Alternative search engines: Top picks beyond Google

For most people, searching online is synonymous with Google. The search giant has long dominated the space—but that doesn’t mean there’s no competition. As data privacy and algorithmic bias concerns grow, more people are turning to alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, and Kagi. Plus, some users want search experiences tailored to their preferences or regions. 

With more search options available than ever, individuals can choose the engine that aligns with their values, browsing habits, or specific research needs. A strong understanding of alternative web search engines helps businesses deliver experiences that better align with specific user needs and local search behaviors. 

In this guide, we’ll highlight the most effective alternatives to Google and explore how search preferences vary across regions so you can reach global audiences wherever they search. Your customers aren’t looking for a one-size-fits-all search experience, and your global content strategy should reflect that.

Understanding search engines: Why Google isn’t the only option

A search engine helps people find information by providing relevant search results based on their queries. While Google has been the most widely used search engine for years, its market share is dropping. Alternative search engines are cropping up to fill Google’s gaps and meet needs that other options don’t—and people are using them. A 2025 study reported that 20% of Americans have changed their primary search platform in the past year, and over 71% use AI tools like ChatGPT to search for relevant content. 

Why are people seeking search engines that are better than Google or offer different services? Reasons include:

• Privacy concerns: People might seek search engines with stronger privacy protections and more transparent data usage policies.
• Unbiased results: Alternatives can offer unbiased search results that aren’t influenced by Google’s powerful algorithm.
• Advanced features: AI-powered and specialized search engines deliver summarized responses for fast access to information. While Google’s AI search also offers this experience, many people prefer AI-forward options like ChatGPT.
• Regional relevance: Local search engines can provide more targeted results for specific regions and demographics. For example, users might opt for platforms like Facebook, Yelp, and TripAdvisor when searching for local businesses.
• Fewer ads: Users might opt for search engines with fewer intrusive ads flooding the results page.

Which are the best search engines other than Google?

Whether you’re looking for websites similar to Google or alternatives with distinct features, there are plenty of options. Let’s break down the best search engines by category so you can find the right solution for audience behaviors and business goals.

Best AI-powered search engines

AI search engines use advanced machine learning capabilities to deliver summarized insights and more intuitive search experiences.

Perplexity AI

Perplexity’s conversational AI search gives users summarized answers with citations, making every search more reliable. It’s grown quickly, with 700+ million monthly queries.

Key features: Conversational AI answers, dependably summarized research, personalized feeds

ChatGPT

With 400 million weekly active users as of 2025, ChatGPT has become one of the most popular options alternatives to Google. Its AI search gives fast answers, and it has other capabilities like content and image generation. 

Key features: Natural language queries, contextual answers with citations, web browsing, follow-up questions

Best search engines for data privacy

Data privacy-focused search engines prioritize user anonymity by avoiding tracking, data collection, and targeted advertising.

Arc Search

Arc Search’s search engine and browser blocks intrusive ads and protects user data for a personalized, clean search experience. 

Key features: Mobile-first, ad-free, “Browse for Me” tool to summarize and curate information from multiple sources

Ecosia

Ecosia does have ads, but this climate-positive search engine uses 100% of ad profits to plant trees so you do good with every search.

Key features: Privacy-focused with minimal tracking, runs on renewable energy, features AI chat with green mode, optimized for speed and battery savings

Kagi

Kagi’s focus on ad-free results makes it a popular choice for users looking to avoid the noise—it has 51,000 members and counting. Unfortunately, the free version only offers 100 searches before you have to start paying, which could be a con for some.

Key features: Subscription-based, highly customizable results, AI-powered summaries and quick answers

Brave Search

Brave Search’s independent search index boasts 1.4 billion monthly queries. It also has a web browser with VPN and ad-blocking capabilities.

Key features: No tracking, mostly ad-free, “Goggles” for custom result filters

Best search engines for anonymity

Anonymous search engines are designed for users who want complete privacy. They often have open-source solutions and strict no-tracking policies.

Mojeek

Mojeek’s fully independent search index lets you search the web, images, news, and more without data tracking.

Key features: Zero tracking, unbiased results, follows European data center for privacy regulations 

Startpage

Startpage is a Dutch search engine that offers Google-powered results without the ads and data tracking.

Key features: No tracking, encrypted connections, anonymous browsing

Best unbiased search engine

Unbiased search engines deliver neutral, non-personalized results with minimal algorithmic bias.

