Worldwide, Google accounts for 90% of the market share for search engines. It’s the default option for most Internet users, and it generally works quite well.
But there are other search engines out there if you are looking for an alternative. Some offer more privacy, fewer ads, or specialized content.
“Even though Google is the most widely used search engine in the world, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t consider other search engines as part of our SEO strategies,” notes Becky McManus, Sr. SEO Strategist at NP Digital. “Your target audience might prefer other search engines or use other platforms for researching answers to their questions like Reddit and TikTok. Look at your website analytics to understand where your traffic is coming from other than Google.”
Whatever your reason for exploring other options, here are 22 alternative search engines to consider. Surely one of them will meet your needs!
Key Takeaways
- Alternative search can provide potential niche options for search compared to Google.
- Alternative search engines often make privacy a key focus by not tracking or saving data or search history information.
- Many alternative search engines support social and environmental causes, allowing users to contribute to charitable initiatives for communities or the environment simply by searching and clicking on ads.
- Other search engines have a specific geographical focus and are designed for users from that area or who speak a certain language.
- Many search engines offer more unbiased results because they don’t filter or manipulate results in their algorithm.
- Some search engines appeal to specific user preferences with community-driven results or decentralized platforms.
- Many search engines offer tools and features that mainstream options like Google or Yahoo don’t.
Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways
- 1. Bing
- 2. Yahoo
- 3. AOL
- 4. DuckDuckGo
- 5. Brave
- 6. Ecosia
- 7. Gibiru
- 8. Perplexity
- 9. Startpage
- 10. Qwant
- 11. Swisscows
- 12. You.com
- 13. Komo
- 14. giveWater
- 15. Ekoru
- 16. Dogpile
- 17. Presearch
- 18. Goodsearch
- 19. Yandex
- 20. Baidu
- 21. Wiki.com
- 22. SearchGPT (Coming Soon)
- FAQs
- Conclusion
1. Bing
Bing is a search engine created by Microsoft that has been around since 2009. As with Google, the company continually integrates new features and improvements, including interface enhancements and refinements to the algorithm.
Users like it compared to other alternative search engines for its strong search capabilities and seamless integration with other Microsoft products.
What Makes It Great
Advantages of Bing include:
- Users can earn Microsoft Rewards for using it, which they can redeem for things like games, gift cards, and charitable donations.
- A Safe Search feature filters out more mature content, making this a good choice for families with young kids.
- The home page offers beautiful imagery in the background for a more visually engaging experience.
- Interactive video previews let users get an idea of what videos are like when they hover over thumbnails.
- Customize search settings for more personalized results.
2. Yahoo
Launched in 1994, Yahoo is another popular alternative among search engines. Its search function is actually powered by Bing, although Yahoo has a different design and controls the results that appear.
Unlike Google or Bing, it has continued to serve as a web portal, where users can find not only a search engine but news as well as information on finance, sports, entertainment, and more.
What Makes It Great
Compared to Google, Yahoo offers a more personalized search experience, resulting in an extremely loyal user base. Some of its features include:
- A simple, user-friendly interface
- Easy image and video search
- A local search feature to find results in a specific area
- A collaborative functionality that allows users to save and share search results
.
3. AOL
Yep, AOL is still around. While readers of a certain age may associate the company with free installation disks and the ear-splitting sound of dial-up, it’s a useful option among alternative search engines and offers valuable features.
What Makes It Great
Now owned by Yahoo! Inc, AOL’s features are very similar to other major search engines. Search results do tend to be ad-heavy, but it also suggests useful related searches on the right-hand side.
While AOL does track user data to serve up personalized ads, it relies on broader, less specific information than the highly detailed profiles Google often creates.
There is also a SafeSearch feature to restrict explicit content from appearing in search results.
4. DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is notable among many other search engines because it doesn’t track your searches or results. That makes it a great choice for users who care about their privacy and want more control over their personal data. It also means you aren’t served up ads for things you searched for in the past.
You can add it as an extension or download the browser.
