10 Best Alternative Search Engines Which Respects Your Privacy
While finding the best search engine for privacy, one must consider lot of factors before reaching to the final verdict. Each search engine has its own pros and cons which makes them different from other privacy based search engines. Ultimately, it’s the requirements of the Users which make them decide the right browser that fits their situation.
In this article, we have listed the top 10 best alternative search engines which are privacy-friendly and can also returns good search results.
1. Startpage
One can’t deny that Google is the best search engine ever existed on Internet but its also have a bad reputation as being snoopy. Startpage provides Google search results to the Users minus the privacy issues. Users of startpage receives good search results compare to other alternatives. It also offers advanced filtering options along with features for searching pictures and videos.
Started in 1998 by David Bodnick, Searchpage was a part of IXQuick. Before IXQuick and Startpage used to run separately. However, Users recently noticed that IXQuick is now redirecting its searches to startpage.
What makes Startpage Unique is its privacy policy. Users of Startpage doesn’t worry for their information getting shared with third parties as Startpage does not log any User data.
Pros
Favourable Jurisdiction: Being officially based in Netherlands where Government allows favourable jurisdiction for privacy, Users of Startpage can enjoy fully privacy while accessing internet.
Proxy: Users of Startpage can view images, videos and websites using the proxy server provided next to the search results. With just one click to the proxy link, one can add one layer of security in their privacy.
2. Searx.me
Searx is an open source metasearch engine, available on Github. Searx usually accumulates search results through other search engines without divulging User privacy. In Searx Users can execute their own instance but it also hold a limitation. Using own instance doesn’t allows the User’s search results mix with other Users search results. Hence, the User’s search result are linked with his/her IP address.
Pros
Customizable: With searx users can modify the search results as their own preference. Users can select specific search engines from where they want searx to get their results. By using the User Preference option, Users can filter their search results with different categories.
Public instances: As an Open Source website, Searx offers a broad range of public instances for the Users to Utilize. However, the instances offered by Searx are completely safe and different from Tor Nodes. Unlike Tor Nodes, no one in Searx can set up a “rogue” instance and log User activities. It is the reason why Searx is one of its kind.
3. Qwant
It’s not been even 5 years to Qwant but it already have gained more than 10 million searches per day. Started in 2013 as a private search Engine in France, Qwant offers uncompromised anonymity to its Users.
Pros
Privacy Protection: As a Europe based company, the data privacy protections law is much stringent over there compared to the United States.
No Tracking: Qwant clearly mentioned in its policy that it does not track the activity of the Users. Also it helps Users in getting stuck in the filter bubble.
Advance search Categories: Users in qwant will receive a categorised version of search results under the sections like web, social media and news. Moreover, Users can access interesting news stories, events and trending personalities on the homepage.
Users who don’t want third-party interference in their personal data can switch to Qwant and enjoy excellent search results to their taste.
4. DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGO or DDG generates search results from more than 400 sources comprising of platforms like Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, and Wikipedia etc. This US-based search engine was started by Gabriel Weinberg in year 2008 with an intention to provide 100% privacy to internet Users.
However, to finance its operations DuckDuckGo raises resources through displaying advertisements and affiliates on its page. Apart from doing an affiliated partnership with amazon and Ebay, DuckDuckGo displays some ads at the top of the Users’ searches.
Pros
Prevent Search Leakage: Whenever a User search a query on internet, the IP address, search terms are send to the search engine and the websites that User clicked under the “search term”. DuckDUckGo claims of providing fool privacy to a User. With DuckDuckGo, a User get the search leakage feature by default. When a user click on a link at DuckDuckGo, the site reroute the request without letting the website find out about User’s search term. Any search history in this search engine is complete safe and no one can tied it back to the User.
Non-Paginated: Users can Enjoy scrolling down as long as they doesn’t reach to their desire results. Unlike other search engines, Users of DDG doesn’t have to continuously click at the next page option. Just one search is enough and rest depends upon the Users about how long they want to scroll.
5. Disconnect Search
Disconnect Search is also an ideal choice for Users looking for privacy. As per the new revised rules in 22 July, 2018, Disconnect Search claimed that they never store Users’ IP address or personal info unless or until Users provides them voluntarily. Disconnect only collects non-personally identifiable Geo locations of the Users but they never collect precise or associated Geo Locations of the Users.