DuckDuckGo

With 3 billion monthly searches, DuckDuckGo is one of the most popular alternative search engines available. It also has a privacy browser extension for a more secure web experience.

Key features: No tracking, no ads, simple user interface

Best search engines for news

News search engines aggregate and curate real-time news stories from across the web, helping users stay updated on breaking events and trends.

Yahoo

Yahoo is one of the original search engines, founded in 1994, and its news hub is arguably even more popular than its search services. 

Key features: AI integrations, trending topics, comprehensive news aggregation across verticals like finance, sports, and entertainment

Bing News

Bing has 140 million daily active users, and its news results play a major part in that popularity. The platform prioritizes customization, tailoring stories on the home page to users’ topic preferences and locations.

Key features: Real-time news curation, personalized headlines, visual magazine-style summaries

Best search engines for regional engagement

Region-specific search engines cater to local audiences, offering tailored results and language support for specific countries and demographics.

Yandex

Yandex is consistently the biggest search engine in Russia and has many other tech services for users, including a cloud drive, email, AI, video conferencing tools, and more.

Key features: Dominant in Russia, strong local content and translation, supports Cyrillic and regional services

Baidu

Baidu’s app alone has 670 million monthly active users, but its other services include a search engine, a video streaming platform, and a Wikipedia-like encyclopedia. It’s currently the most-used search engine in China. 

Key features: Main search engine in China, includes ad placements, supports Chinese language and government compliance

Naver

Naver is the leading platform in South Korea, with 39 million monthly active users as of 2023. 

Key features: Integrates local news, shopping, maps, and community content for Korean users

Swisscows

This Switzerland-based search engine focuses on anonymity, with no tracking or data storage for any searches. It doesn’t publicly share its number of users. 

Key features: Completely anonymous, offers email function and VPN

Qwant

Qwant aims to put users first by prioritizing privacy, never tracking or selling customer data. It boasts 6 million monthly users and its own independent web index. 

Key features: Privacy-first and does not track users, offers unbiased results, supports multiple languages

Using region-specific search engines to improve localized marketing efforts

Global marketing teams often focus on Google, but if you want to reach global target audiences, consider localized search engines similar to Google. Understanding these platforms is key to engaging diverse audiences worldwide and tailoring localization strategies that resonate.

Once you identify which region-specific search engines to use, explore the SEO best practices for those particular search engines. Knowing which platform you’re targeting helps improve your localized marketing efforts, alongside these basic SEO steps:

• Conduct local keyword research: Explore popular local search terms, slang, and culturally relevant phrases that resonate with your target audience. Focus on queries that might differ from national trends.
• Analyze competitors: Study how top local competitors appear in regional search results and identify gaps or opportunities for differentiation.
• Localize website content: User expectations differ across countries. Tailor website pages to reflect local languages and formatting. Smartling’s translation service can easily localize website content and marketing campaigns for multilingual audiences.
• Create geo-targeted landing pages: Build dedicated pages for different cities or regions to boost visibility across borders.
• Optimize local listings: Claim and update business profiles and directory listings on platforms that appear in regional search engine results.
• Engage with users on local platforms: Meet people where they are. Interact with customers on popular forums and social networks in their region to drive engagement and direct traffic to your site.
• Measure and refine results: Use analytics tools to assess the performance of localized content and continuously optimize based on user engagement.

Questions fréquentes

Are there search engines that don’t track user data?

Several search engines—also known as private search engines—don’t track or store user data. These platforms are designed to protect personal information and IP addresses, and are appealing to users who value anonymity and data security. They include DuckDuckGo, Startpage, and Brave Search. 

What should businesses consider when optimizing content for non-Google search engines?

Businesses should recognize that each platform has its own algorithms and crawling processes. This means companies need to research each target platform’s ranking factors and update their content to make it discoverable. Then, they can optimize their content by conducting keyword research, localizing on-site experiences with high-quality translations, and earning backlinks from popular regional sites and directories.

Expand your global search visibility with Smartling

Google isn’t the only option for online search— and as people seek alternatives, businesses should localize websites for these other search engines. With SEO efforts tailored to different engines, businesses can increase engagement and keep audiences informed across the globe. 

But it’s not enough to translate your website content and hope users find it. Proactively adjust on-site experiences to boost visibility on region-specific search engines so users find localized content that resonates.

Still considering your options for localization? Download our eBook, “What To Look for in a Translation Solution,” for expert guidance on selecting the best partner or platform.