shouldiuse.io

Categories

VERDICT

Should I use Darknet Diaries?

True stories from the dark side of the Internet - darknetdiaries.com

Worth it. Anyone curious about hacking and breaches should listen — the full catalog is free and very well produced. Pay $5/month only if you want the Plus Discord and bonus feed.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 30+ public sources: official site, Reddit threads, podcast directories, and a Supercast case study.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources.
  • Security postureNo security findings in sources.

Pricing

$0

Free feed

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Plus$5/month or $50/year

Best for

  • Security pros and aspiring pentesters
  • True-crime podcast fans
  • Commute listening
  • Learning famous breaches through stories

Not for

  • Anyone wanting hands-on security training — it's storytelling, not a course
  • Teams shopping for a deployable security awareness program
  • Listeners who won't tolerate sponsor reads and won't pay $5/mo
  • People wanting current security news; episodes are long-form and slow-burn

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Plus bills via Supercast separately from podcast apps; easy to forget the charge

low

Main feed carries sponsor reads (Drata, SentinelOne, Proton); Plus doesn't explicitly promise ad-free

low

Great stories aren't skills — don't substitute it for team security training

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free full catalog across Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and Google Play
  • Full transcripts published per episode
  • Reddit users describe it as highly bingeable
  • Listed among top cybersecurity podcasts in 2024 roundups
  • Listener-funded with ~$15k/mo subscriptions — strong fan support

Cons

  • Some longtime fans say quality has dipped in later episodes
  • Scattered detractors — a thread titled 'Beyond disappointed'
  • Plus tier adds Discord and a private feed only; core stays free

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/03/2026 - 9 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x4review x4news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Core feed free; Plus optional at $5/mo.
  • Ease of use: 5/5. Every major podcast platform, plus free transcripts.
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Site-wide transcripts and Plus feed; otherwise just a podcast.
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources.
  • Security posture. No security findings in sources.
  • Free Entry price Main episodes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play
  • $5/mo Plus tier $50/year annual option
  • $15k/mo Listener funding Supercast case study, Feb 2021
  • 178 episodes Catalog size Latest numbered episode in sources

Pricing

Free feed

$0

  • Full episode catalog
  • Free transcripts on the site
  • Sponsor ads included

Plus

$5/month or $50/year

  • Discord role
  • Private listening feed on plus.darknetdiaries.com
  • Supports the show

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

Full analysis

Based on 30+ public sources: official site, Reddit threads, podcast directories, and a Supercast case study.

Free, superbly produced hacking true-crime podcast. Listen for stories, not training. $5/mo Plus is for superfans only.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public sources: official site, Reddit threads, podcast directories, and a Supercast case study.

Sources

  1. Darknet Diaries – official sitedarknetdiaries.com
    official
  2. Plus subscription pageplus.darknetdiaries.com
    official
  3. Supercast case study: $15k/mo subscriptionssupercast.com
    news
  4. Reddit r/darknetdiaries appreciation postreddit.com
    review
  5. Reddit: 'I think Jack has lost the plot'reddit.com
    review
  6. Reddit: 'Holy shit this podcast is amazing'reddit.com
    review
  7. JumpCloud: 23 Best Cybersecurity Podcasts 2024jumpcloud.com
    review
  8. Active Sponsors pagedarknetdiaries.com
    official
  9. Apple Podcasts listingpodcasts.apple.com
    official

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.