Google has dominated the search house for thus lengthy {that a} U.S. District Courtroom choose lately discovered that it has acted illegally to keep up a monopoly in on-line search. You could have in all probability used Google Search for so long as you’ll be able to keep in mind; it’s what changed issues like cellphone books and encyclopedias.
However simply because Google runs the most well-liked engine doesn’t imply you need to use it. If in case you have by no means thought-about a search engine past Google, you could be shocked to see what else is on the market.
There are a lot of Google Search options available on the market which have gained traction. Whether or not you’re searching for elevated privateness, enhanced AI options or simply one thing totally different, there are some notable choices value trying out.
Whereas Microsoft’s Bing and Yahoo are arguably essentially the most well-known, there are tons of Google Search 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 options value exploring.
DuckDuckGo
If you’d like extra privateness while you search, DuckDuckGo would be the proper search engine for you. DuckDuckGo doesn’t monitor your search historical past, and its privateness coverage outlines that it doesn’t accumulate or share any of your private info, not like Google, which collects your knowledge to personalize your search outcomes and the advertisements it exhibits you.
DuckDuckGo has a easy format that means that you can seek for pictures, movies, information, maps and procuring outcomes. You may as well filter your outcomes primarily based on time, so you’ll be able to select to see outcomes from the previous day, week, month or 12 months. Plus, you’ll be able to base your outcomes on particular areas.
Like Google, DuckDuckGo presents a protected search characteristic. You may select to have it off or on a “strict” or “moderate” setting.
For those who’re desirous about AI, DuckDuckGo provides you nameless entry to some 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 timber and has planted greater than 213 million timber thus far in over 35 international locations. The entire 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 kinds of outcomes but additionally assist the atmosphere whereas doing so.
Ecosia makes use of important cookies to offer search outcomes, however searches are encrypted. For those who do need personalised search outcomes, you’ll be able to decide into them. Ecosia will ask in your consent earlier than enabling personalised search outcomes and advertisements.
Courageous Search
Like DuckDuckGo, Courageous Search additionally makes use of privateness as one in every of its promoting factors. The service says it doesn’t share, promote or accumulate your private knowledge. Courageous Search doesn’t depend on different search engines like google and is as a substitute constructed by itself unbiased search index.
Courageous surfaces AI-powered solutions to most questions on the high of your search outcomes. For those who don’t need AI-powered solutions and solely wish to see customary outcomes, you’ll be able to toggle the characteristic 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’ll be able to refine your search outcomes with the engine’s “Goggles” characteristic, 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 presents a protected search characteristic that 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 attempt 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 knowledge assortment, monitoring or concentrating on.
The search engine’s “Anonymous View” characteristic masks your identification whilst you browse different web sites, much like a VPN. Startpage blocks trackers and likewise removes your IP deal with from all of its world premise servers.
Startpage additionally permits you to entry unprofiled information, which suggests it doesn’t present information primarily based in your looking habits. The search engine does present you promotional content material on its homepage and search outcomes web page, however you’ll be able to flip this off in Startpage’s settings.
The search engine operates fairly equally to Google, however if you wish to entry Maps, it can ship you to Google or Bing.
Perplexity
Perplexity is embroiled in a collection of controversies in the intervening time. Nonetheless, it is without doubt one of the hottest AI search engines like google available on the market, so it’s value mentioning.
Not like the opposite search engines like google on this checklist that merely provide AI options on high 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. For those who don’t need a easy reply, Perplexity supplies 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’ll be able to join a $20 month-to-month subscription for extra options, resembling entry to image-generation fashions and the choice to pick your most popular AI mannequin.
SearchGPT
Though OpenAI’s SearchGPT isn’t extensively obtainable, it’s positively one to sit up for 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 kind in a question and obtain info and photographs from the net together with hyperlinks to related sources. You may then ask follow-up questions or discover associated searches in a sidebar.
Responses from the service cite and hyperlink sources so you already know the place the knowledge 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 will’t say an excessive amount of about it now, however it can positively be one to take a look at as soon as it’s extensively obtainable.
