. Through the dark web, private computer networks can communicate and conduct business anonymously without divulging identifying information, such as a user's location. The dark web forms a small part of the deep web, the part of the web not indexed by web search engines, although sometimes the term deep web is mistakenly used to refer specifically to the dark web.
Tor2web is a software project to allow Tor hidden services to be accessed from a standard browser without being connected to the Tor network. It was created by Aaron Swartz and Virgil Griffith.
Doxbin was an onion service in the form of a pastebin used to post or leak personal data of any person of interest.
Parrot OS is a Linux distribution based on Debian with a focus on security, privacy, and development.
Roger Dingledine is an American computer scientist known for having co-founded the Tor Project. A student of mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering, Dingledine is also known by the pseudonym arma. As of December 2016, he continues in a leadership role with the Tor Project, as a project Leader, Director, and Research Director.
PeerTube is a free and open-source, decentralized, ActivityPub federated video platform. It can use peer-to-peer technology to reduce load on individual servers when videos get popular.
The Facebook onion address located at https://www.facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion/ is a site that allows access to Facebook through the Tor protocol, using its .onion top-level domain.
torservers.net is an independent network of non-profit organisations that provide nodes to the Tor anonymity network. The network was started in June 2010 by German privacy activist and advocate Moritz Bartl (Q105485101) and currently transfers up to 7.4 GB/s (~59.2 Gb/s) of exit node traffic as of May 2022.
Z-Library is a shadow library project for file-sharing access to scholarly journal articles, academic texts and general-interest books. It began as a mirror of Library Genesis, but has expanded dramatically.
OnionShare is an open source file sharing application using tor network to share files, available on most major platforms. It also lets users host websites and chat in a secure and anonymous manner. It uses peer-to-peer sharing over Tor network to preserve privacy and anonymity.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of December 2024 (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: External link in |title=
Guide to Tor hidden services and elements of the Tor network at Wikibooks
Media related to Tor hidden services at Wikimedia Commons| Search engines | |
|---|---|
| News | |
| File storage and peer-to-peer file sharing | |
| Email and instant messaging | |
| Social media and forums | |
| Financial | |
| Darknet markets | |
| Document archives | |
| Nonprofit organizations | |
| Operating systems | |
| Government | |
| Whistleblowing | |
| Pornography | |
| Other | |
Sites in italics are now offline or discontinued (not counting ambiguously forked sites).
| |
