The use of ad-free search engines is popular, worldwide. And, as you’ll see in this article, Google Search is not the only choice. There are many articles on the internet that give users a subjective or random list of “Best” search engines, but this article is based on intensive research. More than 45 Google Search Engine Alternatives were studied. Our analysts came up with these top 5 by comparing all features and company attributes.
You may well come up with an ad-free Google Search alternative that is not listed here. It is important to consider your particular needs, when making your selection. To this end, we have made it possible to contribute your own feature-specific importance weighting for each feature and attribute of these tools. Receive a free custom report by participating in our custom search engine alternatives to Google survey. This survey allows you to add your own importance ranking for each feature.
Our analysts have collected domain authority data which provides a useful indicator of overall popularity. We found 12 ad-free Google Search alternatives. Here, we list the top five, along with three runners up.
One goal of this article is to save you time as you search for an ad-free Google Search alternative that fits your needs. Also, please check out our original, up-to-date, research publication on search engine alternatives.
Now, here is our ranking of evidence-backed, top five ad-free Google Search alternatives:
- Internet Archive
- Ecosia
- Qwant
- Gigablast
- Mojeek
- Million Short
- Yippy
- MetaGer
Runners up:
Top Five Ad-Free Google Search Alternatives
Internet Archive
Internet Archive Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 24.4 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 5.19
Software Score: 47.27
Distinctive features:
- Books Search
- Cloud Storage
- Truth Censorship
- Sports Search
- Open Source Code
- Entertainment Search
- Music Search
- Ad-Free Results
- Filter by Region
- Maps Search
Being an American digital collection, Internet Archive allows the public to access various digital media. Users enjoy the WABAC Machine to search and access archives of the World Wide Web.
Ecosia
Ecosia Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 11.6 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 4.93
Software Score: 43.09
Distinctive features:
- Language Translation Support
- Shopping Search
- Usage Right or Copyright Filter
- Filter by Language
- Ad-Free Results
- Filter by Region
- Maps Search
Ecosia is based in Berlin, Germany. Users like that Ecosia helps to reforest the planet by donating most of their profits to organizations that plant trees in more than 15 countries.
Qwant
Qwant Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 18.9 Yrs
Business Score: 3.73
Software Score: 44.72
Distinctive features:
- Music Search
- Usage Right or Copyright Filter
- Filter by Language
- Ad-Free Results
- Filter by Region
- Maps Search
Qwant is a very effective, well organized search engine, available in more than 20 languages. Many users like that Qwant does not keep personal data, though that could change at any time.
Gigablast
Gigablast Comparison Details
Feature summary: The last search engine.
Age of Software/Company: 21.6 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 4.67
Software Score: 31.45
Distinctive features:
- Ad-Free Results
Independent and based in New Mexico, Gigablast Search Engine has its own searchable index. Users like the Gigabits feature that gives added information, relevant to the search.
Mojeek
Mojeek Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 16.6 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 4.25
Software Score: 34.9
Distinctive features:
- Ad-Free Results
- Filter by Region
Mojeek is based in the United Kingdom. Though it doesn’t have a very large search index, it does use its own algorithm. This means that search results are often freshly unique.
Top Ad-Free Google Search Alternatives – Runners Up
Million Short
Million Short Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 9.2 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 4.15
Software Score: 28.9
Distinctive features:
- Filter by Language
- Ad-Free Results
- Filter by Region
While it IS an experimental search engine, Million Short does provide unique results. It allows users a refreshing experience by exploring below the surface of the internet.
Yippy
Yippy Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 24.3 Yrs
Business Score: 3.47
Software Score: 30.9
Distinctive features:
- Open Source Code
- Ad-Free Results
Yippy, previously known as Clusty, is privacy oriented. Users enjoy the organized search results and using the group keywords to do a deeper search.
MetaGer
MetaGer Comparison Details
Age of Software/Company: 20.3 Yrs
Business Score: 2.97
Software Score: 34
Distinctive features:
- Shopping Search
- Usage Right or Copyright Filter
- Filter by Language
- Ad-Free Results
- Filter by Region
Though popular in Germany, Metager did create an English-language version in 2013. Users like that it hides their IP address and that it provides the ability to open a web page anonymously using the “open anonymously” feature.