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Brave Search alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Brave Search: index is smaller than Google's for niche and local queries, and ad-free Premium only works in the Brave browser. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Brave Search, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. DuckDuckGo currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1DuckDuckGo logoDuckDuckGoFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 466.5
2Kagi logoKagiPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 562.6
3Mojeek logoMojeekFreeNoWeb4 of 459.6
4Google Search logoGoogle SearchFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 457.2
5Exa logoExaFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 355.3
6Perplexity logoPerplexityFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +23 of 353.6
  1. DuckDuckGo logo

    1. DuckDuckGoTop pick

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

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

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Brave Search

    A more established private engine with bangs and a larger user base.

    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 Compare with Brave SearchDetails and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is DuckDuckGo a good Brave Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Launched
    2008
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Monthly searches
    3 billion
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Result sources
    Many sources plus own crawler (DuckDuckBot)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI chat
    Duck.ai, free and optional
    Checked Oct 25, 2026duckduckgo.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Kagi logo

    2. Kagi

    Best for: Heavy searchers willing to pay for ad-free, customisable results

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Brave Search

    Fully ad-free paid search with deep personal customisation of results.

    Pros

    • No ads and no tracking, funded only by subscriptions
    • Block, boost or lower any domain in your results
    • Lenses and AI assistant for focused research

    Cons

    • Monthly subscription for something most engines give away
    • Free trial is limited to 100 searches
    • Local and maps results lag Google
    Visit Kagi Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is Kagi a good Brave Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free trial
    100 searches
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $5/month (300 searches)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Unlimited plan
    $10/month (Professional)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Founded
    2018, Palo Alto
    Checked Oct 25, 2026help.kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Unused months
    Credited automatically
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Mojeek logo

    3. Mojeek

    Best for: People who want genuinely independent results and a different view of the web

    FreeWeb

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Brave Search

    Another engine with its own crawler and index, run from the UK with no tracking.

    Pros

    • Own crawler and index, not a Bing or Google reseller
    • No tracking and no personalised results
    • Web Search API available for developers

    Cons

    • Smaller index means thinner results on niche topics
    • Few rich features such as maps or shopping
    • Weak on very recent news
    Visit Mojeek Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is Mojeek a good Brave Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Index size
    Over 9 billion pages
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Tracking
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Hosting
    UK green data centre
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
    API price
    From £2 per 1,000 requests
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Exa logo

    5. Exa

    Best for: Teams building AI agents that need semantic web search and page contents

    Free plan + paidWeb

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Brave Search

    A search API built for AI agents, if you mainly used Brave's API.

    Pros

    • Meaning-based search suited to AI and research queries
    • Free monthly credit with no card required
    • MCP server and integrations with AI tools

    Cons

    • Not a consumer search engine
    • Usage costs add up for high-volume agents
    • Semantic results can miss exact-keyword matches
    Visit Exa Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is Exa a good Brave Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    $10 credit per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026exa.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Card required
    No
    Checked Oct 25, 2026exa.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    MCP server
    Included
    Checked Oct 25, 2026exa.ai(opens source in a new tab)
  5. 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

    53.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Brave Search

    For people who mostly use the AI answer box and want deeper research answers.

    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 ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is Perplexity a good Brave Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    How it works
    Real-time web search, summarised with citations
    Checked Oct 25, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise security
    SOC 2 Type II
    Checked Oct 25, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise customers
    50,000+ organizations
    Checked Oct 25, 2026perplexity.ai(opens source in a new tab)

The best Brave Search alternative for…

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

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Brave Search alternative for most people

DuckDuckGo

A more established private engine with bangs and a larger user base.

Mojeek logo

Best Brave Search alternative for a free option

Mojeek

Another engine with its own crawler and index, run from the UK with no tracking.

Exa logo

Best Brave Search alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Exa

A search API built for AI agents, if you mainly used Brave's API.

Perplexity logo

Best Brave Search alternative for Mac

Perplexity

For people who mostly use the AI answer box and want deeper research answers.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Brave Search alternative for Windows

DuckDuckGo

A more established private engine with bangs and a larger user base.

Kagi logo

Best Brave Search alternative for iPhone and Android

Kagi

Fully ad-free paid search with deep personal customisation of results.

Google Search logo

Best Brave Search alternative for working in the browser

Google Search

Broader index for local, shopping and very recent results.

Brave Search alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Brave Search?

DuckDuckGo ranks first right now. A more established private engine with bangs and a larger user base. Kagi and Mojeek follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Brave Search?

Yes. DuckDuckGo (free plan + paid), Mojeek (free), Google Search (free) and Exa (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Brave Search?

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

Why do people switch from Brave Search?

The complaints we hear most: index is smaller than Google's for niche and local queries; ad-free Premium only works in the Brave browser; tied to a company also selling a browser, crypto wallet and ads.

How is this list ranked?

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