At a glance, a regular URL and an onion link appear to be the same, as they both lead to a website. However, they are fundamentally dark web website different in their structure, function, and purpose. These differences highlight the distinct worlds of the surface web and the dark web.
1. Structure and Appearance
The most immediate difference is how they look.
- Regular URLs: A regular URL, such as
https://www.example.com, is designed to be human-readable and easy to remember. It consists of a domain name that is registered with a central authority, like the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The.com,.org, or.netextensions are known as top-level domains. - Onion Links: An onion link, or onion address, is a string of random letters and numbers, typically 56 characters long, followed by the
.oniontop-level domain. For example,http://dreadytofatroptsdj6io7l3xptbet6onoyno2yv7jicoxknyazubrad.onion. This address is not registered with any central authority. Instead, it is cryptographically generated, ensuring its unique and unchangeable nature.
2. Accessibility and Routing
Accessing these two types of addresses requires completely different approaches.
- Regular URLs: To access a regular URL, your web browser sends a request to a Domain Name System (DNS) server, which translates the human-readable domain name into an IP address. Your request then travels directly to the website’s server through your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The entire process is traceable, and your ISP, the DNS server, and the website’s host can all see that you’ve visited the site.
- Onion Links: An onion link cannot be accessed by a regular browser. It requires a specialized browser, most notably the Tor Browser, which routes your traffic through the Tor network. The Tor network is a series of volunteer-run relays that encrypt your request in multiple layers. Your request is bounced through at least three of these relays, with each one peeling off a layer of encryption, making it impossible for any single relay to know both your identity and the website’s location.
3. Anonymity and Security
The primary purpose of an onion link is to provide a high degree of anonymity for both the user and the website operator.
- Regular URLs: While many regular websites use HTTPS to secure the connection between your browser and their server, this only encrypts the data being sent. It does not hide your IP address or your activity from your ISP or from anyone monitoring network traffic at the boundaries of the Tor network.
- Onion Links: The entire onion routing process is designed for anonymity. The website’s server and the user’s IP address remain hidden from each other, from a user’s ISP, and from anyone trying to trace the connection. This “end-to-end” encryption and anonymity are the core features that differentiate onion links from regular URLs.
