Best search engines for privacy: Find the right one for you

How much does your search engine really know about you? The answer is: quite a lot.

Most traditional search engines collect data like your search history, location, device, and even the time you searched, and this information is often used for targeted ads or shared with third parties.

Privacy-focused search engines work differently. They limit or eliminate tracking, avoid profiling, and prioritize user anonymity by design.

In this guide, you’ll find out how private search engines work, how they compare to mainstream options, and which ones are worth exploring.

What is a private search engine?

A private search engine is a search engine that’s designed to protect your personal information while you browse the web. Unlike mainstream search engines that collect data like your IP address, search history, and location, private search engines avoid tracking and profiling of this kind.

They don’t log your searches, store your activity, or follow you with targeted ads. Many of them use encryption or proxy technology to keep your identity and search behavior hidden from both the service itself and from third parties.

The goal is just to let you search freely without turning your data into a product.

How private search engines work

Private search engines help you search the web without giving away your personal information. They don’t just strip out ads or slap on a privacy label; they’re built to work differently from the ground up.

Here’s what sets them apart:

• No search history logs: Your queries aren’t stored or tied to your identity.
• Fewer personalized ads: You won’t see ads based on things you searched earlier.
• Better privacy overall: No profiles, no tracking, no background data collection.
• More neutral results: You’re not stuck in a filter bubble based on past clicks.
• Less exposure to third parties: Your info stays with you and isn’t passed around.

Independent vs. proxy-based search engines

Private search engines generally work in one of two ways. Some operate independently by crawling the web and building their own index of pages. They generate search results directly, without relying on services like Google or Bing. This setup gives them full control over how data is handled and what information gets stored.

Others take a different approach. Instead of creating their own search infrastructure, they act as a proxy between you and a major search provider. When you enter a search, the engine sends that request to one or more external search providers on your behalf, strips out identifying details, and delivers the results back to you.

This method adds a layer of privacy while still giving you access to broader search results.

Both approaches aim to protect your privacy, but they go about it in different ways, either by cutting out third parties entirely or by shielding you from them.

Why use a private search engine?

When you use a typical search engine, a lot of your data gets collected, often without you realizing it. Here’s what that can include:

• Your search terms: What you look up can reveal a lot about you, and that history is often saved by default. Here’s how to delete it from Google.
• Location and device info: Where you are, what device you're on, even what browser you’re using.
• Click history: Which links you follow and how long you stay on a page.

That info gets used in a few ways:

• Targeted ads: Ads that follow you around based on your behavior.
• Personalized results: Your future searches are influenced by your past ones.
• Data sharing: Your profile might be shared or sold to third parties.

Private search engines take a different route. They don’t track you, log your searches, or link your activity to a profile. That means fewer targeted ads, less exposure to data collection, and more control over what stays private.

If you want to search without feeding into tracking systems, private search engines offer a simple way to do that.

Private search engine vs. incognito mode

It’s easy to think that using incognito mode means browsing privately, but these two things work very differently.

Incognito mode stops your browser from saving your history, cookies, and form data on your device. It’s useful if you don’t want someone else using the same computer to see what you’ve been doing, but it doesn’t stop websites, your internet provider, or search engines from seeing your activity. Google has even faced lawsuits over how it handles data in incognito mode. It also doesn’t block ads or trackers, and it doesn’t hide your IP address.

Private search engines, on the other hand, are built to avoid collecting your data in the first place. They don’t store your search terms, log your location, or create user profiles. Some even use encryption or proxy features to keep your identity and search queries private from start to finish.

So while incognito mode can keep things private on your device, it doesn’t cover what happens online. Private search engines focus on protecting your privacy across the web, not just inside your browser.

Are private search engines truly anonymous?

Private search engines are built to protect your privacy, but that doesn’t always mean full anonymity.

Most of them don’t store your search history or IP address or use tracking cookies. They also avoid building profiles or linking your searches to your identity. That’s a big step up from traditional search engines that log and analyze nearly everything you do.

Still, complete anonymity can be tricky. Even if the search engine isn’t tracking you, other parts of the web might be. For example, the sites you visit from the search results can still collect information about you unless you’re using extra tools like a VPN or a privacy-focused browser.

Using a trusted VPN like ExpressVPN can help hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic, giving you stronger protection across the entire web.

