10 Free and Paid Dark Web Scanners You Should Try in 2026
6 Steps to Get AI to Recommend Your Brand
What is a Dark Web Scanner?
A Dark Web scanner is a tool used to search the dark web, a part of the internet not indexed by standard search engines, for information such as personal data or credentials. These scanners help individuals and organizations detect if their sensitive information has been exposed or traded on the dark web.
In simple terms, dark web scanners are services that identify and scour websites that buy, sell, and share stolen data. Stolen identity data can include sensitive information that includes personally identifiable information (PII), non-public information, encrypted and password-protected illicit content in addition to other sensitive data published on the dark web.
10 Dark Web Scanners to Use
- Firefox Monitor
- Aura
- Identity Guard
- Have I Been Pwned?
- MyPwd from Axur
- Dehashed
- Hashcast from Azur
- Intelligence X
- Dashlane
- IDStrong
How Does Personal Information End Up on the Dark Web?
There are many types of identity theft to beware of. Everything from phishing email scams to data breaches to malware on your computer can expose your personal information—credit card numbers, CVV codes, or social security numbers—to hackers.
Dark web scanners use your personal information (your email address, for instance), to scan the dark web for any matches. Most scanners begin by scouring illicit marketplaces or forums that lack sophisticated privacy safeguards.
Dark web monitors offer similar services to dark web scanners, but they differ in one key respect: they continuously scan the dark web to determine if cybercriminals have compromised your personal data. Scanners offer a one-time scanning service.
Despite their reach, no dark web scanner can cover all the stolen data that exists across the entire dark web as a result of criminal activity. That’s because much of that stolen data is traded privately. However, if you suspect your personal information has been compromised, a dark web scan can be a great resource to help ease your mind.
Firefox Monitor
The Firefox monitor is Mozilla’s own breach detection service. Using your email, it scans the dark web for known breaches and notifies you if your info has been compromised.
Firefox Monitor’s Top Features
- Robust breach search
Firefox’s service lets users search for well-known data breaches. It also lists recent branches and the exposed information from that breach. - Comprehensive security tips
Mozilla educates users on various topics relating to cybersecurity and data breaches—how hackers work, how to avoid hacks, how to create strong passwords, and more. - Real-time alerts concerning data breaches
This feature lets you set up alerts in the event that the scanner finds your info on the dark web. If you’re caught in a data breach, you’ll get a notification with information about where the breach originated and what info was leaked.
Firefox Monitor’s Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Breach scanner - Provides security tips - In the event of a breach, identify what info was leaked - Breach search |
- Users need a Firefox account to get alerts |
Firefox Monitor Pricing
The FireFox Monitor is 100% free, which makes it a great option if you’re looking for a dark web scanner that won’t break the bank.
Aura Dark Web Scanner
Aura’s all-in-one digital wellness solution includes Dark Web Monitoring, Credit Alerts, Account Monitoring, and more. Aura’s family plan is also a top rated solution for protecting your children and loved ones from identity fraud.
All Aura plans come with $1M Identity theft insurance, fast alerts to potentially suspicious activity, and 24/7/365 customer support.
Aura’s Top Features
- Online account and personal info monitoring
Aura constantly monitors your information online and will notify you about any and all unauthorized access or possible data breaches. - Dark web monitoring (Personal info and SSN monitoring)
Aura will let you know if they find another party using your SSN or other sensitive information online. This includes anyone using your ID to open new accounts or lines of credit. - Identity verification monitoring
Aura monitors any and all attempts to verify your identity across the entire web. If someone tries to verify your identity, you’ll know. - $1M identity theft insurance
For members, Aura offers up to $1M in coverage in the event of identity theft. - Home title monitoring
Identity theft can also result in home title fraud. Aura accounts for this risk by monitoring transfers of your home title. - Criminal court records monitoring
Aura will notify you if any of your information is stolen and appears in a criminal report.
Aura’s Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Dark web scan - Dark web monitoring - Monitors all 3 credit bureaus with Experian Credit Lock - Up to 4x faster credit fraud alerts than competitors |
- One-on-one white-glove fraud resolution only on the highest plan - Wi-Fi security features not available on macOS or Chrome |
Aura Pricing
Aura offers three types of plans, which all come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Aura’s plans include:
- Individual — $12/month
- Couple — $22/month
- Family — $37/month
Learn more about the details of each plan here.
Identity Guard
Identity Guard is owned by Aura and is one of the best identity theft protection solutions on the market today. Identity Guard uses your email address to scan the dark web for any compromised data. It searches through 6 categories of data to assess any vulnerabilities.
These categories include:
- Identity Theft
- Account Hijacking
- Home Title Theft
- Credit Theft
- Spam + Robocalls
- Data Trading
Identity Guard not only monitors your data, but it alerts you when there’s a change in your credit report. This lets you respond to potential cases of identity theft immediately.
Identity Guard Top Features
- Constant scanning
Identity Guard monitors the millions of bits of information that compromise your online personal and financial identity. They combine traditional monitoring techniques with IBM Watson’s powerful AI scanning to detect the maximum amount of threats. - Quick alerts
Identity Guard monitors your data 24/7/365 to send you the fastest alerts about possible breaches. - Easy recovery process
When they detect a current or potential threat, they’ll help you resolve it by connecting you with a personal case manager.
Identity Guard Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Dark web scan - Dark web monitoring - Identity dashboard - Risk management score - Family plans |
- Credit protection only on higher plans - White Glove Resolution Concierge only on highest plan |
Identity Guard Pricing
Identity Guard offers three-tiered pricing, with options for both individuals and families.
- Value Plan — $7.50/month
- Total Plan — $16.67/month
- Ultra Plan — $25/month
Have I Been Pwned?
