14 Best Google Alternatives

Can life as we know it survive without Google, which we reviewed, lurking somewhere in the universe? We think not. At present, Google seemingly knows everything with its fingers busily poking into every part of our digital life. Google’s software and hardware rule the globe, and so we are its slaves in a way. Now, it might be time to fight back figuratively. To motivate you kindly dwell on the oft-proved assertion that the internet colossus often manipulates search results to favor its objectives. That it’s more or less unrepentant pushing unwanted ads on us and keeping a close look at whatever we might be up to online. That’s why we decided to seek the best search engine Google Alternatives for you.

We assume you are properly whipped up with indignation since you’re reading this. That’s why it’s time to explore other alternatives to Google that don’t involve living in a cave for the rest of your life. Are there any worthy Google rivals out there? We think so, and our list can prove that.

Reasons to look for a Google Alternative?

Yes, we all know that in a perfect world, no one would be looking for an alternative to Google. However, we do not live in a perfect world, and as such, there are valid reasons why people want to use a different search engine altogether. And despite all the conveniences that Google has to offer, a Google alternative would not be the worst thing in the world.

So here we are looking at some of the reasons that might lead a person to look for a better-suited search engine.

• Google has some glaring privacy concerns.
• It is also infamous for tracking your searches.
• Oftentimes, it can be manipulated towards search results.
• The site also links your searches to your Google account.
• Nowadays, the top search results are no longer organic, as Google tries to promote either paid content or its own products.
• And you can never know what is actually going on behind the scenes, as it is not the most transparent company around.
• You might also want to reconsider Google due to geopolitical or legal reasons.
• And finally, Google tries to keep you enclosed within a filter bubble, often strengthening your existing beliefs.

Comparing Google Alternatives

Search Engine	Privacy Protection	User Base	Search Features	Integration	Geographic Focus	Unique Feature	Best for
Bing	Limited	Large	Sports, Translation, Background	Facebook, Apple	Global	Diverse daily background images	Integrated search experience
DuckDuckGo	Strong	Growing	Voice Search, Open-Source	None	Global	Strong privacy protection	Privacy-conscious users
Yahoo! Search	Limited	Moderate	Keyword Insights	None	Global	Powered by Bing	Yahoo enthusiasts
Yandex	Limited	Large (Russia)	Multilingual, Additional Services	None	Russia	Popular in Russia	Russian-speaking users
WolframAlpha	Limited	Moderate	Data from Reputable Institutions	None	Global	Specialized for specific queries	Complex data inquiries
Startpage	Strong	Limited	Privacy-Focused, Encrypted	None	Global	Protects personal data	Privacy-conscious users
Swisscows	Strong	Limited	Semantic Search, AI	None	Switzerland	Family-friendly	Family-friendly search
Quora	Limited	Large	User-Generated Answers	None	Global	Community-driven	Getting community insights
Ecosia	Limited	Moderate	Environmental Focus	None	Global	Plants trees with ad revenue	Environmentally conscious users
Dogpile	Limited	Limited	Aggregated Results	None	Global	Aggregates results from multiple engines	Simplified, ad-free search
Gibiru	Strong	Limited	Uncensored Results	None	Global	Displays uncensored results	Maximum confidentiality
Vimeo	Limited	Moderate	Ad-Free Video	None	Global	Video content-focused	Ad-free video viewing
Giphy	Limited	Large	Extensive GIF Collection	None	Global	Premier site for GIFs	GIF discovery and sharing
Internet Archive	Limited	N/A	Historical Web Data	None	Global	Historical website tracking	Researching web history

The Best Google Alternatives

According to us, the best Google alternative is Bing at the moment. But you may not like Bing, which is why we made such a list. The following are the best Google alternatives:

1. Bing

This is the next biggest search engine site after Google. Propped up by Microsoft to give Google a sleepless night or two, Bing comes with a constantly changing background that’s really thrilling and ensures you get an eyeful of a lot of different things, people, environments, animals, and the like daily.

For its heavy artillery, Bing rocks sports scores, flight tracking, translation, operating calculations, spell checks, and a list of other equally nifty features. Effortlessly integrating with Facebook and Apple devices and possessing a nifty mobile application, Bing is clearly the main threat to the tech giant and a leading Google search engine alternative.

2. DuckDuckGo

If you are worried about your privacy DuckDuckGo is there to quickly peck away such concerns. Since it cannot track your behavior and hence manipulate search results for its benefit, DuckDuckGo is heavily recommended and is one of the top Google alternatives and rivals out there.

With an ever-growing fan base, a voice search feature, and sporting an open-source code that just keeps getting better, this is one “delish” duck that’s well on its way up.

3. Yahoo! Search

A search engine powered by the well-known Internet brand, Yahoo, brings a different look at search results. While they also collect data about you and serve targeted ads, at least you’re sharing your data with a company that doesn’t seep into areas Google does. However, you get the benefit of seeing the most searched topics and keywords as well as accurate results catered to your browsing.

The only catch is that Yahoo search results are powered by Bing, and not independent. Nonetheless, you can avoid Google and Microsoft without compromising your browsing experience.

4. Yandex

The number one search engine in the Russian Federation, Yandex, handles roughly 200 million questions on all subjects under the sun daily. Available in a plethora of languages, it provides additional services and features like videos, Mail, Maps, a browser, etc. in a take-no-prisoners battle to top what Google offers.

