Whether an individual or a business owner, online privacy and data security are essential for everyone. To maintain privacy, you can use incognito mode in popular browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. But it doesn’t offer data security.
When you enter a search query in Firefox or Chrome, it becomes a part of your search history and profile. The web browser accesses this information to give you a more personalized experience. Although it is helpful, it is invading your privacy.
The more search queries you submit, the more information you leak about yourself. But this problem can be solved by using a private search engine. The advantage of using a private search engine is that it doesn’t save user data. Instead, it provides complete online privacy while browsing.
Also read: 5 Best Browsers for Privacy & Security You Should Try
What is a Private Search Engine?
Private Search Engines are different from typical search engines. The specialty of these search engines is that they do not store your queries or track your online activities on the internet.
The advantage of using a private search engine is that it provides privacy and security while browsing. They have a strict policy against sharing or selling user data to advertisers.
They also include features to keep your search queries safe. So if you don’t want your data to get shared, you should use a private search engine instead of a normal one.
What Do Private Search Engines Do?
Users prefer private search engines because of their non-tracking capabilities. They maintain complete privacy by not storing the search queries made by users.
Some engines are so private that they don’t collect data like browser fingerprints, IP addresses, and location details.
With the help of a private search engine, you can browse without being tracked. However, the privacy level will vary from one search engine to another.
Using a VPN with your private search engine can increase your anonymity. After you make a search query, the next website you visit will not be able to trace your IP address or location. This is why using a VPN with private search engines is always recommended.
Importance Of Privacy While Searching
Online privacy refers to how much personal, browsing, and financial data remain private when you are online. With bug search engines like Google and Bing sharing users’ private data, it has become a huge concern for people.
But there are still many people who underestimate the importance of online privacy. This is either because they don’t understand what is at stake or don’t care about it much.
Whenever browsing online, you should be careful about how much personal information you share. We are not just talking about social media networks but other websites as well.
When you make a search query, it gets saved by the search engine, which is then shared with advertisers to give you a more personalized experience. This is called the invasion of privacy.
The importance of online privacy becomes clear when you list the things you want to share with strangers. For example, you will not want your banking details or medical records to be shared with third parties.
Unfortunately, when you browse online, all this information gets stored by search engines. Some might think that using the incognito mode will keep you safe. But in reality, that is not enough.
The best solution to keep your data private is to use a private search engine. Unlike Google and Bing, these search engines don’t track or store users’ data. This reduces the risk of your data getting leaked or shared. If you are serious about online privacy, you should switch to a private search engine.
List of Top Private Search Engines
We have compiled a list of some of the best private search engines that you can use to protect your online privacy. These search engines are safe and provide complete security against data tracking.
1. DuckDuckGo
DuckDuck Go is arguably the best private search engine available. This search engine is ideal for users who want complete online privacy. If you don’t want your queries to get tracked, you should use DuckDuckGo. It comes with a clean and easy-to-use interface with no ads.
It includes a browser extension that helps you to hide your online activities. However, the most notable feature of DuckDuckGo is called “Bangs.” It allows you to make a search query on another site within DuckDuckGo by just typing a prefix. For an exceptional private browsing experience, DuckDuckGo is perfect.
2. Ecosia
Ecosia is an eco-friendly, private search engine. This is what makes it unique and different from other engines. Many may not know, but search engines leave heavy carbon footprints, which is harmful to the environment. But Ecosia uses its revenue to plant more new trees.
Powered by Bing, Ecosia is one of the best private search engines. It is a powerful engine that doesn’t share or store your data. Not just that, but it also doesn’t track your queries and use them for profiling. For convenience, it comes with a mobile app and browser extension.
3. StartPage
StartPage is a Netherlands-based private search engine that is quite popular among users. It is regarded as the perfect alternative to Google. The only difference is that it doesn’t track or share your data with third parties. It has advanced filters that help you to search for specific videos and images.
It has a browser extension that can be added to Firefox and Chrome. If you don’t have a VPN, you can use StartPage as an alternative. It provides search results only from safe and trusted sites. It has a URL generator that eliminates cookies. Last but not least, it has a proxy server that hides your location and IP address while browsing.
4. WolframAlpha
WolframAlpha is as unique as its name. This private search engine focuses mainly on academic search queries. This makes it an ideal engine for students, teachers, and learners. They can use this engine to find appropriate results for their scientific, mathematical, societal, or cultural queries.
The search results are grouped into four main sections. You can use this search engine to search queries about various subjects, including science & technology, mathematics, everyday life, and culture and society. It allows you to upload images to search for specific results. It comes with a mobile app and a browser extension with customizable preferences.
5. Qwant
Qwant is known to prioritize the online privacy of users. Unlike other search engines, it doesn’t save or record the search queries submitted by users. They also have a strict policy against selling users’ data to advertisers. It comes with a user-friendly interface for a smooth browsing experience.
It categorizes the results into three main categories: social, news, and web. It makes use of Artificial Intelligence to provide a music section to users. This feature is specially included for all music lovers. If you scroll below the search bar, you will find a section for hot trends. This section gives you quick access to all the current events that are happening around the world. They also have a junior section for kids.
6. SearchEncrypt
This is one of the safest private search engines to use. It uses local encryption with PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy). This helps to keep your session safe in case the private key gets compromised. The unique thing about this search engine is that it derives search results from its partners. After you are done browsing, it deletes all your search terms.