What Makes It Great
In addition to its focus on privacy, DuckDuckGo has some loyal users due to other features and brand characteristics, including:
- Transparency about changes and updates to the search engine
- Bangs, which allow you to directly access search results on other sites by typing “!” into the search bar
- A clean and simple interface
- A secure voice search function for iOS devices
5. Brave
Among the Google alternatives available are several AI-powered search engines, including Brave. It’s not a default setting, but you can switch on the AI option and get AI-related summaries along with traditional search results.
Since it started operating on its own index in 2023, its popularity has risen: as of August 2024, it had almost 30 million daily active users.
What Makes It Great
Brave offers some really nice features and advantages:
- Brave emphasizes unbiased search results without filtering or manipulation of search results
- Set it as the default search engine in most major browsers
- Customize how it ranks results with filters and rules through the Goggles feature
- Advanced security features are also available for those who want even more privacy and safety as they browse
6. Ecosia
Some search engines can actually help the environment. Enter Berlin-based Ecosia, which runs on Bing’s search index. It donates its profits to plant trees in deforested and other areas that need them. Every time you search, you add to their efforts, and it’s transparent about its activities.
As of September 2024, it’s helped plant more than 2.5 million trees, making it one of the greenest alternative search engines to Google.
What Makes It Great
For people interested in making a difference even in their Internet searches, Ecosia has a lot of benefits:
- An icon on the screen tells you how many trees you’ve planted as you search
- Private browsing
- Searches are powered with solar energy
- Environmentally-friendly organizations are highlighted in results with a green leaf icon, while “climate-destructive” entities get a fossil fuel icon
7. Gibiru
Created in 2009 by founders from the hacker community, Gibiru is another privacy-focused search engine. It doesn’t track IP addresses, record searches, or use advertising cookies. Nor does it log or sell user data.
This all makes it a terrific choice among search engines for those who want to keep their information private.
What Makes It Great
Beyond its emphasis on privacy, Gibiru is committed to uncensored search results. Users can search all up-to-date sources. Results show an “all results” and “uncensored” options.
The site also suggests using its own Virtual Private Network (VPN) for even more anonymity. It can be installed as an add-on to many browsers.
How does it make money? The site makes a commission when users buy something or place a call to action while using the search engine.
8. Perplexity
Perplexity uses AI to generate concise, accurate answers to search questions. According to HubSpot, it’s the second-most popular AI-driven search engine, having tied with You.com.
Unlike other search engines, it uses a conversational approach and answers questions with a sophisticated understanding of nuance and context. This makes it a good choice for users seeking quick, reliable insights and summaries from a variety of sources.
What Makes It Great
There are a lot of things to like about Perplexity:
- It offers citations for answers to ensure you are getting information from reliable sources.
- Its responses improve the more you use it.
- Users can upload images, PDFs, and other content and ask questions about it.
- It can condense, translate, and explain files.
9. Startpage
Founded in 2006 in the Netherlands, Startpage is interesting among Google alternatives because it aggregates results from other search engines, including Google. That makes it a good option for those who want results from Google but don’t want to share their search activities with the company.
Basically, you get the power of Google without the privacy concerns.
What Makes It Great
Some of the advantages of Startpage include:
- Ads are based on keywords, not your behavior on the site, so there’s no retargeting or building of user profiles.
- A convenient Chrome plug-in so you can use the Google browser and still keep your search activities private.
- An anonymous view for even more data security.
10. Qwant
Based in Paris and founded in 2013, Qwant is another of a growing number of alternative search engines that prioritize privacy and confidentiality. It’s now the default search engine for the French National Assembly.
It uses its own indexing for algorithmic responses, instead of using logged data, so it’s completely independent. However, the company has partnered with Microsoft and there may be Bing ads in search results.
What Makes It Great
Qwant offers a range of advantages for privacy-minded users:
- Search queries are encrypted, so third-party networks and websites won’t be able to see what you are looking for.
- It offers three main interfaces for different needs: Search, Maps, and Qwant Junior.
- Qwant guarantees neutrality and impartiality by treating all search results equally, so you get a variety of viewpoints and sources. Nor are results based on search history or a user profile.
11. Swisscows
Based in—no surprise—Switzerland, Swisscows is an anonymous search engine with a family-friendly focus. Switzerland’s culture values security and privacy, and that is evident in the technology and the features.
