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Google Search alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Google Search: ads and shopping units push organic results down the page, and personalised by default using your account and activity data. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Google Search, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Microsoft Bing currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Microsoft Bing logoMicrosoft BingFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 366.5
2DuckDuckGo logoDuckDuckGoFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 462.6
3Kagi logoKagiPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 559.6
4Brave Search logoBrave SearchFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 457.2
5Startpage logoStartpageFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 455.3
6Perplexity logoPerplexityFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +23 of 353.6
  1. Microsoft Bing logo

    1. Microsoft BingTop pick

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

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Search

    The other big independent index, with Copilot-style AI answers and Microsoft Rewards points.

    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 Compare with Google 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 Microsoft Bing a good Google Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Positioning
    AI-powered search and answer engine
    Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Image generation
    Bing Image Creator
    Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Safe search
    Yes, configurable filters
    Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. DuckDuckGo logo

    2. DuckDuckGo

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

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

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Search

    Familiar, fast results without search history being tied to a profile.

    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 Google SearchDetails 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 DuckDuckGo a good Google 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)
  3. Kagi logo

    3. Kagi

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

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Search

    Paid, ad-free search that lets you block or boost domains to cut out SEO spam.

    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 ×0.377
    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 Kagi a good Google 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)
  4. Startpage logo

    5. Startpage

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

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Google Search

    Shows Google-sourced results while stripping your IP and identifiers first.

    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 ×0.363
    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 Startpage a good Google Search alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Founded
    2006, the Netherlands
    Checked Oct 25, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
    IP logging
    No
    Checked Oct 25, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Proxy browsing
    Anonymous View
    Checked Oct 25, 2026startpage.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data protection
    GDPR
    Checked Oct 25, 2026startpage.com(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 Google Search

    For people who mostly want cited AI answers rather than a page of links.

    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 Google 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 Google Search alternative for…

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

Microsoft Bing logo

Best Google Search alternative for most people

Microsoft Bing

The other big independent index, with Copilot-style AI answers and Microsoft Rewards points.

Startpage logo

Best Google Search alternative for a free option

Startpage

Shows Google-sourced results while stripping your IP and identifiers first.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Google Search alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

DuckDuckGo

Familiar, fast results without search history being tied to a profile.

Perplexity logo

Best Google Search alternative for Mac

Perplexity

For people who mostly want cited AI answers rather than a page of links.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Google Search alternative for Windows

DuckDuckGo

Familiar, fast results without search history being tied to a profile.

Kagi logo

Best Google Search alternative for iPhone and Android

Kagi

Paid, ad-free search that lets you block or boost domains to cut out SEO spam.

Brave Search logo

Best Google Search alternative for working in the browser

Brave Search

Runs on its own index rather than Google's, with AI answers and no profiling.

Google Search alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Google Search?

Microsoft Bing ranks first right now. The other big independent index, with Copilot-style AI answers and Microsoft Rewards points. DuckDuckGo and Kagi follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Google Search?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Google Search?

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

Why do people switch from Google Search?

The complaints we hear most: ads and shopping units push organic results down the page; personalised by default using your account and activity data; AI answers appear on many queries whether or not you want them.

How is this list ranked?

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