Search engine comparison: DuckDuckGo vs Startpage vs Brave Search vs Kagi
Who is this for? Anyone who wants to move away from Google Search but wants to understand what the alternatives actually do — and where they fall short.
Search engine comparison: DuckDuckGo vs Startpage vs Brave Search vs Kagi
Who is this for? Anyone who wants to move away from Google Search but wants to understand what the alternatives actually do — and where they fall short.
The four most widely used privacy-friendly search engines are not the same. They differ in where their results come from, what privacy guarantees they offer, and who they are most practical for.
Comparison
| DuckDuckGo | Startpage | Brave Search | Kagi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index source | Bing (mostly) | Own index | Own index + multiple sources | |
| Tracking | None | None | None | None |
| Account required | No | No | No | Yes (paid) |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free | From $5/month (USD) |
| Results independent of Google/Bing | No | No (via Startpage proxy) | Yes | Mostly yes |
| Customisable results | Limited | Limited | Limited | Yes (pin/demote per site) |
| Country of incorporation | US | Netherlands (EU) | US | US |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes (Brave browser) | Yes |
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is for most people the first alternative to Google. It is free, straightforward to set as the default search engine in any browser, and stores no personal profile.
Results come mostly from Microsoft Bing, supplemented with its own sources for specific features (such as direct answers and maps). This means result quality depends heavily on what Bing has indexed.
When it works well: everyday searches for well-known topics, products, news from major media.
When it falls short: recent or niche content, small websites, technical documentation from less well-known projects.
Privacy approach: no cross-session cookies, no IP storage, no ad profile. Ads are shown based on the search query itself, not on who you are.
Startpage
Startpage anonymously forwards your search query to Google and returns the result — without Google seeing your IP address, browsing history, or account link. Startpage acts as a privacy layer on top of Google’s index.
This is the most pragmatic choice if you want Google-quality results but object to Google’s data collection model. You get the same results Google would give you, but Google does not know it was you.
Startpage is incorporated in the Netherlands and falls under European privacy law (GDPR).
When it works well: anywhere Google works well — recent content, niche topics, non-English searches.
Caveat: your results remain dependent on Google’s index and algorithm. If you object to Google as a company and not just to tracking, Startpage is not a true decoupling.
Privacy approach: no IP address stored, no search queries stored, no ad profile. Startpage earns revenue from non-personalised ads shown alongside results.
Brave Search
Brave Search has its own crawler and its own index, independent of Google and Bing. That makes it the only free option that is structurally separate from the two major indexes.
In practice the index is smaller and newer than Google’s or Bing’s. For niche or recent content Brave Search can fall short — not because it inherits Bing’s limitations, but because a new independent index simply takes time to grow.
Brave Search is part of the Brave ecosystem (also Brave Browser). You do not need to use Brave Browser to use Brave Search; it is available as a search engine in any browser.
When it works well: general queries, technical topics, English-language content.
When it falls short: recently published pages, small websites in smaller languages.
Privacy approach: no tracking, no account required, fully independent index. Brave has an optional paid account (Brave Leo) for AI features, but the search engine itself is free and tracker-free.
Note for Brave Browser users: Brave Browser has an optional “Google fallback mixing” setting that anonymously checks Google for certain queries where Brave’s own index falls short. This is disabled by default and has no privacy impact if enabled — but it does mean results are no longer drawn purely from Brave’s own index when active.
Kagi
Kagi is a paid search engine with no ads. Results come from an own index supplemented with multiple external sources.
Kagi offers three paid plans (prices in USD): Starter ($5/month, 300 searches), Professional ($10/month, unlimited), and Ultimate ($25/month, unlimited plus premium AI). There is also a free trial of 100 searches. For most users the Professional plan is the practical choice.
The distinguishing feature is control: you can raise or lower individual websites in your personal results, block sources or give them priority, and tune the search engine to your own use. This makes Kagi unique — no other privacy-friendly search engine offers this level of customisation.
An account is required. Kagi stores your settings but commits not to build a profile for advertising purposes — that business model simply does not exist for a paid service.
When it works well: if you are willing to pay and value control over your search results. Power users who want Google-quality results but want to avoid Google’s business model.
Caveat: requires an account and a paid subscription — there is no free tier for ongoing use (the trial is a one-time 100-search allowance). Incorporated in the US, under US law.
Privacy approach: no ad tracking, no data selling. Account is required, so Kagi does know your searches — but that usage is not sold or used for advertising.
Which one to choose
Most readers: start with DuckDuckGo as the default and Startpage as a regular fallback. Two tabs, two extra seconds of effort, and you only give Google data for the searches where you deliberately decide it is necessary.
If you want to structurally avoid Google: Brave Search as the default, Startpage only when Brave genuinely falls short.
If you are willing to pay for quality: Kagi — the most complete privacy-friendly search experience, but not free.
iOS/Safari users: both Startpage and DuckDuckGo are available as the default search engine in Safari via Settings → Safari → Search Engine.
Getting started
Setting DuckDuckGo as default
- Firefox: Settings → Search → Default Search Engine → DuckDuckGo
- Brave: Settings → Search engine → DuckDuckGo
- Safari (iOS): Settings → Apps → Safari → Search Engine → DuckDuckGo
- Chrome: Settings → Search engine → Manage search engines → Add DuckDuckGo
Adding Startpage as a fallback
Go to startpage.com and use the “Set as default” button, or add it as a search engine in your browser via browser settings.
Next step
More control over your browser
- Browser comparison: Firefox vs Brave vs Tor Browser — which browser fits your situation
- Browser hardening guide — tightening default settings after switching
Background
- You’re searching on Google while not wanting to — why the switch is hard and what the alternatives mean in practice