So while private search engines do a lot to reduce tracking, they’re just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting your privacy online.

Ranked: The best private search engines

There’s more to search than Google, especially if you care about privacy. These search engines take a different approach: no tracking, no profiling, and no trade-off between useful results and your personal data.

1. DuckDuckGo: Best overall for privacy and simplicity

DuckDuckGo keeps things simple: it doesn’t track what you search, it doesn’t store your personal data, and it doesn’t follow you with ads. You get search results without being profiled.

What’s more, the search results often include crowd-sourced or independent content instead of the usual big-name websites, which some users prefer for a broader perspective.

You can also access DuckDuckGo through the Tor browser using its own .onion address, which adds another layer of privacy for people who need it.

The DuckDuckGo interface is clean and intuitive, so there’s no learning curve. And if you want extra privacy beyond search, DuckDuckGo also offers a browser extension and mobile app to block trackers and enforce encryption.

2. Qwant: EU-based with a strict privacy policy

Qwant is a search engine based in France that puts privacy first. It doesn’t track your searches or store personal data, and it follows the EU’s tough data protection laws.

While Qwant doesn’t personalize results based on your behavior, it does adjust them depending on your region. This keeps things locally relevant without building a personal profile or targeting you with ads.

Qwant has its own search index, but it also pulls some results from Bing for images and for searches where it doesn’t have sufficient relevance.

It displays contextual ads through partners, but these are based on your search terms, not your identity or history.

It’s a solid choice if you want a more private way to search that isn’t tied to the big tech ecosystem and is based outside the U.S.

3. Startpage: Google results without tracking

Startpage gives you access to Google’s search results, but without the tracking. It doesn’t log your IP address, save your search history, or use tracking cookies, so your searches stay private.

Most results come from Google, but Startpage may also pull information from other sources like Bing, depending on the type of query. The results can also differ slightly due to regional adjustments and the removal of personalization and tracking.

Startpage also displays contextual ads based only on your current search terms, never tied to your identity or browsing history.

One standout feature is “Anonymous View,” which lets you open links through a proxy so the sites you visit never see your real IP address. If you like Google’s search quality but want more privacy, Startpage is a strong alternative.

4. Ecosia: Privacy-friendly and eco-conscious

Ecosia is more than a search engine; it’s also a reforestation project. Every search helps fund tree-planting efforts in places that need it most. The company publishes monthly financial reports and tree-planting receipts so you can see exactly where the money goes.

On the privacy front, Ecosia doesn’t build personal profiles or sell your data. It anonymizes your IP address after a maximum of seven days and doesn’t use external tracking tools by default.

Most results come from Microsoft Bing or Google, depending on your location and settings. Ecosia also gives you the option to choose your provider and whether to allow non-essential cookies for personalized results or not. If you opt out, you’ll only see non-personalized, contextual ads based on your current search, never your identity.

Ecosia runs on 100% renewable energy, and not just to break even. It produces twice as much solar power as it needs, pushing clean energy back into the grid.

If you're looking for a way to search with a smaller environmental footprint and stronger privacy, Ecosia combines both in a simple, transparent way.

5. Mojeek: Independent index, no trackers

Mojeek stands out because it does something most search engines don’t: it builds its own search index from scratch. It doesn’t rely on Google, Bing, or any third-party engines for results. Instead, Mojeek uses its own web crawler and ranking algorithm to create a fully independent search experience.

Privacy is at the heart of how Mojeek works. It doesn’t track your activity, store your search history, or build a profile around your behavior. What you search stays private, and everyone gets the same results: no targeting, no personalization, no hidden influence.

Mojeek also runs its infrastructure from an award-winning, environmentally friendly data center, making it a great choice for environmentally conscious users.

6. Swisscows: Family-friendly and server-side privacy

Swisscows puts privacy at the heart of its design. It doesn’t store personal data, track searches, or create user profiles. Your queries aren’t routed through cloud services, either; they’re handled directly on Swisscows’ own server, with no third-party involvement.

Those servers are located in Switzerland, a country with strong data protection laws, so your information stays local and under strict legal safeguards.

Swisscows does serve ads from Microsoft Bing. These ads are based on your search keywords, not on personal tracking, so while you’ll see sponsored results, they’re not linked to a user profile.

