What would be your first reaction if you saw this? Scared, because your life is completely enslaved to Google. Or, hopeful because this suggests that another search engine that lets you find anything has arrived.
Well, no one is chipping on that digital tombstone yet. Yes, we are tied to Google. But it does not mean that there aren't any unknown search engines outside the fence. Let's face it ---Google Search still can't do everything. That's why these alternative search engines have stepped in to fill the gaps.
1. Ecosia: The Search Engine That Plants Trees
Google does good for the world in its own way. Ecosia does its bit in a small way. As you browse, 80% of the ad profits go into programs that help to plant trees in Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Indonesia, and Peru. The search engine uses a modified Bing custom search.
Read through their FAQ where they open up about the project and also show you the progress of their planting programs. Ecosia is a search engine that doesn't filter search results in any way, but it does highlight websites that follow sustainable practices with a green leaf icon next to the result.
2. Qwant: Keep Your Privacy
Open your bag of privacy tools to add this obscure search engine to the collection of no-tracking search engines. Qwant is also a more visual search engine compared to Google. The search engine also utilizes Microsoft Bing.
3. Peekier: Security, Privacy, and No Tracking
Their policy reiterates that do not log your personal info or track you throughout your browsing sessions. You also might like the clean design and the fast results delivered in little preview cards. The search results are taken from Bing.
Click the hamburger icon on the top right to tweak the settings. Peekier auto-suggests search keywords and you can further refine them with more keywords integrated into the search bar after the results. The search engine doesn't have any other filters except the option to choose your region.
4. SearchTeam: A Collaborative Search Engine
Google has some wonderful collaborative apps. Google Search isn't one of them. This gap is somewhat plugged by SearchTeam which calls itself a "collaborative search engine". It's a good concept for teams who want to save time when they are looking for the same things.
For instance, you can use SearchTeam to plan a vacation with family members and friends. Try to plan a reunion with your extended family. Or, research the web for a medical condition.
Invite others into your SearchSpace with email. If you log-in with a Facebook account, SearchTeam will automatically suggest the people you want to invite. SearchTeam has only one obstacle--- it is not free like Google. You can try it with a free trial account until the founders offer a free version.
5. Yippy: Declutter Your Search
Yippy is more than a traditional search engine. Some of you might remember it by its old name---Clutsy. And as the old name suggests, it de-clutters search results by tapping into several search engines. It then combines the results and groups similar results into groups. You can go deeper into your search with the group keywords on the left.
The meta-search engine also filters out undesirable results, so you can recommend it as a good educational search engine for kids
