Microsoft Bing vs Google Search
Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Microsoft Bing
Microsoft's search engine, with AI answers, image creation and rewards points built in.
Google Search
The world's default web search engine, now layered with AI Overviews and a conversational AI Mode.
The short answer
Both are free, ad-supported search engines with their own large indexes and heavy AI features. Google has the larger, fresher index and is strongest for local, maps, shopping and recent results. Bing is the default in Edge and Windows, has strong image and video search, built-in Image Creator and Rewards points. Pick Google for coverage; pick Bing if you live in Microsoft's ecosystem or value image search.
Microsoft Bing or Google Search: our take
Google Search wraps its results in AI Overviews and an AI Mode for follow-up questions, and connects to Maps, Lens, Shopping and news. Bing has taken a similar path, generating summarised answers, connecting to Copilot, and including Bing Image Creator for making images from text prompts. Bing's image and video search are well regarded, and Microsoft Rewards gives points for searching that can be redeemed for gift cards. Google's index is the largest and freshest of any public engine, which shows most on local, niche technical and breaking-news queries.
Bing matters beyond bing.com because it supplies results to many other engines, including Yahoo and several privacy-focused services. That means many people use Bing's index without visiting it. Both engines tie activity to your account when signed in: Google personalises results with your account activity by default, and Bing links searches to your Microsoft account.
The complaints are similar. Google's ads and shopping units push organic results down and its AI answers appear whether you want them or not. Bing's results pages are busy with ads, news and promotions, and it pushes Edge and Microsoft services fairly hard. Both run in any browser with iOS and Android apps; Google is the default in Chrome and most Android phones, Bing in Edge and Windows search.
Choose Google if you need the broadest, most current results, particularly for local businesses and maps. Choose Bing if you use Windows and Edge, want built-in image generation, search images and video often, or like earning Rewards points.
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Bing if…
- Windows and Edge users, and people who like strong image and video search
- Own large index, also used by many smaller engines
- Good image and video search, plus built-in image generation
Choose Google Search if…
- Anyone who wants the broadest, freshest index and strong local, maps and shopping results
- Largest and freshest web index, especially for local and recent results
- Deep integration with Maps, Lens, Shopping and other Google services
About each app
What is Microsoft Bing?
Bing is Microsoft's web search engine and the second-largest independent index in the Western world. Besides its own results page, it supplies results to many other engines, including Yahoo and several privacy-focused services, so its quality matters well beyond bing.com. Microsoft has leaned into AI: Bing generates summarised answers for many queries, connects to Copilot, and includes Bing Image Creator for making images from text prompts. Image and video search are strong, and Microsoft Rewards gives points for searching that can be redeemed for gift cards. It is free and funded by ads. Bing is the default in Microsoft Edge and Windows search, and has apps for iOS and Android. It suits people who live in the Microsoft ecosystem or prefer its image search, while privacy-minded users usually reach it indirectly through engines like DuckDuckGo instead of using it signed in.
What is Google Search?
Google Search is the search engine most people use without thinking about it. Its index is the largest and freshest of any public engine, and it is hard to beat for local results, maps, shopping, news, niche technical queries and anything that happened in the last hour. In recent years Google has wrapped classic results in AI: AI Overviews summarise answers at the top of the page, AI Mode turns search into a back-and-forth conversation, and Lens lets you search with your camera. It is free to use and paid for by advertising, and results are personalised using your Google account activity unless you turn that off. It runs in any browser and through the Google app on iOS and Android, and it is the default in Chrome and most Android phones. People leave it over ads crowding the top of results, SEO spam, AI answers they did not ask for, or how much data it ties to their account.
Side by side
| Attribute | Microsoft Bing | Google Search |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Windows and Edge users, and people who like strong image and video search | Anyone who wants the broadest, freshest index and strong local, maps and shopping results |
| Status | Active | Active |
Microsoft Bing vs Google Search pricing
Microsoft Bing: free
We couldn't verify Microsoft Bing's plan details on its own site yet, so we don't list them.
Google Search: free
We couldn't verify Google Search's plan details on its own site yet, so we don't list them.
Platforms
| Platform | Microsoft Bing | Google Search |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android |
Microsoft Bing facts
3 of 3 verified- Image generation
- Bing Image Creator
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Bing Image Creator uses the latest MAI-Image-2e, GPT-4o, or DALL-E 3 models.”
- Safe search
- Yes, configurable filters
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “With Safe Search, you can set filters to ensure a safer searching experience.”
- Positioning
- AI-powered search and answer engine
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Bing is your AI-powered search and answer engine”
Google Search facts
4 of 4 verified- AI features
- AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Checked Oct 25, 2026google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Easily ask a follow-up question right from an AI Overview, and flow into a conversational back and forth with AI Mode.”
- Visual search
- Google Lens
- Checked Oct 25, 2026google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Lens Ask questions about what you see”
- Ads in results
- Yes, the only thing Google sells in Search
- Checked Oct 25, 2026google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Learn more Sell ads, nothing more Ads help us keep Search accessible – but they’re the only thing we sell.”
- Business model
- Advertising; no paid ranking
- Checked Oct 25, 2026google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “We don’t charge anyone to be in our search index, and we don’t accept payment for search result rankings.”
Pros and cons of Microsoft Bing
- Own large index, also used by many smaller engines
- Good image and video search, plus built-in image generation
- Rewards points for searching
- 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
Pros and cons of Google Search
- Largest and freshest web index, especially for local and recent results
- Deep integration with Maps, Lens, Shopping and other Google services
- AI Overviews and AI Mode for follow-up questions on complex topics
- 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
Other apps to consider
DuckDuckGoInstead of Microsoft Bing
Draws heavily on Bing's results but without tying searches to an account.
EcosiaInstead of Microsoft Bing
Similar Bing/Google-sourced results, with profits going to tree planting and climate projects.
Brave SearchInstead of Microsoft Bing
An independent index that does not depend on Bing, with built-in AI answers.
KagiInstead of Google Search
Paid, ad-free search that lets you block or boost domains to cut out SEO spam.
StartpageInstead of Google Search
Shows Google-sourced results while stripping your IP and identifiers first.
PerplexityInstead of Google Search
For people who mostly want cited AI answers rather than a page of links.
Microsoft Bing vs Google Search: common questions
Is Microsoft Bing better than Google Search?
Both are free, ad-supported search engines with their own large indexes and heavy AI features. Google has the larger, fresher index and is strongest for local, maps, shopping and recent results. Bing is the default in Edge and Windows, has strong image and video search, built-in Image Creator and Rewards points. Pick Google for coverage; pick Bing if you live in Microsoft's ecosystem or value image search.
Is Microsoft Bing free?
Yes, Microsoft Bing is free.
Is Google Search free?
Yes, Google Search is free.
Is Microsoft Bing or Google Search open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Microsoft Bing and Google Search support?
Microsoft Bing: Web, iOS and Android. Google Search: Web, iOS and Android.