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Qwant alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Qwant: results still lean on Bing for much of the web, and some AI features need a Qwant account. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Qwant, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Ecosia currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Ecosia logoEcosiaFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android +13 of 366.5
2Startpage logoStartpageFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 462.6
3DuckDuckGo logoDuckDuckGoFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 459.6
4Swisscows logoSwisscowsFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 355.3
  1. Ecosia logo

    1. EcosiaTop pick

    Best for: People who want their everyday searches to fund climate projects

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Qwant

    Qwant's partner on a European index, with profits funding climate projects.

    Pros

    • Profits go to tree planting and climate projects
    • Publishes financial reports on revenue and spending
    • Familiar results with no change in search habits

    Cons

    • Depends on Google and Bing for results and ads
    • Not as privacy-focused as dedicated private engines
    • Impact depends on people clicking ads
    Visit Ecosia Details 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 Ecosia a good Qwant alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Use of profits
    100% to climate action
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.ecosia.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Ad partners
    Google AdSense and Microsoft Advertising
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.ecosia.org(opens source in a new tab)
    European index
    Built jointly with Qwant
    Checked Oct 25, 2026blog.ecosia.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Startpage logo

    2. Startpage

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

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Qwant

    Another European private engine, with Google-sourced results.

    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 ×0.387
    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 Startpage a good Qwant 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)
  3. DuckDuckGo logo

    3. DuckDuckGo

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

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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Qwant

    More widely used private engine with stronger English-language results.

    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 ×0.377
    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 DuckDuckGo a good Qwant 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)
  4. Swisscows logo

    4. Swisscows

    Best for: Families and schools wanting private, filtered search under Swiss law

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Qwant

    Swiss-hosted and family-friendly, for those wanting non-EU but strong privacy law.

    Pros

    • No tracking and no stored search history
    • Servers and company in Switzerland
    • Family-friendly filtering built in

    Cons

    • Content filter cannot be fully turned off
    • Results depend on partner indexes
    • Partner ads can load third-party content
    Visit Swisscows 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 Swisscows a good Qwant alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Location
    Switzerland (servers and HQ)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026swisscows.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Tracking
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026swisscows.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Family-friendly
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026swisscows.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Qwant alternative for…

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

Ecosia logo

Best Qwant alternative for most people

Ecosia

Qwant's partner on a European index, with profits funding climate projects.

Startpage logo

Best Qwant alternative for a free option

Startpage

Another European private engine, with Google-sourced results.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Qwant alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

DuckDuckGo

More widely used private engine with stronger English-language results.

MetaGer logo

Best Qwant alternative for open source

MetaGer

German non-profit, open-source metasearch for people wanting more independence.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Qwant alternative for Mac

DuckDuckGo

More widely used private engine with stronger English-language results.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Qwant alternative for Windows

DuckDuckGo

More widely used private engine with stronger English-language results.

Swisscows logo

Best Qwant alternative for iPhone and Android

Swisscows

Swiss-hosted and family-friendly, for those wanting non-EU but strong privacy law.

Ecosia logo

Best Qwant alternative for working in the browser

Ecosia

Qwant's partner on a European index, with profits funding climate projects.

Qwant alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Qwant?

Ecosia ranks first right now. Qwant's partner on a European index, with profits funding climate projects. Startpage and DuckDuckGo follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Qwant?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Qwant?

Yes: MetaGer.

Why do people switch from Qwant?

The complaints we hear most: results still lean on Bing for much of the web; some AI features need a Qwant account; less polished outside French-language searches.

How is this list ranked?

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