Have you ever searched for anything unimportant online only to be inundated with adverts for it wherever else you go? Big-name search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo can make this a problem because they utilize a variety of code, trackers, and activity monitoring to gather personal data about users. These search engines and independent companies subsequently evaluate user behavior using the data and roll out specialized, targeted ad and content campaigns.
Receiving information that is personalized in some circumstances can be helpful. However, the idea of big businesses selling off your personal information can make some people feel violated of their privacy and at risk for their online safety.
Fortunately, there are techniques for users to search the internet covertly, like using virtual private networks (VPNs) or private search engines.
Types of Private Search Engines:
- Anonymous search engines
These search engines are incredibly private. They may contain advertisements, but they do not gather or rely on user data for research. Even though these browsers are anonymous, clicking the advertisements can jeopardize your privacy.
- Paid private search engines
While most search engines rely on selling user data and running advertisements to generate income, some rely on subscriptions. These search engines will provide you with maximum privacy and security after you pay a subscription. To use such services, though, they might require some basic information from you.
Choosing the Best Private Search Engine: What to Look Out For
There are some fundamental components that every search engine should have. Which attributes are most crucial is entirely up to you. To help you decide which search engine to use, we’ve provided a list of questions you can ask.
- How do they make their money?
Google is a multimillion-dollar firm that derives revenue from the data it gathers about its consumers. Private search engines shouldn’t operate in this way, of course. Even the best private search engines, however, need to make money to survive. What is their source of income, then?
Typically, search engines make money from sponsorships, affiliate links, or donations. You will see advertisements on a company’s pages if one of its revenue streams is advertising. Personalized advertising won’t appear on search engines that don’t get your data.
Affiliate marketing enables businesses to profit from promoting a good or service. For instance, DuckDuckGo receives a commission when you use one of its affiliate links to make a purchase.
Search engine users can make donations to the business to help it stay viable if they are satisfied with the service they receive.
- What data do they collect?
Typically, search engines do not create individual user profiles. This does not imply they do not store any information about your requests.
Private search engines frequently refuse to reveal to businesses the search keywords that led you to their website. However, there are other uses for this data.
Specific private search engines claim that anonymized data improve their services. For example, even if you misspell a search term, they can still return the correct result by evaluating previous users’ results.
To learn how a search engine treats your info, read its privacy policy. This document frequently emphasizes the information they gather and how it is used.
- Where is the company located?
The search engine’s location should always be verified. Different rules apply to businesses in China, Europe, and Turkey than they do to companies based in the US. Considering alliances like the five eyes, nine eyes, and 14 Eyes is also essential because they govern which nations may access your data.
The greatest companies are those located in nations with tight privacy laws because no data will be accessible to the authorities there without a valid reason.
- What are the search results like?
One of the primary factors to consider when deciding on a search engine is the reliability of its results. The success of Google has made it the de facto standard for many people. You require a search engine that promptly answers your questions, offers several relevant outcomes, and allows you to filter them easily. This could be challenging for some search engines to accomplish, primarily if they haven’t been operating for very long. You may choose the best search engine by comparing the outcomes of the searches.
What are Private Search Engines?
Private search engines are web browsers that don’t record user activity or track what they look for online. These search engines are frequently used to keep people’s personal information safe.
Information about a user includes anything that can be used to locate or contact them. Many popular search engines are owned and operated by third parties. It’s important to remember, though, that search engines provide varying degrees of privacy depending on their business models.
Top Private Search Engines of 2023:
1. DuckDuckGo
Features:
- SSL encryptions
- Tracker blockers
- Search shortcuts
- Result categorization
- Price: Free
DuckDuckGo (DDG) is one of the most famous private search engines, with over 80 million users in 2020. It eliminates trackers, enabling users to escape the filter bubble. It is accessible from desktop, mobile, browser extension, and app. It has a unique bang shortcut tool that retrieves results directly from external websites. The engine also makes money using private, contextual adverts based on search terms rather than user profiles.
Best for: Untracked searching
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Save user agents
- Build user profiles
Does:
- Block trackers
- Offer email protection
- Offer Android app protection
- Use contextual paid advertising
2. Startpage
Features:
- Anonymous view
- Encrypted connection
- Blocked price trackers
- Unprofiled news
- Online profile prevention
- Price: Free
Startpage is a highly regarded private search engine with headquarters in the Netherlands that focuses on preventing outside parties from setting up price trackers or collecting personal information. The business’s two levels of managed, on-premise servers strip away users’ personal information, such as IP addresses, network settings, browsers, locations, or hardware, to produce impersonal results.
