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The 10 Best Search Engines for Privacy in 2025

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Have you ever searched for something trivial, only to be relentlessly bombarded with ads related to it? Traditional internet search engines, like Google, Bing and Yahoo, thrive on collecting personal information. They use trackers and activity logs to gather data, which is then sold to advertisers for targeted campaigns. While personalized content can occasionally be helpful, the extensive use of your private data often feels invasive and risky.

There are ways to search the internet without being tracked, such as using virtual private networks (VPNs) or private search engines that don’t log your searches, track your behavior or sell your data to third parties. Explore the top-ranking search engines for privacy to get options that allow you to browse the web freely and securely — without sacrificing your peace of mind.

Best Search Engines for Privacy:

What Is a Private Search Engine?

Private search engines help you browse the internet without storing search or user information, making them ideal for privacy. User information includes a variety of data that helps hackers track your identity. Some of that information includes: 

From saving search query history to capturing personally identifiable information, you have the right to private internet use. Luckily, there are a number of private search engines available, each offering a different level of privacy based on how the business gathers revenue.

Why Should You Use a Private Search Engine?

Unlike more common search engines like Google, private search engines prioritize user privacy by avoiding the collection of search data or personal information. In contrast, traditional engines often use this data to:

While these practices may seem harmless — primarily supporting marketing efforts or platform improvement — they also pose risks. Cybercriminals and malware can exploit this data, turning benign information into vulnerabilities.

Even though popular web search engines like Google comply with regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by requiring users to opt into data collection, many prefer to bypass these risks entirely. By using private options, you can avoid falling victim to data misuse, tracking or phishing attempts. 

The 10 Best Search Engines for Privacy

Looking for better search engines than Google that prioritize your privacy? Here’s a carefully curated list of search engines designed to protect your data, ensuring your searches stay anonymous while offering a seamless browsing experience.

1. DuckDuckGo 

Best for: Untracked searching

With 6 million monthly downloads, DuckDuckGo (DDG) is one of the most popular private search engines on the market. Accessible from desktop, mobile, browser extension and app, DDG is an anonymous search engine that blocks trackers, allowing users to escape the filter bubble. 

DDG features a proprietary !Bang shortcut that pulls results directly from third-party sites. The engine also generates revenue through private, contextual ads based on search queries — not user profiling. 

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Price: Free

2. Startpage 

Best for: Unprofiled browsing

A great DuckDuckGo alternative, Startpage is an award-winning Netherlands-based private search engine that specializes in blocking third parties from gathering personal data or setting price trackers. Your personal data, such as IP addresses, network settings, browsers, locations or hardware, are removed by the company’s two levels of managed, on-premise servers, resulting in unpersonalized results. 

The engine’s Anonymous View allows you to choose when to browse without being tracked and can block targeted and retargeting ads when turned on. The engine is accessible as a Google Chrome extension, and the company earns revenue through paid contextual advertising. 

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Price: Free

3. Qwant 

Best for: GDPR-protected searching

The Qwant search engine was designed to give users a private search experience. Based in France, this search engine provides unpersonalized, algorithm-free results to searches and offers protections that follow GDPR. 

Qwant offers search results in several categories, including a unique, social-media-based visual board. It can be accessed via browser or Chrome extension and set as a default browser. The site does use paid private ads, and its ad targeting and search results are powered by Bing.

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Price: Free

4. Swisscows 

Best for: Family-friendly browsing

Swisscows is a Switzerland-based unblocked search browser that uses a proprietary index and years of search expertise. Its technology was designed to make storing personal information impossible, meaning it does not track cookies or build user profiles. 

Swisscows prides itself on being family-friendly, meaning it’s safe for younger users to browse safely. The engine also offers categorized results, can be added as a VPN Chrome or Firefox extension, integrates with most browsers, is an email provider and uses contextual ads powered by Bing to generate revenue. 

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5. MetaGer 

Best for: Deep-browsing searches

MetaGer is a metasearch engine based in Germany that offers full data protection, hides IP addresses and blocks targeted ads. Using an anonymizing proxy to protect users while they browse the SERP, MetaGer prioritizes protection against censorship, providing you with unbiased and unfiltered search results. The engine also provides results crawled from multiple leading search engines. 

Additionally, MetaGer is run by a nonprofit organization committed to sustainability, so all its services run on renewable energy and use transparent algorithms. The engine is accessible through a browser plugin, smartphone apps and Tor hidden service, and offers access to maps without location tracking. 

