Google has dominated search for so long that a U.S. District Court judge recently ruled that the company acted illegally to maintain its monopoly on online search. You've probably been using Google Search for as long as you can remember. Google Search has replaced the phone book and the encyclopedia.
But just because Google runs the most popular search engine doesn't mean you have to use it. If you haven't considered search engines other than Google, you might be surprised to learn what others are out there.
There are a lot of compelling alternatives to Google Search on the market. Whether you're looking for better privacy, more AI capabilities, or just something different, there are some notable options worth checking out.
While Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo are probably the best known, there are plenty of alternatives to Google Search that have been around for a long time. But this list focuses on some of the lesser known newer entrants into the search engine space. (Disclaimer: TechCrunch is owned by Yahoo.)
So let’s take a look at some Google Search alternatives that are worth considering.
DuckDuckGo
Image credit: DuckDuckGo
If you want more privacy when searching, DuckDuckGo might be the right search engine for you. DuckDuckGo doesn't track your search history, and its privacy policy makes it clear that it doesn't collect or share any of your personal information, unlike Google, which collects data to personalize search results and the ads you see.
DuckDuckGo has a simple layout and lets you search for image, video, news, maps, and shopping results. It also lets you filter results based on time so you can see results from the last day, week, month, or year. You can also view results based on a specific location.
Like Google, DuckDuckGo offers a SafeSearch feature that you can choose to turn off or set to “strict” or “moderate.”
If you're interested in AI, DuckDuckGo offers anonymous access to several different AI models, including OpenAI's GPT-4o mini, Anthropic's Claude 3, Meta's Llama 3.1, Mixtral, and more. DuckDuckGo assures users that their conversations will not be used to train the AI.
Ecosia
Image credit: Ecosia
Ecosia is a great alternative to Google Search for those who want to save the planet. The search engine contributes to tree planting and has planted over 213 million trees in over 35 countries. All revenue from the search engine goes towards tree planting and other environmental projects.
The search engine is easy to use and powers search results from Google and Microsoft's Bing, so you get the same types of results while also helping the environment.
Ecosia uses necessary cookies to provide you with search results, but your searches are encrypted. If you want personalized search results, you can opt-in. Ecosia will ask for your consent before enabling personalized search results and ads.
Brave Search
Image credit: Brave
Like DuckDuckGo, Brave Search also makes privacy one of its selling points: the service claims it won't share, sell, or collect users' personal data. Brave Search doesn't rely on other search engines, but is built on its own independent search index.
Brave will surface AI-powered answers to most questions at the top of your search results. If you don't want AI-powered answers and just want standard results, you can turn this feature off in your search engine settings.
The search engine also has a “Discussions” section that surfaces content from forums like Reddit. Additionally, you can narrow your search results using the engine's “Goggles” feature, which lets you filter results with options like “No Pinterest,” “Tech Blogs,” “News from the Left,” and “News from the Right.”
Like the other engines on this list, Brave offers a SafeSearch feature that can be set to “Off,” “Strict,” or “Moderate.”
Start Page
Image credit: Startpage
If you're used to Google search results and don't want to try anything else, but want more privacy, Startpage might be a good option. Although Startpage is run by Google, it promises that users won't have to worry about their personal data being collected, tracked, or targeted.
The search engine's “Anonymous View” feature hides your identity while browsing other websites, similar to a VPN, and Startpage blocks trackers and removes your IP address from all on-premise servers around the world.
Startpage also gives you access to unprofiled news, meaning you won't see news based on your browsing behavior. The search engine shows promotional content on its homepage and search result pages, but you can turn this off in Startpage settings.
The search engine works in a similar way to Google, but if you access maps you will be sent to Google or Bing.
Confusion
Image credit: Perplexity
Perplexity is currently embroiled in a series of controversies. However, it is worth mentioning since it is one of the most popular AI search engines on the market.
While the other search engines on this list simply offer AI features on top of search results, Perplexity was developed as an AI-powered search engine. Think of it as a combination of an AI chatbot and a search engine.
Perplexity uses a conversational approach to search, providing concise answers to your questions. If you don't want a direct answer and would prefer to explore the web, Perplexity provides a list of websites in addition to concise answers. Additionally, at the end of the search, there is a “Related” section that displays related queries to encourage further exploration.
The search engine is free to use, but to get additional features, such as access to image generation models and the option to choose your preferred AI model, you'll need to sign up for a $20/month subscription.
Search GPT
Image credit: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch
OpenAI's SearchGPT is not yet widely available, but it will undoubtedly be a promising new addition once it's officially released. Given the success of OpenAI's other products, the release of SearchGPT is sure to send ripples through Google's search dominance.
OpenAI says SearchGPT provides “fast and timely answers” to users' questions. Once you enter a query, you'll receive information and photos from the web along with links to relevant sources. You can then ask follow-up questions or explore related searches in the sidebar.
Responses from the service cite and link to sources so you know where the information comes from. OpenAI says that because SearchGPT is about search, which is separate from training OpenAI's generative AI foundational models, the service will show results from sites even if they have opted out of generative AI training.
SearchGPT is still a prototype, so I can't say too much about it right now, but be sure to check it out once it becomes widely available.