It hurts us to say this but this Russkie search engine does quite well should you wish to replace Google in your life without sacrificing the features and effectiveness you have long been used to.

5. WolframAlpha

Made famous as a site for maths-inclined nerds Wolfram Alpha is thankfully more than that. It’s also a quite good search engine that collects data from lots of reputable institutions with unpronounceable acronyms and esoteric mission purposes.

Easy to use, on its home screen you get sample queries Wolfram would be more than happy to dive in and assist you with. All that makes for marvelous convenience and effectiveness, and not merely for nerdy eggheads.

6. Startpage

Startpage is another private search engine that is a middle-ground between efficiency and accuracy and privacy. To clarify, it still serves Google research results but filters you through a proprietary technology that protects your personal data. The connection is not only encrypted but your original IP address is removed from their global servers.

Plus, they shield you from third-party trackers and stop third parties from gathering your information that can be used for targeted ads. They don’t create a digital profile for you, either, which facilitates unbiased search results such as news.

7. Swisscows

Swisscows dates to 2014 but was founded by a person with over two decades of search technology research. If you want to avoid using Google altogether, it’s the go-to option since it serves as a family-friendly engine that provides a semantic search. They don’t track users or collect data about them through cookies and similar technologies.

Instead of storing data and building a profile, they use AI (artificial intelligence) to study the context and relationship between words users search to provide accurate results. Swisscows also offers TeleGuard, a private messaging application, a VPN (a virtual private network), and an encrypted email service. Lastly, it’s funded by non-identifying ads Bing delivers.

8. Quora

While Google Search is pace-setting, there is only so much it can do. Enter Quora, an online search community where you can ask users anything and everything on virtually any subject. Want to know the best place to eat a burger in New York? Or how to dance the waltz blindfolded?

Ask away, and you will get all manner of replies; some serious, others mercilessly ribbing. As you can guess, this goes a long way to guarantee accuracy, relevancy, and effectiveness as users give you their opinions on the issues that interest them. Move over Google, Quora is about to take over!

9. Ecosia

If you want to feel good while searching the web, opt for Ecosia, an ecological search engine that plants trees. They do so in 35 countries and use ad revenue to fund their operations to reverse deforestation and climate change and create jobs. At the time of publication, they planted over 161 million trees, and the number grows yearly.

Ecosia releases financial reports regularly and uses solar power to power its operations while committing 100% of proceeds to climate-related endeavors. The best part is that they don’t collect or sell your data while still letting you know how many trees your searches planted.

10. dogpile

This is one ultra-cute search engine that goes woof-woof, shoves Google away, and snuggles right next to your heart before you know what’s happening. While it might look like a kindergarten kid put it all together as a school project, the site is actually top-notch.

It collects and cleans up search results from other heavyweight search engines and presents them to you. But not without first rigorously scrubbing it free of ads and other irritable junk.

11. Gibiru

As you know most search results are curated or censored for one reason or another. This can be frustrating, not to mention bothersome. On Gibiru the issue doesn’t happen as it displays all the search results it can.

More, with its Anonymous proxy search engine, you are assured of maximum confidentiality and anonymity as you go about your business on the web. For more thorough research and general enlightenment on all aspects of humanity, Gibiru ranks really high, and rightly so.

12. Vimeo

Hope you know that swearing off Google means giving up one of its biggest megastars—the one and only YouTube. That’s a prospect that can drive some to deep despair. However, that only last until you discover some wonderful video search engine alternatives to the media juggernaut.

One of the more outstanding is Vimeo. With no ads, countless and constantly updated media, and much better privacy than Google and its ilk can provide, Vimeo ensures life continues undisturbed as you seek to wear out your eyes watching all the movies ever made. Order some more popcorn for video-watching! Who needs YouTube?

13. Giphy

This is the premier site for GIFs—those viral and absurdly cute/funny videos that last a millisecond or so and that you love dashing off to friends and family. With GIFs for every occasion and every moment, life couldn’t be sweeter. The site is well-designed, colorful, and enchanting. Therefore, with GIPHY, searching for the perfect GIF at a moment’s notice is not a chore anymore.

14. Internet Archive

Internet archive is not a normal search engine that shows the latest and real-time data. Instead, it is a web wiki that has almost a huge chunk of the internet history stored and accessible anytime. Once a website gets crawled by the Internet archive bot, it stores a copy of the page for future reference.

It doesn’t do it once—it crawls the same page several times to store any changes to the website. If you are interested in knowing how it works, visit the website and search for some popular websites’ past designs.

Our recommendation for a Google alternative

If privacy and data security are not things you care about or think about, then honestly, you might continue with Google. However, we firmly believe that there are better alternatives out there, such as DuckDuckGo, which is one of the most private search engines out there.

Or you can even try Bing, the second-largest search engine after Google. Although it does suffer from some of the same conditions as Google. But if you have something specific in mind, like an impossible math equation to solve, then Wolfram Alpha might suit you better.

Having said that, when it comes to search engines, the accuracy of the results matters the most, and websites like Startpage and Swisscows are certainly trying to fill in as a middle ground between better privacy and search accuracy.

There’s an abundance of alternatives for users weary of Google searches. Some are bizarre, others are awesome, and more than a few are laughable. Pick out the ones dear to your eyes and make life dance to your sweet tune.