And privacy isn’t the only focus. Swisscows is also built to be family-friendly; violent and sexual content is not indexed and displayed. That makes it a solid option for schools, households, or anyone who prefers a safer, cleaner browsing experience.

7. Searx: Decentralized open-source alternative

Searx pulls in search results from a wide range of sources, including Google, Bing, Wikipedia, and many others, without tracking who you are or what you’re doing. It doesn’t save your IP address, doesn’t keep a record of your searches, and blocks tracking cookies along the way.

It’s open source, so anyone can look under the hood or run their own version. That means no central service collecting data and more freedom to choose how the engine behaves. You can even customize which sources it uses, how it filters results, and how it looks.

Because it’s decentralized, you don’t need to rely on a single company’s idea of privacy; Searx gives you options and leaves the control in your hands.

8. MetaGer: Nonprofit-driven anonymous search

MetaGer is built around a simple idea: you should be able to search the internet without being tracked. It’s run by a nonprofit in Germany, and they don’t collect personal data or build user profiles, ever.

Instead of relying on one source, MetaGer combines results from multiple search engines. That way, you're not stuck inside one algorithm's bubble. You can also open results through a built-in proxy, so the sites you visit don’t know who you are.

One significant downside with MetaGer is that it’s no longer free to use. To access searches, you’ll need to create a MetaGer Key, which is only an option via a paid plan. On the upside, everything runs on renewable energy, so it’s an eco-friendly choice.

9. Gibiru: Designed for unfiltered and anonymous results

Gibiru was built for people who want privacy and uncensored search results. It doesn’t log your search history or attach your queries to a profile. With Gibiru, you get anonymous access to information without tracking or behavioral targeting.

It uses an encrypted proxy to pull results, stripping out tracking elements to keep your identity private.

There’s also a Gibiru mobile app, so you can use the search engine on your mobile device while keeping that same no-tracking policy in place.

10. Brave Search: Integrated into the Brave browser

Brave Search was made for privacy from the start. It doesn’t keep tabs on what you search, doesn’t log your history, and doesn’t follow you around with ads. You type, get your results, and that’s it.

It also runs on its own search index, which means it’s not quietly pulling results from Google or Bing in the background. What you get is built and delivered by Brave. And if you’re using the Brave browser, Brave Search is already built in. However, if you don’t use the Brave browser, you can still access Brave Search via the website.

Other search engines

Most people still use search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo by default. They're fast, familiar, and accessible. But they also come with tracking, targeted ads, and data collection built in.

If you're curious how these big-name engines compare to privacy-focused alternatives, here’s a quick look at what they do and don’t do when it comes to your data.

Google

Google is the search engine most people default to without even thinking about it. It crawls the web constantly, indexes billions of pages, and uses hundreds of signals to figure out what to show you.

The results are fast, usually relevant, and often personalized. That personalization comes from the data Google collects: your search history, your clicks, your location, and more.

This makes the experience feel smooth and convenient, but it also means your searches help build a detailed profile of you. That profile can be used to target ads, recommend content, and influence what you see. You can adjust some of this via your privacy settings in Chrome, but you can’t stop Google from collecting your data altogether.

Overall, Google is excellent at search, but if your privacy is something you’re trying to protect, it’s good to know what’s happening in the background.

Bing

Bing is Microsoft’s search engine. It’s been around since 2009, and it keeps evolving. Today, it offers everything you’d expect—web, image, video, and map search—with some newer features layered in.

One of the biggest updates is Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat), which adds AI-powered answers alongside traditional results. It's designed to help you search in a more conversational way, pulling in information from the web in real time.

Bing also connects closely with other Microsoft products and includes extras like Microsoft Rewards. It’s not as widely used as Google, but it’s packed with features and continues to grow.

Like most search engines, Bing collects info like what you search, your location, and the device you’re using to show more relevant results and ads. You can change what’s collected in your Microsoft privacy settings.

Yahoo

Yahoo was one of the earliest names in search. In the beginning, it was a human-curated web directory, helping people find sites before search engines took over. Later, it became a full-featured search engine.

These days, Yahoo Search is powered by Bing. That means when you type in a search, the results come from Microsoft, but the look and feel are still Yahoo’s. The search engine is also tied into other Yahoo services like News, Finance, and Mail, which many people still use daily.

Yahoo collects search history, location, device info, and ad interactions to personalize content and ads. Search log data is stored for up to 18 months, and IP addresses are de-identified within 6 months. You can manage or delete your data through Yahoo’s privacy settings.