The engine’s anonymous view lets users decide when to surf privately and, when enabled, can stop targeted and retargeting adverts. The machine is available as a Chrome extension, and the business makes money through paid contextual advertising.
Best for: Unprofiled browsing
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Save user agents
- Build user profiles
- Use price trackers
- Share ISP
- Store cookies
- Store cache
- Share browser type
- Share location information
Does:
- Block trackers
- Include an anonymous view feature
- Use contextual paid advertising
3. Searx
Features:
- Customizable
- Open-source
- Proxy service
- Cloud-accessible
- Unique search operators
- Price: Free
The Seeks project served as the foundation for the open-source metasearch engine Searx. Anybody can run their own public or private instance of the Searx engine because it can run on a computer or on cloud-based, user-run models that can be accessed as a Tor hidden service. It is simpler to conceal personal information using Searx’s search results since they include cached links that take visitors to Wayback Machine-saved pages or proxied direct access to websites. The results come in categories including files, images, maps, and social media and are compiled from 82 different search engines and provided in more than 20 languages.
The browser, which focuses on a simple user interface and is available as a public API and Firefox plugin, enables users to adjust themes, cookie tracking, which engines to retrieve from, and what response to receiving.
Best for: Decentralized searches
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Save user agents
- Build user profiles
- Share ISP
- Store cookies
- Store cache
- Share browser type
- Share location information
Does:
- Share results in multiple languages
- Provide cookie-tracking preferences
4. Qwant
Features:
- Multi-category search results
- Qwant Maps
- Qwant Junior for kids
- Chrome extension
- Customizable appearance
- Price: Free
This search engine, which is based in France, offers protections that comply with 2018 GDPR requirements and gives non-personalized, algorithm-free search results. A distinctive, social media-based visual board is one of the search results categories that Qwant offers. It is accessible through a browser or a Chrome extension, and it can be made the default browser. The website does employ paid private advertisements, and both its ad targeting and search engine results are provided by Bing.
Best for: GDPR-protected searching
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Build user profiles
- Store cookies
- Track ads
Does:
- Use contextual paid advertising
5. Swisscows
Features:
- Anonymous view
- Categorized results
- Free Music
- TeleGuard messaging
- Price:
- Free
- VPN monthly subscriptions
- CHF 10 per month monthly subscription
- CHF 7 per month yearly subscription
Swisscows is a private search engine with headquarters in Switzerland that use a custom index and years of search experience. Its technology was created to make it impossible to save personal information. Therefore it neither tracks cookies nor creates user profiles.
Ittakes pride in being family-friendly, so young users can browse without fear. Additionally, the search engine provides categorized results, is an email provider, integrates with most browsers, and uses contextual advertising powered by Bing to make money. It can also be added as a VPN Chrome or Firefox extension.
Best for: Family-friendly browsing
Does not:
- Store search history
- Store personal data
- Build user profiles
- Store cookies
- Store cache
Does:
- Use AI for result suggestions (GetDigest)
- Use contextual advertising
6. MetaGer
Features:
- Anonymous setting
- Ad-free for members
- Browser extensions
- Proxy protection for off-results browsing
- Price:
- Free with ads
- Members of SUMA-EV–Association for Free Access to Knowledge can search without ads
German-based MetaGer is a metasearch engine that provides complete data protection, conceals IP addresses, and eliminates targeted adverts. MetaGer focuses safety against censorship by using an anonymizing proxy to shield users while they surf the SERP, giving users unbiased and unfiltered search results. The engine also offers results that have been crawled from many top search engines.
In addition, MetaGer is operated by a nonprofit group dedicated to sustainability, therefore all of its services utilize open-source software and sustainable energy sources. The engine provides access to maps without location tracking and is accessible through a browser plugin, mobile apps, and a hidden Tor service.
Best for: Deep-browsing searches
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Share location information
Does:
- Block targeted ads
7. Mojeek
Features:
- Customized search results
- Smartphone app
- Price: Free
Mojeek is a free, alternative search engine that prioritizes its users and respects their right to privacy. The engine, which uses its own crawlers to index over 5 billion sites, offers impartial, independent results in four categories, one of which is based on emotions. An app for smartphones can be used to access the browser. The firm prides itself on “doing what’s right,” is dedicated to sustainability and runs its operations from the UK’s most award-winning green data center.
Best for: Eco-friendly searching
Does not:
- Track user data
- Sell data to third parties
Does:
- Include customizable search preferences
8. Disconnect Search
Features:
- Anonymous view
- Browser extensions
- Price: Free and premium subscription options
Disconnect Search, a private search engine that offers privacy to more than 750 million users, was created by former Google employees. The engine aggregates proxy results from other top search engines.
