Microsoft Bing vs Google Search
Both are search engines from large United States companies, and neither shows a price to the person searching. The practical difference sits behind the results page. Bing is a named result source for DuckDuckGo, Ecosia and Qwant, while Google gives searchers no way to switch off AI Overviews. Bing's standalone Search APIs were retired in August 2025, which matters to developers more than to readers.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Choose Microsoft Bing ifyou want Microsoft's search and its Webmaster tools, or you care that the engine you use also supplies results to other private search services.
Choose Google Search ifyou want the broadest default with no setup, and accept personalised ads, activity saved to your account and AI Overviews avoidable only one search at a time.
Microsoft Bing and Google Search side by side
| Microsoft Bing | Google Search | |
|---|---|---|
| Our search engines rank | #11 of 12 | #12 of 12 |
| Established in | United States | United States |
| List price, 2 November 2026 | No user price stated; the standalone Bing Search APIs ended on 11 August 2025 | No user price stated; paid for by advertising, with personalised ads managed in Ads Settings |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Users and site owners who want Microsoft's search and its webmaster tools | People who accept personalised, ad-funded search in exchange for the broadest default |
| Not for | Developers wanting a plain search API without Azure | Buyers who want to control AI features or avoid ad personalisation |
Both are reviewed in full in our search engines ranking: Microsoft Bing and Google Search.
Where they differ
Microsoft Bing 3 · Google Search 0 · open 2- 01
Who you contract with
Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, is named in the Microsoft Services Agreement as the contracting party for all services except Skype. Google's terms point European users to Google Ireland Limited in Dublin (EEA and Switzerland), while its privacy policy covers Google LLC. Bing is one company in one place on paper, whereas Google varies by region, which means a bit more reading in Europe.
Edge: Microsoft Bing
- 02
Control over AI answers
Per Google's help page, AI Overviews are a core Search feature and cannot be turned off. The sole workaround is the Web filter, which shows only text links and must be picked on every search. The Bing pages we read made no comparable statement, so Bing gets no credit for a switch either. Here Google is the one with a documented limit.
Edge: Microsoft Bing
- 03
What happens to your searches
Google's privacy policy says that, with Web and App Activity on, searches are stored in the Google Account, and its terms let you change or disable ads in Ads Settings. For Bing we found no equivalent statement about account history, so the round rests on Google's wording and not on a demonstrated Bing advantage.
Depends on the buyer
- 04
Developer access
Microsoft's lifecycle notice says the Bing Search APIs were retired on 11 August 2025, with no new customer sign-up. Customers are directed to Grounding with Bing Search inside Azure AI Agents. The Google pages we read describe no search API. Neither route gives a developer a plain search endpoint, and Bing's is now tied to Azure.
Depends on the buyer
- 05
Role behind other engines
Ecosia's help names Microsoft Bing as a result provider. DuckDuckGo says its links and images largely come from Bing, and Qwant's ranking notice lists Bing among the interfaces it uses. That makes Bing the index behind much of the privacy-search field, which can be read as reach or as a single point of dependence. Google has no such role in the pages we read.
Edge: Microsoft Bing
When neither fits
If you want an index that does not rest on one of these two companies, look at Brave Search, which says every result comes from its own index, or at Kagi, which sells search by subscription instead of through ads.
Microsoft Bing or Google Search: questions
3 answersIs Bing free to use?
The Bing pages we read state no user price. Per the Microsoft Services Agreement, Bing and MSN materials are for noncommercial personal use, so reusing them in a business is another matter.
Can I turn off AI Overviews in Google?
Not according to Google's help page, which calls them a core Search feature. Picking the Web filter returns only text links, and applies only to that one search.
Can I still buy the Bing Search API?
Microsoft's notice says the standalone Bing Search APIs were retired on 11 August 2025 with no new sign-up. It directs customers to Grounding with Bing Search in Azure AI Agents.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026- Microsoft Services Agreement: contracting entity; noncommercial personal use of Bing and MSN.
- Bing Search API retirement notice: retirement date, closed sign-up, Azure AI Agents replacement.
- Ecosia search results providers: Bing named as provider.
- DuckDuckGo result sources help: Bing as source of links and images.
- Qwant ranking notice: Bing among its interfaces.
- Google Terms of Service: Irish entity for the EEA and Switzerland; ad controls; no user price.
- Google Privacy Policy: Google LLC scope; account-saved searches.
- Google Search help on AI Overviews: AI Overviews fixed on; text-only Web filter.