Google has dominated the search house for therefore lengthy {that a} U.S. District Court docket choose not too long ago discovered that it has acted illegally to keep up a monopoly in on-line search. You’ve gotten most likely used Google Search for so long as you may bear in mind; it’s what changed issues like telephone books and encyclopedias.
However simply because Google runs the most well-liked engine doesn’t imply it’s important to use it. When you’ve got by no means thought-about a search engine past Google, you could be stunned to see what else is on the market.
There are various Google Search alternate options in the marketplace which have gained traction. Whether or not you’re in search of elevated privateness, enhanced AI options or simply one thing totally different, there are some notable choices price trying out.
Whereas Microsoft’s Bing and Yahoo are arguably probably the most well-known, there are tons of Google Search alternate options which have additionally been round for some time. However for this checklist, we’re specializing in newer, lesser-known entrants into the search engine house. (Disclaimer: TechCrunch is owned by Yahoo.)
Now, let’s get into some Google Search alternate options price exploring.
DuckDuckGo
If you need extra privateness whenever you search, DuckDuckGo stands out as the proper search engine for you. DuckDuckGo doesn’t observe your search historical past, and its privateness coverage outlines that it doesn’t gather or share any of your private data, not like Google, which collects your information to personalize your search outcomes and the advertisements it reveals you.
DuckDuckGo has a easy structure that lets you seek for photographs, movies, information, maps and buying outcomes. You can too filter your outcomes based mostly on time, so you may select to see outcomes from the previous day, week, month or yr. Plus, you may base your outcomes on particular areas.
Like Google, DuckDuckGo gives a protected search function. You possibly can select to have it off or on a “strict” or “moderate” setting.
In the event you’re concerned about AI, DuckDuckGo offers you nameless entry to a couple totally different AI fashions, together with OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini, Anthropic’s Claude 3, Meta’s Llama 3.1 and Mixtral. DuckDuckGo reassures customers that their conversations received’t be used to coach AI.
Ecosia
Ecosia is an efficient Google Search various for individuals who wish to assist save the planet. The search engine contributes to planting bushes and has planted greater than 213 million bushes to this point in over 35 nations. All the search engine’s earnings go towards its tree-planting and different environmental initiatives.
The search engine is easy to make use of, and its outcomes are powered by Google and Microsoft’s Bing, so you continue to get the identical types of outcomes but in addition assist the atmosphere whereas doing so.
Ecosia makes use of important cookies to supply search outcomes, however searches are encrypted. In the event you do need customized search outcomes, you may choose into them. Ecosia will ask on your consent earlier than enabling customized search outcomes and advertisements.
Courageous Search
Like DuckDuckGo, Courageous Search additionally makes use of privateness as one among its promoting factors. The service says it doesn’t share, promote or gather your private information. Courageous Search doesn’t depend on different search engines like google and yahoo and is as a substitute constructed by itself impartial search index.
Courageous surfaces AI-powered solutions to most questions on the prime of your search outcomes. In the event you don’t need AI-powered solutions and solely wish to see commonplace outcomes, you may toggle the function off within the search engine’s settings.
The search engine additionally has a “Discussions” part that can show content material from boards like Reddit. Plus, you may refine your search outcomes with the engine’s “Goggles” function, which helps you to filter your outcomes with choices like “no Pinterest,” “tech blogs,” “news from the left,” “news from the right” and extra.
Like another engines on this checklist, Courageous gives a protected search function you could have “off” or on a “strict” or “moderate” setting.
Startpage
In case you are used to Google search outcomes and don’t wish to strive one thing else however need added privateness, Startpage could be a good selection. Whereas Startpage is powered by Google, it guarantees that customers don’t have to fret about private information assortment, monitoring or concentrating on.
The search engine’s “Anonymous View” function masks your id whilst you browse different web sites, much like a VPN. Startpage blocks trackers and likewise removes your IP handle from all of its international premise servers.
Startpage additionally enables you to entry unprofiled information, which implies it doesn’t present information based mostly in your searching conduct. The search engine does present you promotional content material on its homepage and search outcomes web page, however you may flip this off in Startpage’s settings.
The search engine operates fairly equally to Google, however if you wish to entry Maps, it is going to ship you to Google or Bing.
Perplexity
Perplexity is embroiled in a sequence of controversies for the time being. Nevertheless, it is among the most widespread AI search engines like google and yahoo in the marketplace, so it’s price mentioning.
In contrast to the opposite search engines like google and yahoo on this checklist that merely supply AI options on prime of their search outcomes, Perplexity was created as an AI-powered search engine. Consider it like combining an AI chatbot with a search engine.
Perplexity makes use of a conversational strategy to go looking and offers you a concise reply to a query. In the event you don’t need a easy reply, Perplexity gives you with a listing of internet sites along with its concise reply if you wish to discover the net. Plus, there’s a “related” part on the finish of your search that brings up associated queries that encourage additional exploration.
Whereas the search engine is free to make use of, you may join a $20 month-to-month subscription for extra options, corresponding to entry to image-generation fashions and the choice to pick your most well-liked AI mannequin.
SearchGPT
Though OpenAI’s SearchGPT isn’t broadly accessible, it’s undoubtedly one to look ahead to as soon as it formally launches. Given the success of OpenAI’s different merchandise, the discharge of SearchGPT is certain to trigger a ripple in Google’s Search dominance.
OpenAI has mentioned SearchGPT will give customers “fast and timely answers” to questions. It is possible for you to to sort in a question and obtain data and photographs from the net together with hyperlinks to related sources. You possibly can then ask follow-up questions or discover associated searches in a sidebar.
Responses from the service cite and hyperlink sources so the place the data is coming from. OpenAI has famous that since SearchGPT is about search and is separate from coaching OpenAI’s generative AI basis fashions, the service will floor outcomes from websites even when they’ve opted out of generative AI coaching.
SearchGPT continues to be a prototype, so we are able to’t say an excessive amount of about it now, however it is going to undoubtedly be one to take a look at as soon as it’s broadly accessible.
