If you are looking for specific information that is generally taboo or censored sometimes it’s better to try to search for it with something else than Google and also another issue of using popular search engines is that they do not respect your privacy. The crew at TDW is consistently worried about the centralization and control google is having over search engines, which is more the reason to perhaps start supporting alternatives – in this article we will explore some of these search engines both popular and underground.
Qwant is a privacy-focused search engine that was founded in France back in 2013. The goal of the Qwant team is to provide a secure & private search experience for its users, while also delivering relevant and very accurate search results. One of the things I’m really impressed with is the Maps feature, it tends to have a lot better and less messy interface compared to what Google has for instance. They also have a “Qwant Junior” search which is aimed at children however it seems to be French only at this point nonetheless an excellent option for schools.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes Android and iOS support
- Serves Advertisements: No
- Protects Privacy: Yes
- Based in: France (FR)
- Link: https://www.qwant.com
Presearch was founded in 2017 by Colin Pape, who is also the founder of the website builder, ShopCity.com. The Presearch project began as an idea to create a decentralized search engine that would give users more control over their search experience and provide a more open and transparent alternative to traditional search engines. They conducted an ICO for their PRE token back in 2017, also you will be rewarded for conducting searches in their engine, giving an incentive for people to use their search further & decentralizing their token.
- Mobile Version/Application: Both Android & iOS apps are available
- Serves Advertisements: Technically no
- Protects Privacy: They do not track your activity
- Based in: Canada (CAN)
- Link: https://presearch.com/signup?rid=635795
Petal Search is a search engine developed by Huawei, a Chinese technology company, and was released back in 2020. One of the key features of Petal Search is its ability to search for apps. In addition to web search results, Petal Search can also search for apps on the user’s device, as well as in the Huawei AppGallery and other third-party app stores. While allowing access to own device has its privacy drawbacks, it’s still a convenient and fast solution for many users, especially in mobile.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes available on all devices
- Serves Advertisements: No
- Protects Privacy: There seems to be partial tracking
- Based in: China (CN)
- Link: https://www.petalsearch.com
DuckDuckGo is a search engine that prioritizes user privacy and security. It was founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg. Unlike many other mainstream search engines, DuckDuckGo does not collect or store any personal information from its users. This means that users can search the web without worrying about their search history being tracked or their personal data being used for targeted advertising.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes
- Serves Advertisements: No
- Protects Privacy: Partial (they can find out where you are from)
- Based in: The United States (US)
- Link: https://duckduckgo.com/
Ecosia is a search engine that was launched in 2009 with the goal of using its profits to plant trees around the world. It is based in Berlin, Germany, and is available in over 15 languages.
Ecosia’s business model is unique in that it donates 80% of its profits to tree-planting programs around the world and the remaining 20% is invested in green energy companies. The company earns revenue from search ads that appear on its platform. When a user clicks on an ad, Ecosia receives a portion of the revenue, which it uses to fund its tree-planting initiatives.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes
- Serves Advertisements: Yes in order to plant more trees
- Protects Privacy: Yes
- Based in: Germany (GER)
- Link: https://www.ecosia.org/
Yandex Search is a popular internet search engine developed by Yandex, a Russian technology company. It was launched in 1997 and has since become the most widely used search engine in Russia, with a market share of over 60%. It is also available in several other countries, including Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. They also have maps, mail, translator, and other features in their platform.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes
- Serves Advertisements: Yes in search results
- Protects Privacy: Optional Incognito mode, otherwise collects normal data
- Based in: Russia (RUS)
- Link: https://yandex.com
Swisscows is a private search engine that aims to provide users with a more secure and privacy-focused search experience. It was developed by a Swiss-based company and launched in 2014 under the name Hulbee. In 2017, the company rebranded the search engine to Swisscows to reflect its Swiss heritage & commitment to user privacy. One of the cool features they have is a preview button which allows you to see what the link looks like without entering the site.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes
- Serves Advertisements: Ads appear exclusively based on your own search query
- Protects Privacy: Optional Incognito mode, otherwise collects normal data
- Based in: Switzerland (CH)
- Link: https://swisscows.com
WolframAlpha is a computational knowledge engine created by Wolfram Research. It is a web-based platform that provides answers to factual queries by computing the answer based on a vast collection of data and algorithms. Unlike traditional search engines that return a list of web pages, it attempts to provide a direct answer to the user’s question, along with supporting data and visualizations. For people with more mathematical minds and who want very data-driven information, this is an excellent search engine.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes
- Serves Advertisements: None by the looks of it
- Protects Privacy: They collect data
- Based in: The United States (US)
- Link: https://www.wolframalpha.com
Startpage is a privacy-focused search engine that was launched in 2006. It is based in the Netherlands and was created with the goal of providing users with a more secure and private alternative to other popular search engines like Google and Bing. What I really like about this one is the clean layout and separate button for viewing websites on the search in incognito mode instead of a button in the browser, which is something I do not prefer.
- Mobile Version/Application: Yes both Android and iOS apps are available
- Serves Advertisements: Yes based on own queries on search
- Protects Privacy: Yes
- Based in: Netherlands (NL)
- Link: https://www.startpage.com
Kagi Search is a search engine that prioritizes speed, user experience, and privacy. Its search results are enhanced with non-commercial indexes and personalized searches, without compromising users’ privacy. The interface is clean and high-performing, presenting only the most pertinent results, and there is no tracking, advertising, or gathering of personal data. Kagi also offers distinctive features, such as Lenses and Personalized Results.
- Mobile Version/Application: iOS version available
- Serves Advertisements: Zero
- Protects Privacy: Yes
- Based in: The United States (US)
- Link: https://kagi.com/
Hopefully, you found this list useful, and solid alternatives for Google search were made, stay tuned for more similar style articles here at TDW in near future.