AppBreakup
Submit an app

Startpage alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Startpage: fewer rich features such as maps and local listings, and anonymous View breaks some interactive sites. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Startpage, 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
3Brave Search logoBrave SearchFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 459.6
4SearXNG logoSearXNGOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
5Qwant logoQwantFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 455.3
  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 Startpage

    Similar privacy promise with more features like bangs and its own browser.

    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 ×0.3100
    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 Startpage 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 Startpage

    Paid and ad-free, with result customisation Startpage can't offer.

    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 Startpage 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. SearXNG logo

    4. SearXNG

    Best for: Self-hosters who want private search pulling from many engines at once

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Startpage

    Self-hosted metasearch that can also pull Google results anonymously.

    Pros

    • Combines results from many engines in one page
    • No tracking or profiling, with optional JavaScript and cookies
    • Fully self-hostable and configurable

    Cons

    • Upstream engines sometimes block or rate-limit instances
    • Public instances vary in speed and reliability
    • Running your own takes some server know-how
    Visit SearXNG Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    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 SearXNG a good Startpage alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Engines supported
    Up to 261 search services
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.searxng.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Origin
    Fork of searx (2021)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.searxng.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Container, script or manual install
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.searxng.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Qwant logo

    5. Qwant

    Best for: Europeans who want a privacy-respecting search engine under EU jurisdiction

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Startpage

    A European alternative that also promises not to store search history.

    Pros

    • Does not keep your search history or sell personal data
    • Hosted in Europe under EU privacy law
    • Separate Qwant Junior for kids

    Cons

    • Results still lean on Bing for much of the web
    • Some AI features need a Qwant account
    • Less polished outside French-language searches
    Visit Qwant 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 Qwant a good Startpage alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Hosting
    France / Europe
    Checked Oct 25, 2026qwant.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Search history
    Not retained
    Checked Oct 25, 2026qwant.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI answers
    Flash Answers
    Checked Oct 25, 2026qwant.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Browser extensions
    Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.qwant.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Startpage alternative for…

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

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Startpage alternative for most people

DuckDuckGo

Similar privacy promise with more features like bangs and its own browser.

SearXNG logo

Best Startpage alternative for a free option

SearXNG

Self-hosted metasearch that can also pull Google results anonymously.

Brave Search logo

Best Startpage alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Brave Search

Private search on an independent index instead of Google-sourced results.

SearXNG logo

Best Startpage alternative for open source

SearXNG

Self-hosted metasearch that can also pull Google results anonymously.

SearXNG logo

Best Startpage alternative for self-hosting

SearXNG

Self-hosted metasearch that can also pull Google results anonymously.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Startpage alternative for Mac

DuckDuckGo

Similar privacy promise with more features like bangs and its own browser.

DuckDuckGo logo

Best Startpage alternative for Windows

DuckDuckGo

Similar privacy promise with more features like bangs and its own browser.

Kagi logo

Best Startpage alternative for iPhone and Android

Kagi

Paid and ad-free, with result customisation Startpage can't offer.

Qwant logo

Best Startpage alternative for working in the browser

Qwant

A European alternative that also promises not to store search history.

Startpage alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Startpage?

DuckDuckGo ranks first right now. Similar privacy promise with more features like bangs and its own browser. Kagi and Brave Search follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Startpage?

Yes. DuckDuckGo (free plan + paid), Brave Search (free plan + paid), SearXNG (open source) and Qwant (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Startpage?

Yes: SearXNG. SearXNG can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Startpage?

The complaints we hear most: fewer rich features such as maps and local listings; anonymous View breaks some interactive sites; ads are still shown, just not personalised.

How is this list ranked?

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