Short answer: DuckDuckGo is our top pick for most people who want private search, because it no tracking by default and works without an account. Below we rank 5 options using observed signals — tracking behavior, account requirements, and openness — not popularity.
At a glance
| Engine | No tracking | No account | Free | API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DuckDuckGo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Brave Search | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Startpage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Kagi | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Google Search | ? | ? | ✓ | ✕ |
The picks
1. DuckDuckGo by DuckDuckGo
Privacy-first search engine. In short: no tracking by default, works without an account, free to use.
Evidence: Does not track users by default (official_docs).
Full DuckDuckGo profile → · alternatives →
2. Brave Search by Brave Software
Independent private search index. In short: no tracking by default, works without an account, free to use.
Full Brave Search profile → · alternatives →
3. Startpage by Startpage
Google results, privately. In short: no tracking by default, works without an account, free to use.
Full Startpage profile → · alternatives →
4. Kagi by Kagi
Ad-free premium search. In short: no tracking by default, paid (no free tier).
Evidence: Is a paid search engine with no free tier (official_docs).
Full Kagi profile → · alternatives →
5. Google Search by Google
The default web search engine. In short: free to use.
Full Google Search profile → · alternatives →
Which should you choose?
- Best free + private: DuckDuckGo.
- Willing to pay for ad-free quality: Kagi — note it has no free tier.
How we evaluated this
Rankings use observed signals recorded in our website intelligence graph — not popularity and not marketing claims. Where we haven't verified something, we mark it unknown rather than guessing. This article was AI-assembled from that evidence and reviewed against it; see our evidence model.