If you're ready to move on from Yahoo, here's how to delete your Yahoo Mail account.

How to choose the best private search engine for your needs

Not all private search engines are the same. Some focus on blocking trackers, others on offering family-friendly content, and some even support environmental causes.

When selecting one, it’s important to consider what matters most to you and how you’ll be using the search engine.

Best for casual browsing

If you just want a private search engine that works without fuss, a few options stand out for being easy to use and familiar.

• DuckDuckGo: It keeps things simple—no tracking, no complicated settings, just straightforward search with a clean layout.
• Startpage: It gives you Google results but strips out the tracking. It looks and feels familiar, so there’s no learning curve.

Best for researchers and power users

If you dig deep into topics or want more than surface-level results, a few search engines offer more control and flexibility.

• Searx: It’s open-source and highly customizable. You can choose which engines it pulls from, filter your results, and even run your own version.
• Mojeek: It doesn’t rely on Google or Bing. It crawls the web on its own, which means you get results from a totally independent source.
• Brave Search: Also has its own search index and is adding features like AI summaries and different result views for people who want more than just links.

Best for mobile users

If you’re mostly searching on your phone, you’ll want something that’s quick, private, and easy to use on a smaller screen.

• DuckDuckGo: It has a solid mobile app and browser. It blocks trackers, forces encrypted connections, and feels smooth on both iOS and Android.
• Brave Search: It’s built into the Brave browser, works well on mobile, and keeps the same privacy-first setup you get on desktop.

Best for open-source enthusiasts

If you like tools you can tweak, inspect, or even host yourself, a couple of search engines stand out.

• Searx: It’s fully open-source and designed to be transparent. You can run your own version, pick which sources it pulls from, and customize the experience however you like.
• Mojeek: It might not be open-source, but it’s independently built from the ground up—no ties to big tech or outside indexes.

Best for environmentally-conscious users

If you like your search to be eco-conscious as well as private, there are a few search engines that do both.

• Ecosia: It uses the money it makes from searches to plant trees. Every time you search, you’re helping fund reforestation projects around the world. It also runs on 100% renewable energy.
• Mojeek: Its servers are hosted in a data center that is proven to keep its energy usage low, making it another eco-friendly option for private searching.

Other tools to increase your online privacy

Private search engines are a great start, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. If you want to stay truly private online, it helps to combine them with other tools, like tracker blockers, secure messaging apps, and a VPN.

A trusted VPN like ExpressVPN masks your IP address and encrypts your internet traffic, making it much harder for anyone to monitor what you’re doing online. Used together with a private browser, it can give you a more private, secure browsing experience without needing to completely change your habits.

For even more protection, turn on ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection, which blocks trackers, ads, and other unwanted content that could compromise your privacy.

FAQ: Common questions about the best search engines for privacy

What is the most private search engine?

Some search engines offer more privacy than others, but they don’t all work the same way. DuckDuckGo, Qwant, and Startpage are all solid choices if you want to search without being tracked. If you're after something open source, Searx is a great option, too.

Do private search engines track anything at all?

Most don’t store your search history or IP address, and they avoid using cookies to follow you. Some might keep limited, anonymous stats to improve performance (like how many times a query is searched), but they don’t tie that data to you. If they do collect anything, the best ones are upfront about it in their privacy policies.

Is DuckDuckGo owned by Google?

No. DuckDuckGo is an independent company based in the U.S. It partners with different sources (including Microsoft for some results), but it’s not owned by Google or any big tech company.

Does private or incognito mode protect me?

Not really. Incognito or private browsing just stops your browser from saving your history locally. Your internet provider, the websites you visit, and search engines can still see what you’re doing. It’s useful for local privacy, but it doesn’t make you anonymous online.

Can I use a private search engine on mobile?

Yes, many of them work just as well on phones. DuckDuckGo, Brave, and Ecosia all have mobile apps. Startpage and others work fine in a mobile browser. You don’t need to be on a desktop to search privately.

Is DuckDuckGo more private than Google?

Yes. Google collects a lot of data to personalize results and ads. DuckDuckGo doesn’t track what you search or link it to a profile. It also blocks trackers while you browse. So while Google might be more customized, DuckDuckGo keeps your searches to itself.