SearchEncrypt is better than many other private search engines in terms of privacy. With the help of this engine, you can search for maps, news, videos, etc. It is free of ads, so you can browse in peace. It also includes a Chrome extension to use with your web browser.
7. Swisscows
For a family-friendly search experience, you can rely on Swisscows. It may have a funny name, but it is an efficient private search engine in the market. It provides an anonymous search engine that is specially designed to serve families. It has its servers based in Switzerland, its home country.
It can be easily integrated with your web browser. Not just that, but you can also set it as your default browser page. Like other private search engines, it doesn’t track your online searches or sell them to advertisers. In addition, it can also block all sexual and inappropriate content. Well, this is what makes it a family-friendly search engine.
8. Gibiru
If you are looking for a fast and reliable private search engine, Gibiru is for you. It’s an encrypted search engine that ensures complete privacy while browsing. It generates search results with the help of Google’s algorithms, but without tracking your data. In other words, it doesn’t sell or share your data with advertisers or third parties.
Gibiru claims to be the fastest search engine as it doesn’t provide a lot of personalization. It also doesn’t track cookies on your system. You can use this engine for uncensored search results as well. It has a mobile app specially launched for all mobile users.
9. Mojeek
Mojeek is the best private search engine for category-based searches. Users trust Mojeek because it doesn’t share or sell their private data. It allows you to browse in total privacy. But it does one thing, it categorizes the search preferences of its users into three main sections. This includes the web, news, and images.
The unique thing about this engine is that it helps you to narrow down your search results based on your emotions. There are different icons. Each icon represents a different emotion. You can look for specific results by clicking on these icons. The different icons are sadness, love, anger, amazement, and laughter.
10. MetaGer
If you want a private search engine for uncensored content, MetaGer is for you. It is exactly the opposite of Swisscows. However, MetaGer provides complete privacy to its users. With MetaGer you can access whatever uncensored content you want to see. It includes a browser extension that can be used with your default search engine.
MetaGer is a non-profit organisation. They are known to provide unbiased and unfiltered search results by ignoring click-through rates. The good thing about this search engine is that it doesn’t sell your private data to advertisers. With the help of this search engine, you can also plan your routes without leaking your location.
11. Disconnect Search
Disconnect Search is different from other private search engines in the list. Instead of generating its search results, it sources them from other search engines like DuckDuckGo, Bing, and Yahoo. However, it presents the search results more securely.
It allows you to safely browse the internet without worrying about your data getting leaked. It doesn’t store or track your data to ensure complete privacy. It is a very clean and simple search engine with no unnecessary settings and filters. However, it does include a browse extension that helps you to load pages faster and block tracking websites.
With these private search engines, you don’t need to worry about your data getting leaked or shared with third parties. Instead, they provide security and privacy, so you can browse peacefully.
Also read: 10 Best Tips to Stay Anonymous and Protect Your Privacy Online
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Difference Between a Private Browser & a Normal Browser?
Private browsers are different from normal browsers because they don’t sell or share your data with advertisers. Unlike normal browsers, they don’t store or track your private data. Instead, they ensure complete security so you can browse without worries.
What Does a Private Search Engine Do?
Private search engines provide security and privacy online. They hide your search queries and personal details and deliver results anonymously, querying big sites like Bing and Google.
Is DuckDuckGo Untraceable?
DuckDuckGo never tracks your search history. When you make a search query, it automatically connects you to the encrypted versions of sites wherever possible. This makes it almost untraceable, as third parties cannot see what you are searching for online.
Is Private Browsing Safe?
Many assume private browsing will spare them from malware, viruses, and hacking attempts. Private browsers might not save local data, but they are still not safe from viruses and cyber-attacks.
What is the Swisscows Search Engine Used For?
Swisscows is a private search engine that is used for family-friendly search queries. It filters all explicit and sexual content from search results.
Is StartPage Anonymous?
Startpage encrypts all your searches using HTTPS. This protects against internet snooping. No one can monitor your connection to see what you are looking at or clicking on.
Which is Better, DuckDuckGo vs. StartPage?
StartPage is a better choice because it is more private. Also, it derives search results from Google results. On the other hand, DuckDuckGo is a frontend for Bing that doesn’t provide excellent privacy.
What is the Best Private Search Engine?
The best private search engines are StartPage, DuckDuckGo, Qwant, and MetaGer. These engines allow zero re-targeting.
What is WolframAlpha Used For?
WolframAlpha is a unique private search engine primarily used for academic search queries. You can do searches about mathematics, science and technology, and society and culture.
Is WolframAlpha Safe to Use?
WolframAlpha is an accurate, reliable, and efficient private search engine. It provides the exact search results that you are looking for.
Why Should You Use Ecosia?
Ecosia is a private search engine that plants trees using its revenue. They are an eco-friendly search engine that works towards improving the environment.
Does Ecosia Track Data?
Ecosia is known to use a self-hosted and fully encrypted web analysis tool. It doesn’t track user data, and you can select the “do not track” option in your browser settings.
Is Qwant Private?
Yes, Qwant is a private search engine based in France. They have a strict policy against privacy protections that are much stricter than other countries. Qwant protects user privacy and keeps you from getting stuck in the filter bubble.
What Type of Search Engine is MetaGer?
MetaGer is a metasearch-focused search engine. It is a Germany-based search engine that provides complete user privacy to all users while browsing.
Is Mojeek a Good Search Engine?
Mojeek is better for UK or Europe-centric searches as it ranks pages differently. You can use Mojeek if other search engines fail to provide what you want.