If you’ve been exploring alternative search engines to Google that the whole family can use, this is the one.
What Makes It Great
Swisscows has a lot going for it:
- It doesn’t store data, use cookies, or track users, guaranteeing anonymity.
- It blocks pornographic and sexual content, making it safe for small children to use
- It uses AI to provide highly accurate search results.
12. You.com
Another AI-powered example among our alternative search engines, You.com offers a lot of really unique features.
You can choose from different AI models in the conversational interface depending on whether you want to conduct a search, create a visual, or go through a more complex problem.
This makes Bing-based You.com a much richer experience than simply entering a search, although it may take some time to figure out how to get the most from it for your own needs.
What Makes It Great
You.com is definitely for more advanced users. That said, it has lots of cool features and benefits:
- Choose between private mode, which doesn’t collect your data, and personal mode, which allows for more customization, including defining preferred sources.
- The platform is open-search and encourages collaboration and app development.
- It doesn’t use external trackers or sell data to advertisers.
- There’s a dedicated category to search social sites such as Twitter, Reddit, and X.
13. Komo
Another AI-driven version of alternative search engines, Komo is a newer platform that uses natural language processing to comprehend queries.
It provides detailed responses without the need to explore various sites. It also offers citations to check sources and make sure they are high quality.
It’s great for conducting research in academia, business, law, and other research-heavy areas.
What Makes It Great
Komo has a lot of things going for it that make it a great choice:
- There are no advertisements, making it easy to concentrate and find what you’re looking for.
- The algorithm serves up highly relevant results.
- You can customize search parameters for even more efficiency.
14. giveWater
Similar to how Ecosia focuses on planting trees, giveWater uses its ad revenue to fund clean water projects around the world.
That means every time you search and click relevant ads, you can help provide clean water to those in need.
That alone makes it a reason to choose it over other search engines.
What Makes It Great
According to giveWater, 663 million people around the world drink dirty water. Those with a focus on social justice can help solve the crisis simply by using this browser extension.
There’s not a lot of information on how the search engine actually works, however, so keep that in mind.
15. Ekoru
Another environment-focused option among the Google alternatives, Ekoru works with nonprofits and charities to remove plastics from the oceans and plant seagrass.
Like similar search engines, it makes money when users click on ads.
It’s ideal for environmentally minded users who want their searches to help protect the earth from climate change and pollution.
What Makes It Great
Even if it’s for a good cause, Ekoru doesn’t want users to engage in click fraud—instead, it encourages “natural use” to generate revenue.
Its servers run on water-powered electricity, so the sustainability benefits are twofold when you use this search engine.
Plus, it encrypts searches and doesn’t sell user data to third parties, ensuring safety and privacy.
16. Dogpile
This canine-themed option is actually a “metasearch engine” that pulls results from multiple search engines, including Bing, Yahoo, and other major names.
Created in 1996, Dogpile is a good option for people who want to save time instead of searching a bunch of alternative search engines to Google.
What Makes It Great
Dogpile offers suggested searches on the homepage called “Favorite Fetches,” which show what searches are trending.
In September 2024, some of these included “golf shoes,” “best VPN,” and “black Friday deals,” which shows that some people were planning their holiday shopping early.
The search bar includes tabs to narrow your results to the web, images, videos, and news.
Beyond that, the interface is nice and clutter-free, making it easy to sort through the results.
17. Presearch
Presearch is truly unique among search engines in that it is a community-powered, decentralized alternative. It aims to be transparent about its algorithms while also prioritizing user privacy.
This helps wrest control of data from large tech companies and gives users more control over their experience as well as greater security.
What Makes It Great
Presearch uses blockchain technology to run on community-operated servers. Searches are anonymized and not saved on any one server.
It also rewards users with native cryptocurrency tokens, which can be used to run ads for your products or services on the search engine ecosystem or tokens can be
Presearch is a truly unique search engine alternative for people who want privacy in their searches and are interested in avoiding options run by big tech companies.
18. Goodsearch
Goodsearch is a charitable search engine that donates a portion of its ad revenue to a charity of the user’s choice.