This engine considers user security seriously and has a special focus on preventing malicious ad and content targeting used by criminal hackers and data brokers. It even has an ad blocker that reduces the amount of clutter on SERPs, making it easier to discover information. It is anonymous and encrypted.
Best for: Protected searching
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Store fingerprint data
- Store cookies
- Share location information
Does:
- Use encryption protection
- Block targeted ads
- Block surveillance programs
- Remove ad clutter
9. Ecosia
Features:
- Categorized results
- Environmental impact counter
- Transparent financial information
- Price: Free
One of the greenest private search engines is Ecosia, which is situated in Germany. In order to fulfill its promise to being CO2 negative, Ecosia, which is run as a social enterprise, donates 80% of its ad revenue proceeds to tree planting. The company is dedicated to transparency and frequently posts updates on its tree-planting effort and financial reports.
Accessible versions of Ecosia include a Chrome extension, browser add-on, mobile application, and search engine. The company does not track performance statistics with external tracking systems, and it does not sell private information. Click-based advertising is how it makes money.
Best for: Eco-friendly searching
Does not:
- Share location information
- Use external tracking tools
- Sell personal data
Does:
- Track analytics
- Use click and affiliate advertising
10. Wolfram Alpha
Features:
- Customizable settings
- Free-form input searching
- Result categorization
- Price:
- Basic Plan: Free
- Pro Plan
- $60 annually
- $7.25/month
- Pro Premium Plan
- $99 annuall
- Pro for Students: $5.46/semester
- Pro Premium for Students:$9/semester
The WolframAlpha private answer engine from Wolfram Research uses data from other sources to deliver expert-level responses to fact-based questions. In contrast to conventional search engines, WolframAlpha’s search results are calculated using objective data that is derived from reliable sources of factual data and algorithms.
Results from WolframAlpha are academically and scientifically oriented, and they are created to assist users in learning about difficult subjects by providing step-by-step solutions based on free-form input. The themes are broken down into a variety of subcategories that users may utilize to navigate and find solutions. There are four main divisions for the topics: Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social and Culture, and Everyday Life.
Users can use a browser or a mobile app to access the answer engine online.
Best for: Academic searching
Does not:
- Sell personal data
Does:
- Source from third-party search engines
- Include private ads
11. Search Encrypt
Features:
- SSL encryptions (HTTPS)
- Perfect forward secrecy
- Suggested results
- Price: Free
The privacy of its users is of the utmost importance to the privacy-enhanced search engine Search Encrypt. Search Encrypt, which is both a search engine and a browser extension, employs encryption to mask search keywords locally before transmitting requests to servers, offering high-quality forward secrecy. Furthermore, and perhaps most unusually, results are no longer viewable after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Best for: Encrypted searches
Does not:
- Store search history
- Build user profiles
- Store cookies
- Store cache
Does:
- Use SSL encryption
- Use perfect forward secrecy
- Delete history after inactivity
- Use paid advertising
12. Gibiru
Features:
- Browser extension
- App with VPN service
- Result categorization
- Price: Free
Gibiru is a private, unfiltered search engine that aims to give users access to information outside of the Big Tech and filter bubble. No retargeting is possible because of its no-log search and no-IP address or cookie monitoring rules, which prohibit it from selling personal data to other parties.
The Gibiru Wormhole mobile software serves as a VPN and prevents cookies from being saved on Apple and Android devices.
The engine is available as a downloaded app and browser plugin. Not by selling personal data, but rather through commission-based programs, the corporation makes money.
Best for: Censor-free searching
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Store cookies
- Sell personal data
Does:
- Use affiliate-based advertising
- Provide mobile VPN
13. Lukol
Features:
- Categorized results
- Firefox extension
- Price: Free
Lukol, an anonymous search engine powered by Google Search, allows users to silently peruse the web. You can use it online or as a Firefox add-on to get web, image, news, and video outcomes.
However, Lukol sells cookie information to third parties in order to personalize content and advertisements despite not requiring users to register or provide personally identifiable information in order to use the search feature. Additionally, it employs cookies to track user activities and report traffic data to outside parties.
Best for: Confidential, one-of-a-kind web exploration
Does not:
- Call for sign-ups
Does:
- Uses cookie technology
- Share your customers’ browsing habits with advertisers
- Tracking performance with cookies
- Spend money on commercials.
14. Peekier
Features:
- Playable YouTube video on-site
- Customizable preferences
- Price: Free
To improve a user’s online surfing experience, Peekier is a different search engine that prioritizes privacy. Although personally identifiable data like user agents, IP addresses, unique IDs, and search histories are not saved, the engine temporarily saves search queries for caching, analytical data, and service improvement purposes.
