Google is not the only search engine to use and also to be found by others today. Recently, I was checking my stats on Google Analytics and came across several different search engines besides Google that my site’s visits came from.
A few of them I recognized and a few I did not know about. I thought you would be interested in these alternative search engines.
Table of Contents
1. Google Remains The Biggest Search Engine
You can see from the chart below, globally Google has lost market share in 2024 even as it remains the number one search engine by a lot with 86.58% of all search engines.
However for many years they were always over 90% of share.
On the other hand you can see how 2 other big search engines recently climbed today:
- Microsoft’s Bing gained 13.05% share in April, up from 8.04% in March.
- Yahoo (!) also gained by 7.3% share, up from 2.48% in March.
It could be what search engines people are using on their mobile devices and the fact that people no longer wanted to be tracked by the big tech giants.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Search Engine Market Share
2. DuckDuckGo Became Popular
Next, along came DuckDuckGo on the rise back in 2020. Many web users thought this was the safest search engine if they feared being tracked. DuckDuckGo became the fourth most significant search engine in the US after Bing and Yahoo Search.
According to StatCounter DuckDuckGo has a 1.64 share of the search engine traffic in the United States. It has dropped since I wrote this back in 2021. They have over 78 million searches per day on their browser.
Each time you search on DuckDuckGo, you have a blank search history, as if you’ve never been there before. They do not store your search history as Google does.
According to CNET, DuckDuckGo is sharing data it collected about online trackers with other companies so they can also protect your privacy. Hmm, that doesn’t sound 100% safe to me, how about you?
Now, fast forward to March 11, 2022, and we learn that a conservative news site has been banned from DuckDuckGo. Today they have removed sites with keywords bang in them.
Furthermore, I have learned DuckDuckGo sells user information to Microsoft. I would NOT recommend you use this search engine today if you care about privacy..
3. StartPage Privacy
But to many, the surprise search engine came from the oldie but goodie Start Page. This search engine has been around for many years and is one of the safest for those that do not want to be tracked by big tech online.
According to its founder, Robert EG Beens, “Realizing the huge privacy consequences, I was horrified. I looked through some of these files and the searches that people had typed in – highly personal searches that others would have no business seeing – and that was my epiphany and the moment of realization: my gosh, this is terrible and extremely unethical!”
Hence, Robert began the StartPage search engine back in 2006 after realizing the privacy consequences of Google. The new search engine did well in Germany from the beginning.
That’s where people are most concerned about privacy. As a matter of fact, more users today from the United States are turning to this Google search engine alternative.
So today is #DataPrivacyDay. Let's start a conversation. What have you done to protect your privacy online?#infosec #PrivacyPlease
— Startpage (@startpage) January 28, 2021
As you can see from the below tweet, StartPage uses zero tracking cookies. This is why it makes alternative search engines the best for privacy when searching online.
We discuss this matter here. 1st party cookies can track you too!
"Google is leading the charge to replace third-party cookies with new technologies to target ads on the Web. Some of its proposals show that it hasn’t learned the right lessons from the ongoing backlash to the surveillance business model."@EFF #infosechttps://t.co/M5MCTmDCN0
— Startpage (@startpage) March 12, 2021
So you may be wondering, how does StartPage make any money? You get ads based on your search query, not your personal data.
4. Ecosia – Another Alternative Search Engine Besides Google
Now, if you are into saving trees and the planet, this different search engine other than Google is for you.
Ecosia is transparent about its financial reports so you can see how they make money and where it goes. Not only that, but they care about your privacy too.
They don’t sell your data to advertisers, nor do they have 3rd party trackers on their search engine. It’s a great alternative to use forvw different search engine besides Google.
And, What Browser Are You Searching On?
What is the difference between a browser and a search engine?
A browser is your access to the internet, and a search engine allows you to search the internet once you have access. You have to use a browser to get to a search engine.
5. Brave for Search Without Censorship
Many people use Google Chrome but if you are signed in Google can trace everything you do online. Others may use Microsoft Edge as it comes on many computers already installed. (However, there is not much you can do with Microsoft Edge if you are doing website work.)
I like using Brave for my browser unless I’m doing website work that needs Chrome. When I’m researching or searching online I love using the Brave browser.
Brave is easy to install on your computer and mobile device. Notice below how you can customize your browser experience too!
Hence, you can have the news you want to appear in your browser instead of what Microsoft Edge shows you. I love that feature from Brave.
If you want real answers fast, Brave Search is your best option. pic.twitter.com/yafFTnCfhZ
— Brave Software (@brave) April 23, 2024
What Makes Brave Browser Safer?
Brave loads major news sites up to six times faster than Chrome, Safari, and Firefox on mobile and desktop. They do this because they block harmful ads and ad trackers.
Other browsers claim to have a “private mode,” but this hides your history from others using your browser. Brave lets you use Tor right in a tab. Tor not only hides your history but also masks your location from the sites you visit by routing your browsing through several servers before it reaches your destination.
These connections are encrypted to increase anonymity.
Brave has this on desktop and on mobile devices! With Brave’s IPFS Integration, you can browse without fear of censorship from outside influences. It works well on mobile as well.
Of course, when searching on Brave you can use different features besides Google. Go to settings, then search engines. Make your favorite one the default for search.
Watch the video below to learn more.
6. Swiss Cows Alternative
According to Swiss Cows: Our anonymous search engine protects the privacy of our users when searching and from inappropriate content when finding it. We do not use cookies or other tracking technologies, with us each search query remains anonymous, and each user is a guest without a user profile.
They do have ads on the site as a means of supporting the search engine. They do not store your data and no search history is built up on their platform.
Different Search Engines – Other Countries
7. Baidu
Baidu is a Chinese search engine that functions similarly to Google. However, Baidu is primarily used in China and caters to the Chinese language and market, whereas Google is widely used globally and supports multiple languages.
Baidu also offers services such as Baidu Baike (similar to Wikipedia) and Baidu Maps. While Google has a more extensive global reach and a wider range of products and services.
However, Baidu dominates the search engine market within China due to government regulations and its focus on the Chinese language and user preferences.
8. Yandex
Yandex is a Russian multinational corporation that operates the largest search engine in Russia, with a market share of over 60%. It also offers a wide range of services, including maps, news, and email. While Yandex is similar to Google in many ways, such as offering search capabilities, it has several distinct features.
For instance, Yandex places a strong emphasis on understanding and serving the needs of Russian-speaking users, and its search algorithms are tailored to the specific nuances of the Russian language and culture.
Additionally, Yandex has its own advertising platform and business directory, providing unique opportunities for businesses targeting the Russian market.
Despite these differences, Yandex and Google share many common features and functionalities, making them both significant players in the global search engine market.
Wrapping Up: 8 Different Search Engines Besides Google To Use
In conclusion, by diversifying your search portal usage beyond Google, you can tap into alternative sources of information and potentially uncover valuable insights that may not be readily available through the dominant search engine.
Incorporating other search engines into your online research routine can help you gain a more comprehensive understanding of your topics of interest.
Your Turn
I’d love to know in the comments which browsers besides Google you are using today. Is privacy important to you? Let’s discuss this in the comments below.
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