Pros
Don’t Sell Personal Data: As Disconnect Search doesn’t allow any third-parties to collect personal information of Users. Moreover, Disconnect Search also doesn’t sell personal info or email address of the Users to any third-parties.
VPN services: Disconnect Search also provides VPN services to mobile devices like android and iOS, making the browsing experience of Users more private by safeguarding from 1000s of malware threats.
The best thing about the privacy policy of Disconnect Search is their straightforward and transparent approach. Disconnect Search has clearly stated that Under legal court order subjected to national risk, Disconnect Search will have to provide User information to legal authority. However, for full anonymity and security Users can use a reliable VPN services like LimeVPN
6. Peekier
Peekier doesn’t log personal information of Users and doesn’t track browser search as well. In their privacy policy, Peekier clearly states their stringent privacy policies in details.
Pros
Preview: Peekier shows a glimpse of the website displayed on the search results, providing a easy choice for the Users. Now Users can see the preview of a specific website, which appeared in the form of thumbnails on the search page.
Faster Loading Time: Peekier uses superfast servers and helps Users to save data through reducing the weight of the website significantly.
Safeguarding from malware: All websites are loaded on the servers of Peekier. During rendering the website, Peekier handles all malwares and threats of a website along with protecting the privacy of the Users.
Search through different locations: Users of Peekier are provided with a long list of different location which they can alternatively use rather than using their real location.
The search settings in peekier is set at “Strict” by default but users can change it to “None” while accessing restricted contents.
7. Search Encrypt
Search Encrypt also has some fascinating features apart from providing high-end local encryption.
Pros
Sophisticated encryption: Search encrypt combines AES-256 Encryption with Secure Sockets Layer Encryption for optimum security. Collaborating with a broad network of search partners, Search Encrypt offers a more precise search results for its Users. Soon after a User end a search in Search Encrypt, the search term expires automatically without leaving any traces of the User.
Cool Features: Search Encrypt is quite prompt in adding new features related to news, maps search and privacy-friendly videos. This Search Engine allows the Users to watch a video without leaving the platform. Search Encrypt also provides an additional privacy protection.
8. Gibiru
According to the announcement of Steve Marshall, CEO of Gibiru, users can get the same experience as they used to get while searching Google. Gibiru use the modified Google Algorithm, which provides faster search results without any tracking by Google.
Gibiru sources its search results from a modified Google algorithm. Gibiru’s CEO, Steve Marshall, announced in a press release that his service is exactly what Google was early on. It provides reliable search results without all the tracking that Google does today.
As Gibiru doesn’t install any personalisation and tracking cookies to its Users, but it offers faster results compared to any NSA search engines.
9. Bitclave
Bitclave is a blockchain based decentralised search engine which offers uncompromised privacy to Users. What makes Bitclave Unique is its features which allows and restrict information shared with advertisers.
Unlike other Search Engines, Bitclave does not act as intermediaries but rather leave the contract to advertisers and Users. Advertisers asks Users to make some relevant searches as per the requirements. In return, Bitclave incentivizes Users by providing Consumer Activity Tokes upon completion of tasks.
10. Swisscows
Swisscows is known for being the best answer Search engine along with providing untraceable data integrity utilising innovative technologies. Being the first intelligent answer engine, Swisscows has integrated semantic information recognition feature and make the platform more User firie
Pros
A safe alternative: The servers of Swisscows are stored in Switzerland, a country known for following stringent privacy law. Unlike countries like the US and other alleged data snoopers, Swisscrows doesn’t store any IP address or personal information.
Data Cloud technology: Swisscow offers faster search time for the answers for a specific search term. All answers are generated at the data pools of the Data Cloud technology, making the answers for the search term appears faster.
Conclusion
Even though the aforementioned web browsers offers anonymity and privacy, it still will not completely negates the risk of getting tracked. To ensure complete privacy, Users must use a premium VPN Service like LIMEVPN to hide their IP address and location while accessing internet.
Rachael Chapman
A Complete gamer and a Tech Geek. Brings out all her thoughts and love in writing blogs on IOT, software, technology etc