Like other search engines that focus on social good, it generates revenue from ads that users click on.
Results are powered by Yahoo, so you know they are reliable.
What Makes It Great
Goodsearch includes more than 100,000 nonprofits among its recipients. As of September 2024, it has raised over $8 million.
You can also use it to search for coupons and deals at a wide variety of stores.
The search engine is pretty typical, so you know what to expect—which can be a good thing.
19. Yandex
For some people, using an international search engine makes sense.
Yandex is Russia’s leading search engine and has a strong focus on content and services popular with the Russian-speaking world. It has an impressive 68.36% share of the Russian market.
It offers search as well as video, map, mail, and images, making it a strong contender among Google alternatives.
What Makes It Great
Yandex offers several attractive features:
- The appearance is minimalistic and uncluttered but offers many of the same features as Google.
- You can adjust the settings to “family mode” to filter out adult content.
- A functionality called “turbo mode” reduces loading time—a nice option for slower connections.
20. Baidu
What Yandex is to Russia, Baidu is to China. As of September 2024, it accounts for more than half of the market in China.
However, the default language is Mandarin, making it tricky, if not impossible, for non-Chinese speakers to use.
What Makes It Great
Baidu is terrific for anyone interested in a search engine designed for the Chinese market.
Like Google and other alternative search engines, it offers a range of services. It is also powered by AI, helping make searches faster and more accurate.
However, certain websites and images may be censored since it is subject to Chinese laws.
21. Wiki.com
Wiki.com is unusual among alternative search engines to Google because it specializes in searching wikis for content.
(If you don’t already know, a wiki is a collaborative site where users can add, edit, or remove content.)
Wiki.com can search wikis related to fandom, books, technology, or general sites like Wikipedia.
What Makes It Great
Wiki.com is a great choice for anyone seeking crowd-sourced information on various topics, including very niche subjects.
Because it focuses on community-created sites, results avoid commercial bias. That makes this search engine a valuable tool for research.
It also saves the time of filtering non-Wiki sites from general search results, making research efforts more efficient.
22. SearchGPT (Coming Soon)
Here’s an alternative that’s not even out yet! If you’re lucky, you’re one of the few chosen early users of SearchGPT, a prototype from OpenAI.
If not, you’ll have to wait for it to be rolled out to the public.
With the success of ChatGPT, this debut is eagerly awaited, and I can’t wait to see how it compares to other search engines.
Some of the features we can expect include:
- Real-time information from recent sources
- The ability to ask follow-up questions
- In-line citations
- Visual results
FAQs
What are alternative search engines to Google?
There are a wide variety of alternative search engines to Google. Aside from search engines from other major tech companies, such as Bing and Yahoo, there are options that donate to charities and nonprofits, international search engines, search engines that focus on privacy and anonymity, and many others to choose from.
What is the most secure search engine to use?
While it’s hard to pick one search engine that is the most secure, there are several that have integrated security and confidentiality into their design. These include DuckDuckGo, Giburu, and Qwant.
Which search engine is the safest?
Several search engines like Brave and Presearch focus on user privacy, which makes them extremely safe to use. Other search engines focus on safety for children by filtering adult content, such as Swisscows.
What is the most unbiased search engine?
Brave and Giburu are two search engines that make a point of presenting search results without bias or manipulation.
Conclusion
It may be hard to remember given Google’s domination, but there are plenty of search engine alternatives out there.
Google has a specific functionality, but there are alternatives with different focuses out there to meet your needs.
Whether you want your searches to benefit nonprofits or get uncensored and unmanipulated search results, there’s a search engine for you.
Just remember that as other search engines become more prominent, that could affect your SEO strategy.
See How My Agency Can Drive More Traffic to Your Website
- SEO - unlock more SEO traffic. See real results.
- Content Marketing - our team creates epic content that will get shared, get links, and attract traffic.
- Paid Media - effective paid strategies with clear ROI.
Unlock Thousands of Keywords with Ubersuggest
Ready to Outrank Your Competitors?
- Find long-tail keywords with High ROI
- Find 1000s of keywords instantly
- Turn searches into visits and conversions
Free keyword research tool