Furthermore, even though the website itself does not track personal information and instead uses HTML5 local storage to save location, region, or setting preferences, their caching provider might use single session cookies for anti-DDOS protection. Additionally, the site employs SSL/TLS encryption, and search query leakage, which is the indication of a link click in the HTTP Referer header, does give some insight into how you use search engines.
Playing YouTube videos directly from the website and having expanding preview boxes on SERPs are two features that distinguish Peekier from other search engines. Due to YouTube’s usage of tracking IDs and cookies for data collection, autoplay on YouTube is by default disabled.
Best for: Personalized browsing
Does not:
- Track IP addresses
- Store search history
- Save user agents
- Build user profiles
- Share ISP
- Store cookies
- Store cache
- Share browser type
- Share location information
Does:
- Cache search queries for analysis
- Use HTML5 for preference storage
- Allow cooking tracking preferences
15. Brave Search
Features:
- Anonymous search
- Preferences
- Customizable themes
- Desktop and mobile browser integration
- Ranking transparency
- Independent search index
- Price: Free
As the default search engine for the Brave web browser, Brave Search is an independent search engine. 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 does include a small percentage of results from third-party APIs that result from well-known search engines like Google or Bing.
Brave offers a browsing experience without tracking activity, searches, or clicks since it is dedicated to being independent, open, and user-centered.
Additionally, it uses private usage metrics, which are deactivatable in preferences, to track and forecast traffic and performance. Additionally, it does not by default block ads, but gives users the option to enroll in Brave Rewards, a commission-based program that rewards users for accepting private, targeted ads to earn redeemable reward points.
Best for: Search that supports local businesses
Does not:
- Build user profiles
- Block ads
Does:
- Gather results from third-party engines
- Track performance with private analytics
- Include customizable tracking preferences
Best Practices for Choosing a Private Search Engine:
- Choose a browser that respects your privacy
Some browsers track your online activity or lack security. Choosing the appropriate browser to work with is crucial for this reason. A decent option is a browser that respects your privacy, such as Firefox. Your privacy is less of an issue with Google Chrome. You might think about utilizing the Tor browser if you desire a very high level of anonymity.
- To encrypt your traffic, use a VPN.
By using a virtual private network (VPN), you may obfuscate your internet activity and maintain your online anonymity. Your IP address is concealed from prying eyes using a VPN, which routes your traffic through an external server. One of the best VPNs for protecting privacy today is Private Internet Access (PIA). It is cheaply priced, adheres to a strict no-logs policy, and employs some of the most secure VPN protocols currently in use.
- Add an anti-tracker extension and an ad blocker to your browser.
Trackers are used by search engines and websites to keep track of your online behavior and deliver tailored content. You may have noticed that adverts for clothing you’ve looked at online are constantly displayed to you. This can be avoided with the aid of ad blockers and other anti-tracker extensions. AVG Antivirus, among other popular antivirus programs, has capabilities for blocking ads and preventing tracking.
- Close all online and social media accounts.
Facebook may monitor you across the internet if you are logged in and using the service. With other social media networks, the same is true. Make it a habit to log out of these sites when you’re done using them to prevent this from happening. You can even take things a step further and delete any personal information that social media firms and data brokers have kept by using a service like DeleteMe or Incogni.
- Use identity theft protection services
Theft of passwords, social security numbers, and credit card information is one of the biggest threats to our privacy. Identity theft protection programs like Norton LifeLock keep an eye out for unusual activity in your accounts. Additionally, they keep an eye on the dark web to see if your private information has been compromised.
Conclusion: Protecting Your Privacy Online
A big step toward a more private internet experience is using search engines that preserve your privacy. Large companies like Google shouldn’t be concerned about what you do online because not everyone needs to know. The search engines we’ve identified above will all work to keep your information private, despite the fact that their methods vary slightly.
Learn about browsers with built in VPN.
FAQs on Private Search Engines:
Are private search engines completely private?
While private search engines prioritize user privacy, they are not completely private. It is still possible for third parties to track your online activities using techniques such as browser fingerprinting or by monitoring network traffic. It is important to use other privacy-enhancing technologies such as VPNs and Tor to enhance your online privacy.
Are private search engines slower than traditional search engines?
Private search engines may be slower than traditional search engines due to the extra privacy-enhancing measures they use. However, the speed difference is often negligible, and some private search engines can be faster than traditional search engines.
Can private search engines be used on mobile devices?
Yes, most private search engines have mobile apps or mobile-friendly websites that can be used on smartphones and tablets.
