Deep Web vs. Dark Web: What’s the difference?

Comparing the deep web vs. dark web often confuses people. The dark and deep web represent unindexed parts of the internet. However, while the internet includes a lot of data we don’t usually see (deep web), the dark web has a reputation for concealing and facilitating criminal activities.

We use the internet daily to read news or make purchases, but this surface web is the tip of the iceberg. The internet is much larger than what we see. There is a vast amount of hidden information beneath the surface that most people never think about.

In this guide, we examine the differences between the deep web and the dark web. To give you the full picture, we also explain what the clear web (surface web) is. Let’s explore their differences and the security implications of each layer.

Deep web vs. dark web: Key differences

The deep and dark web are often misunderstood, but understanding each term’s meaning makes it easier to recognize their differences. These parts of the unindexed internet serve very different purposes.

Below, we’ve included an explanation of the deep and dark web and their differences.

Deep web

The deep web contains all parts of the internet that aren’t indexed by standard search engines like Google or Bing. This includes content behind paywalls, subscription services, password-protected pages, email inboxes, and even private social media accounts.

Company data that businesses store internally to manage operations and consumer data from inputted forms belong to the deep web. This data may include passwords, billing information, or purchase history—accessible to the user upon logging in but hidden from everyone else.

Dark web

On the other hand, the dark web is a small subset of the deep web that uses encryption to stay hidden from the surface web. It operates through a purposely obfuscated system of relay servers. These “entry nodes” keep users anonymous while browsing dark web websites.

People use the Tor browser, which employs encryption, to access the dark web via the Onion network. The network gets its name from the many nodes users must pass through to enter it. These layers ensure that no single user can link a person’s activities on the dark web to their IP address or identity, thus making it “anonymous.”

The dark web’s infrastructure serves those needing privacy, including activists, whistleblowers, political dissidents, and even regular citizens attempting to escape censorship or persecution.

However, the dark web’s anonymity makes it a breeding ground for criminal activities. People buy and sell illicit goods and services, share illegal files, sell criminal services, and carry out cybercrime, hate crimes, stalking, and more.

Are there legitimate uses for the dark web?

Yes. Although the dark web has a terrible reputation, there are plenty of legitimate reasons for accessing it. News providers like the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) host a mirror of their news site on the dark web so citizens in restricted countries can access unbiased news. This hidden copy of BBC News helps people in countries like China, Russia, Zimbabwe, and Vietnam access information privately.

Other important censored services—such as human rights organizations, VPN services, and advocacy groups—provide a darknet mirror of their websites. This allows people to access important information and services regardless of their location.

The dark web also has specialist websites available for whistleblowers who want to expose corruption or illegal business practices. These websites provide a platform for people to share information with the press without fear of repercussions.

How do you access the deep web?

Most people use the deep web daily without even realizing it. Did you back up your photos to the cloud? Then you accessed the deep web! Did you enter your card details to make a purchase? That was the deep web! Did you login to your eBay account to send a message about a parcel? Again, that was the deep web.

The same goes for emails and messages sent via Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Those aren’t part of the publicly listed internet and lie below the surface, in the deep web.

Other examples include:

• checking emails
• logging into online banking
• accessing medical records
• using government gateways for tax returns or benefits
• uploading or downloading from cloud storage
• accessing work servers

How do you access the dark web?

Unlike the deep web, which everyone uses daily, the dark web requires deliberate effort to access. You won’t accidentally end up on the dark web. You must download the Tor browser, establish a connection, and navigate to a dark website.

To access the purposely hidden part of the internet, you have to use special tools such as the Tor browser. This specialist browser allows you to access the dark web. Other specialist browsers like Freenet, ZeroNet, RetroShare, GNUnet, Lokinet, and Tribler are similar to Tor. They also allow you to access hidden darknets.

Can I use Tor browser to access the surface web?

Yes. Although most people use the Tor browser to access the dark web, it can also be used free of charge to gain privacy while surfing the normal indexed web (clear web/surface web). The benefit of using Tor to surf the regular internet is that your activities will be private. Thanks to a strong layer of encryption, your ISP cannot know which websites you’re visiting.

However, the main caveat is that the Tor network (an onion network that uses a series of nodes to provide you with access) is very slow. This makes it hard to use the Tor browser for surface web activities that require fast speeds (such as streaming, gaming, torrenting, making private calls, etc.).

Related: What is Onion over VPN?

Use a VPN instead

The good news is that there is a much faster version of privacy technology that is similar to Tor, albeit much faster. This is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN is a technology that (like Tor) provides you with a string layer of encryption to stop local networks, ISPs, and government agencies from being able to monitor your online activities. You can read more on Tor vs VPN here.

