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Ask.com alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll search engines

Top picks

Common reasons people leave Ask.com: shut down on 1 May 2026; the site no longer offers search, and was ad-heavy and often bundled through toolbars and homepage changes. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Ask.com, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Startpage currently ranks first.

Ask.com has been discontinued. Closed on 1 May 2026 after IAC discontinued its search business, according to the notice on ask.com.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Startpage logoStartpageFree—NoWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 470.9
2Google Search logoGoogle SearchFree—NoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 468.8
3Microsoft Bing logoMicrosoft BingFree—NoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 364.8
4Yahoo Search logoYahoo SearchFree—NoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 361.8
5DuckDuckGo logoDuckDuckGoFree plan + paid$9.99 a month or $99.99 a yearNoWeb, Windows, macOS +37 of 759.4
6Perplexity logoPerplexityFree plan + paidFrom $40 per seat/month or $400 per seat/yearNoWeb, Windows, macOS +26 of 657.5
  1. Startpage logo

    1. StartpageTop pick

    Best for: People who want Google-quality results without Google tracking them

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    70.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Ask.com

    Google-quality results through a privacy proxy, for users who want results without profiling.

    Pros

    • Familiar Google-sourced results without personalisation
    • Anonymous View proxy hides your IP from the sites you open
    • Does not record your IP address or search history

    Cons

    • Fewer rich features such as maps and local listings
    • Anonymous View breaks some interactive sites
    • Ads are still shown, just not personalised
    Visit Startpage Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Startpage a good Ask.com alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Founded
    2006, the Netherlands
    Checked Nov 8, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
    IP logging
    No
    Checked Nov 8, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Proxy browsing
    Anonymous View
    Checked Nov 8, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data protection
    GDPR
    Checked Nov 8, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Microsoft Bing logo

    3. Microsoft Bing

    Best for: Windows and Edge users, and people who like strong image and video search

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Ask.com

    Microsoft's engine, a close like-for-like swap with answers, images and Copilot chat built in.

    Pros

    • Own large index, also used by many smaller engines
    • Good image and video search, plus built-in image generation
    • Rewards points for searching

    Cons

    • Busy results pages with ads, news and promotions
    • Pushes Edge and Microsoft services fairly hard
    • Search activity is tied to your Microsoft account when signed in
    Visit Microsoft Bing Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft Bing a good Ask.com alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Positioning
    AI-powered search and answer engine
    Checked Nov 8, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Image generation
    Bing Image Creator
    Checked Nov 8, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Safe search
    Yes, configurable filters
    Checked Nov 8, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. DuckDuckGo logo

    5. DuckDuckGo

    Best for: People who want a familiar, free search engine without being profiled

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from Ask.com

    Free and simple like Ask was, but without tracking or personalised ads.

    Pros

    • No search history or ad profile tied to you
    • Bangs make jumping to other sites' search very fast
    • Optional private AI chat and a tracker-blocking browser

    Cons

    • Relies heavily on Bing, so results are rarely unique
    • Weaker than Google for local and breaking-news queries
    • Still shows ads, just not personalised ones
    Visit DuckDuckGo Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is DuckDuckGo a good Ask.com alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Launched
    2008
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Monthly searches
    3 billion
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Result sources
    Many sources plus own crawler (DuckDuckBot)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI chat
    Duck.ai, free and optional
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes, search and browser are free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plus plan
    $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Perplexity logo

    6. Perplexity

    Best for: Researching questions where you want a sourced summary instead of a list of links

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    57.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Ask.com

    Keeps the ask-a-question approach, returning a written answer with cited sources.

    Pros

    • Answers cite their sources inline
    • Real-time web search with follow-up questions
    • Choice of leading AI models on paid plans

    Cons

    • Summaries can misread or over-generalise sources
    • Weak for navigational, shopping and local searches
    • Best features sit behind a subscription
    Visit Perplexity Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Perplexity a good Ask.com alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    How it works
    Real-time web search, summarised with citations
    Checked Nov 8, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise security
    SOC 2 Type II
    Checked Nov 8, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise customers
    50,000+ organizations
    Checked Nov 8, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes (Standard)
    Checked Nov 1, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise Pro plan
    From $40 per seat/month or $400 per seat/year
    Checked Nov 1, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Student discount
    Education Pro at $10 a month with SheerID verification
    Checked Nov 1, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)

The best Ask.com alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Startpage logo

Best Ask.com alternative for most people

Startpage

Google-quality results through a privacy proxy, for users who want results without profiling.

Google Search logo

Best Ask.com alternative for a free option

Google Search

The default choice for most former Ask users, with the largest index and quick answer boxes.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Ask.com alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

DuckDuckGo

Free and simple like Ask was, but without tracking or personalised ads.

Perplexity logo

Best Ask.com alternative for Mac

Perplexity

Keeps the ask-a-question approach, returning a written answer with cited sources.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Ask.com alternative for Windows

DuckDuckGo

Free and simple like Ask was, but without tracking or personalised ads.

Microsoft Bing logo

Best Ask.com alternative for iPhone and Android

Microsoft Bing

Microsoft's engine, a close like-for-like swap with answers, images and Copilot chat built in.

Yahoo Search logo

Best Ask.com alternative for working in the browser

Yahoo Search

Another long-running portal-style search that feels familiar to Ask's older audience.

Ask.com alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Ask.com?

Startpage ranks first right now. Google-quality results through a privacy proxy, for users who want results without profiling. Google Search and Microsoft Bing follow it in our ranking.

Ask.com vs Startpage: what's the difference?

Both Ask.com and Startpage are free to use. Only Startpage runs on iOS, Android and Browser extension.

Is Ask.com free?

Ask.com is free to use.

How much do Ask.com alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked Ask.com alternatives: DuckDuckGo, $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year; Perplexity, From $40 per seat/month or $400 per seat/year. Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to Ask.com?

Yes. Startpage (free), Google Search (free), Microsoft Bing (free) and Yahoo Search (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Ask.com?

None of the 6 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Ask.com?

The complaints we hear most: shut down on 1 May 2026; the site no longer offers search; was ad-heavy and often bundled through toolbars and homepage changes.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Ask.com, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.