Have I Been Pwned is a dark web scanner that specializes in identifying vulnerable info from data breaches.
When you Input your email or phone number, the site will sweep through known breached sites to determine if your data was compromised.
Users can also subscribe to a watchlist to get notified if their information falls victim to a data breach in the future.
Have I Been Pwned’s Top Features
- List of largest and most recent breaches
The site’s homepage lists both the largest and most recent breaches detected. - 1Password integration
Have I been Pwned integrates easily with 1Password, a popular password manager. - Domain search
This feature lets you identify all email addresses from a given domain that were compromised in a data breach.
Have I Been Pwned Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Breach scanner - Comprehensive list of breaches - Domain search - 1Password integration |
- Barebones—lacks features offered by other sites - Only offers notifications—no extra protection |
Have I Been Pwned Pricing
Have I Been Pwned offers an API to customers. Making calls to that API requires a key. You can access this key for a single month fee, or via a recurring monthly subscription.
Have I Been Pwned charges a $3.50/month fee.
MyPwd (from Axur)
MyPwd uses artificial intelligence to scan the deep web and the dark web to determine if any of your personal passwords have been leaked.
MyPwd Top Features
- Clear and easy to use
MyPwd offers an easy-to-use setup that’s not intimidating to new users. - Artificial intelligence
MyPwd leverages artificial intelligence to comprehensively monitor the deep and dark web. - Password targeting
MyPwd targets password protection and tells you if your passwords have been compromised.
MyPwd Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Scans surface, deep, and dark web for compromised passwords - Email subscription alerts |
- Barebones—not a ton of features - Limited supporting articles or FAQ available |
MyPwd Pricing
MyPwd offers three pricing tiers for customers.
- Free
- Corporate — $50/month per domain
- Enterprise — $200/month per domain
Dehashed
DeHashed is an extensive search engine and monitoring service.
It allows users to search emails, usernames, domains, IPs, and more, to find vulnerable info.
DeHashed Top Features
- Integrity
1000’s of law enforcement agencies and Fortune 500 companies utilize DeHashed. - Private datasets
DeHashed is constantly obtaining new and private datasets that other services don’t have access to. - Powerful integrations
DeHashed offers a feature-rich API that integrates with a company’s own security applications.
DeHashed Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Robust scanning and monitoring tool - Monitor hacker activity in real time - Cyber intelligence dataset helps identify identity fraud - Affordability—fairly priced with many services provided for free |
- Some support features are locked behind a paywall |
DeHashed Pricing
DeHashed offers three different pricing solutions.
- Enthusiast — $5.49/1 week
- Monthly — $15.49/1 month
- Annually — $179.99/ 1 year
Hashcast (from Axur)
HashCast specializes in company security. The service allows you to monitor leakage of employee emails, passwords and hashes from all around the web.
Hashcast Top Features
- Sweep for credentials with AI
Hashcast uses hundreds of AI bots to monitor both public and private Internet channels. - Real-time alerts
When Hashcast’s AI robot discovers a credential leak, you’ll immediately receive an email alerting your company in real time.
Hashcast Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Scans for company-wide business breaches - Get alerted about data breaches via email for free - Easily verify your business domain |
- Limited features available on the free version—premium plans offer more options and better services |
Hashcast Pricing
Hashcast offers three pricing options, depending on your needs:
- Free
- $50/month/domain
- $200/month/domain
Intelligence X
Intelligence X is an independent European tech company founded in 2018. They offer individualized plans for each client they work with.
Intelligence X Top Features
- Personalized plans
Intelligence X provides custom plans for each of its clients. - In-depth selector scans
Intelligence X lets its client search for intelligence from various sources on the Internet.
Intelligence X Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Custom plans - Huge variety of custom selectors |
- Free users won’t get alerts, and lack access to most types of selectors - Mainly enterprise and government-focused |
Dashlane
Dashlane is a subscription-based password manager and digital wallet application that offers security tools for both businesses and individuals.
Dashlane Top Features
- Flexible plans for different clients
Dashlane offers different plan types for different needs. - Automatic password changer
If their dark web scanner detects a leak, you’ll be able to change several account passwords with just a few clicks.
Dashlane Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Plans for various types of clients - Stores passwords and creates complex passwords - Dark web monitoring and scanning |
- All dark web and online security features require a paid subscription |
Dashlane Pricing
Dashlane offers 3 different plan tiers:
- Free
- Premium — $6.49/month
- Family — $8.99/month
IDStrong
IDStrong helps you protect your personal and credit information online.
IDStrong Top Features
- Data breach and exposure report
IDStrong’s reports track where your personal and credit information appears online. - Access to a restoration team
If your personal identity is compromised, IDStrong provides immediately accessible support. - $1M identity theft insurance
For both Advanced and Comprehensive Plan users, IDStrong offers up to $1M in identity theft insurance.
IDStrong Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Free online scanning using your personal info - Many features including monitoring, reporting, and live support - Up to 1M insurance |
- Scanning is the only service that IDStrong offers for free |
IDStrong Pricing
IDStrong offers three different subscription tiers.
- Standard — $9.95/month
- Advanced — $14.95/month
- Comprehensive — $19.95/month
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Dark Web illegal?
It’s legal to access and browse the dark web. It is however widely associated with illegal activity.
How much does a dark web scan cost?
Many dark web scans are completely free! However, constant online security monitoring is typically a paid service.
What should I do if my information is on the dark web?
If a scanner finds your personal information on the dark web, act fast. Contact all sensitive information partners to start freezing your accounts and cards. Also, remember to change all your passwords!
What is a deep web scan?
Deep web scans are similar to dark web scans. They determine if your information has been compromised.