The benefit of a reliable VPN is that it runs on a network of servers designed to give you fast speeds. This means you can gain online privacy while still engaging in activities like HD streaming, gaming, torrenting, etc. You can also use a VPN with Tor for maximum security and privacy.

That said, it is important to remember that there are hundreds of competing VPNs, and they are not all created equally. Many VPNs are sluggish, so they will not be suitable for data-intensive tasks. In addition, studies have revealed that many VPNs lack reliable security. This is why you must carefully pick a dark web VPN.

Deep Web vs. Dark Web: How big are they?

The deep web is the part of the internet that constantly runs behind the scenes to protect all the private data people share and store. It is actually the largest part of the internet, bigger than both the dark web and the surface web (regular indexed internet).

Most estimates show that the deep web is between 400 and 550 times bigger than the surface web. This means it accounts for 96% or more of the internet’s total volume!

The dark web is the smallest part of the internet ecosystem—even smaller than the surface web. It only hosts a few thousand sites, accounting for just 0.01% of the entire internet.

The deep web holds more than:

• 200,000 websites
• 7,500 terabytes of data
• 550 billion documents

Deep Web vs. Surface Web: What’s the Difference?

The surface web is the normal indexed part of the Internet. All the websites and services you visit when searching on Google, Bing, or other regular search engines are part of the surface web, which is also known as the Clear Web. This part of the Internet is available to everyone without the need for special tools.

The deep web contains hidden content, such as private databases, government websites, and intranets. These parts of the internet require users to log in to access the data, and they consist of cloud servers that are protected with encryption and unlisted by search engines.

By nature, the deep web is the part of the internet that offers more data than the surface web. However, you will not see it unless you know the IP address or URL to access the server and have the login information needed to log in.

What are some common uses of the Deep Web?

The deep web conceals and protects a huge amount of private information. This includes:

• Online banking and financial services: When you log into your bank account online, you’re accessing the deep web.
• Subscription services: Streaming services that require you to log in are part of the deep web. The videos are stored in a private segment of the internet where only paying subscribers can gain access.
• Email and cloud storage: Accessing private messages or storing files involves using the deep web. These servers are only available when you log in to your account. The same is true for the member’s area of any website that requires a login.
• Academic resources: Scholarly databases are restricted to students or researchers. Users require a login to access this private information, which means it is stored in the deep web.
• Business resources: Whether you are accessing cloud storage for your business or a corporate intranet via the web, you will be using the deep web to gain access to that private information.

What are some common Uses of the Dark Web?

Although the dark web is known for illegal marketplaces and websites, it has plenty of legitimate use cases. Below, we have included some of the legal things people do while connected to the Dark Web:

• Uncensored Journalism: Journalists use the dark web to share information safely, particularly in regions with censorship.
• Whistleblowing: Platforms like WikiLeaks use the dark web to allow anonymous sharing of sensitive information.
• Privacy and activism: People living under oppressive regimes use the dark web to engage in activism and share information or messages anonymously.
• Anonymity: Privacy-conscious users rely on the dark web to avoid online tracking.

Is the Dark Web dangerous?

The dark web has both legitimate and dangerous aspects. While it is often associated with illegal activities like drug sales and weapons trading, it also has plenty of legitimate uses.

Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists rely on the dark web to bypass censorship and communicate securely. Even reputable organizations like the BBC have mirror sites on the dark web to ensure that people living in oppressive regimes can access unbiased news.

The critical thing to remember is that accessing the dark web can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Surfing the dark web could cause you to access dangerous websites or illegal content.

For this reason, most people consider the dark web to be quite dangerous. However, if you use the dark web to visit the URLs of specific websites, such as the BBC’s dark web Tor mirror, it can be perfectly safe to access the Tor network.

What are the risks of accessing the Dark Web?

There are many risks associated with the Dark Web. Below, we have included the most important ones:

• Data theft: The dark web is a place where people can accidentally encounter phishing websites. People who use the Dark Web know the dangers, so they never provide their bank, debit, or credit card information. Instead, they use anonymous payment options such as cryptocurrencies. When using the dark web, it is vital never to hand out personal information or financial details because you could be handing your data to a criminal and be a victim of identity theft.
• Malware: Many dark websites are infected with malware, making them dangerous to use. If you click on a dodgy link, you could be infected with malware, spyware, ransomware, or other sophisticated exploits.
• Criminal activity: Engaging with illegal services or buying items from dark web marketplaces can lead to severe legal repercussions.
• Illegal content: The Dark Web has many illegal websites where criminals share information and illicit content. This makes it a very worrying and dangerous place, mainly if you surf around without a specific reason for visiting. This type of surfing is strongly discouraged.

Deep Web vs Dark Web FAQs