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Price: Free with ads

6. Mojeek 

Best for: Independent and unbiased searches

Mojeek is an independent, alternative search engine that values users’ rights to privacy and puts users first. Indexing over 5 billion pages with owned crawlers, the engine provides independent and unbiased results in four categories, including an emotion-based category. The browser is also accessible via a smartphone app.

With a company value of “doing what’s right,” Mojeek is committed to sustainability, operating from the U.K.’s award-winning greenest data center. 

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Price: Free

7. Ecosia 

Best for: Eco-friendly searching

Ecosia is a different search engine that combines privacy with sustainability. Based in Germany, Ecosia is known as one of the greenest private search engines — 80% of Ecosia’s profits from ad revenue are donated to planting trees as part of the company’s commitment to being CO2 negative. The company is committed to transparency and regularly shares financial reports and tree-planting campaign updates. 

Ecosia is accessible as a Chrome extension, browser application, search engine and mobile app. The company does not sell private data and does not use external tracking tools to monitor performance data. It generates revenue through click-based advertising.

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Price: Free

8. Gibiru 

Best for: Censor-free searching

Gibiru is an uncensored private search engine aimed at providing access to information away from the filter bubble and Big Tech censorship. Its no-log search and no IP address or cookie tracking policies prevent it from selling personal data to third parties, meaning no retargeting. 

Gibiru does not extend cookie blocking once you visit outside the SERP. However, the Gibiru Wormhole app for mobile devices acts as a VPN and protects cookies from being stored on Android and Apple devices. The engine is accessible via a browser extension and a downloadable app. The company earns revenue from commission-based plans, not by selling personal data.

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Price: Free

9. Brave Search 

Best for: Privacy-conscious users

Brave Search is an independent search engine that is often used as a default engine for the Brave web browser application. Although the engine aims to provide users with web, news, image and video search results directly from their independent index of the web, the platform includes a small percentage of results from third-party APIs that result from big-name search engines like Google or Bing. 

Committed to being independent, transparent and focused on users, Brave provides a browsing experience without tracking behavior, searches or clicks. Brave Search also uses private usage metrics that can be turned off in preferences to monitor and forecast traffic and performance. Additionally, it does not block ads by default but provides users with the option to opt into Brave Rewards, a commission-based program that rewards users for accepting private, targeted ads to earn exchangeable reward points. 

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Price: Free

10. Searx

Best for: Open-source, customizable privacy

Searx is one of the first open-source search engines on the internet, offering users an alternative to traditional search engines by focusing on privacy and customizability. Searx aggregates search results from multiple engines, including Microsoft Bing, and provides users with a comprehensive overview of web, news and multimedia content without tracking personal data. This allows it to deliver relevant results while keeping user information private.

Searx also integrates seamlessly with Yahoo’s ecosystem, providing access to services such as Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Mail. It boasts a user-friendly interface and a customizable homepage, giving users the flexibility to personalize their search experience according to their preferences.

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Price: Free 

How to Choose a Private Search Engine

Choosing the right private search engine is crucial for safeguarding your online privacy and enhancing your browsing experience. Here are some important factors to consider when selecting the best engine for your needs:

From paid services to completely untracked browsers, you have the opportunity to explore some of the best private search engines with a simple download.

However, private web searching isn’t the only way to stay safe online. Take the extra steps to protect your personal data and devices by downloading a secure VPN service and antivirus software. Combining private search, VPNs and protective scanning will help keep your personal information safe and secure.

Best Search Engines for Privacy FAQ

Below, we address some frequently asked questions to help you make informed decisions about choosing a private search engine.

What Are the Best Google Alternatives for Privacy?

Some of the best alternatives to Google for privacy-focused search engines include DuckDuckGo, Startpage and Brave Search. These search engines prioritize your privacy by not tracking searches, building user profiles or selling data to third parties.

Which Are the Most Popular Search Engines Right Now?

The most popular search engines currently include Google, Bing, Yahoo and privacy-focused options like DuckDuckGo, Brave Search and Startpage. While Google remains the dominant player, privacy-conscious users are increasingly opting for alternatives that protect their personal information.

How Do I Find Free Search Engines for Secure Browsing?

Our list above is a great place to start. Engines like DuckDuckGo, MetaGer and Swisscows offer privacy-focused features at no cost. These engines don’t track your searches or store personal data, providing a safer alternative to mainstream engines.

Are Private Search Engines Actually Private?

Private search engines improve privacy, but complete anonymity is hard to achieve. These engines vary in the level of privacy they provide. Search engines using VPNs or encrypted connections offer better security than those that don’t. Always check the privacy policy and terms to understand how your data is handled.

 

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