On May 19, Google announced at its Google I/O developers conference it was making major steps in combining Google Search with its advanced AI tools. Robby Stein, Google’s vice president of product for Search, said at the time that Search is moving into an “agentic” era. But if you don’t like the direction Google Search is heading, there are other search engines you can try for free.
These search engines have some advantages over Google, like more privacy. But the main drawback to these alternate search engines is they may lack comprehensive results. That means you might have to look through more results on these other search engines compared to with Google. I found it helpful to be more specific with my search queries when using these other engines.
It’s also important to note that even if you use these search engines within Google’s Chrome browser, you may not get the full benefit of some of these other engines. Here are five other free search engines to use instead of Google Search.
Brave
Brave is a privacy-focused search engine that blocks trackers, and it uses Google as a fallback option. What that means is if your Brave search doesn’t return a lot of results, you can enable the search engine to anonymously check Google for the same query.
Brave also offers other features, like a VPN, a crypto wallet and its own AI assistant named Leo. And Brave said your AI usage is private and secure as well. You don’t even need to create or log into an account to use Leo.
You can try Brave for free.
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is another privacy-focused search engine, and it has touted itself as the anti-Google. While Google collects and stores data on you to create personalized search results, DuckDuckGo doesn’t track what you do and actively blocks external trackers.
Over the past few years, DuckDuckGo also expanded the free tools it offers to people. Now it offers tools like an App Tracking Protection for Android users, its own VPN — that our experts said was great for general privacy and streaming — and an AI tool called DuckAssist.
You can try DuckDuckGo for free.
Ecosia
This private, Berlin-based search engine is also a green option. Ecosia writes online it has planted over 250 million trees and produces more clean energy than it takes to power all its searches and AI queries. The company also writes online that all its profits go toward climate action.
However, Ecosia writes in its privacy policy it does use Google and Microsoft Bing to provide you with results. CNBC reported in 2024 that Ecosia and Paris-based search engine Qwant partnered to create a European search index in order to reduce dependence on US companies.
You can try Ecosia for free.
Qwant
This French-based search engine writes online it doesn’t retain your search data or sell your personal data, making it a good alternative to Google. In addition to search, Qwant also offers a feature called Qwant Junior, which it writes online is meant to help children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old safely explore the internet.
You should know that Qwant has integrated AI into its engine in what it calls Flash Answers. But you can deactivate it from your Settings menu without jumping through hoops. Historically, Qwant has used Bing’s search API, which lets companies access Bing’s search infrastructure. But according to CNBC, the company partnered with Berlin-based search engine Ecosia in 2024 to build a European search index in order to reduce dependence on US companies.
You can try Qwant for free.
Startpage
Startpage is a search engine that’s also a search aggregator. That means it partners with other companies like Google and Microsoft Bing to bring you search results.
Despite those partnerships, Startpage said it doesn’t share any of your personal information with its partners and it submits your search requests anonymously. Startpage said it also doesn’t use tracking cookies, and it doesn’t review or access cookies you might have from other websites. Think of Startpage as a way to use Google and Bing without either getting ahold of your data.
You can try Startpage for free.
For more on other search engines, here’s what to know about DuckDuckGo and Brave Search.
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