DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo holds place 7 of 16 in our search engines ranking. The catalogue describes it as: ad-funded private search relying largely on Bing for its links.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderSome vendors pay for placement on this site. This profile of DuckDuckGo is written by us, and vendor links are marked alike: disclosure.
Visit DuckDuckGo See it in the search engines ranking
At a glance
| Headquarters | Not stated by the vendor |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, per our records |
| Best for | Users who want a no-account private default with optional AI features |
| API | No API details for DuckDuckGo in our records |
| Active since | 2008 (as stated in our review text) |
| Pricing model | Free with ads; optional subscription with Plus and Pro plans |
| Deployment | Not stated in the material we reviewed |
What is DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine and browser maker, run by Duck Duck Go, Inc., which says it has been independent since its founding in 2008. Its search engine shows ads and a mix of sources: the vendor says traditional links and images are largely sourced from Bing, supplemented by its own crawler, DuckDuckBot, and instant answers from partners such as Sportradar and Wikipedia.
Its privacy policy says it does not save or share search, chat or browsing history. Beyond search it offers a browser for Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android, browser extensions, Email Protection with Duck Addresses, Duck Player for YouTube, Sync and Backup, and Duck.ai, a private chat with third-party AI models. A paid subscription adds higher-tier AI models.
DuckDuckGo key features
- Private search. Searches are not stored with an IP address or other unique identifier, per the privacy policy. Local results use a random location near the user, which the vendor says is never logged to disk.
- Search syntax and bangs. Operators include quotation marks, minus and plus, filetype, site, intitle and inurl. Bang shortcuts such as !a send a query to another site's search engine, where that site's own data practices apply.
- Duck.ai. Duck.ai lets users chat with third-party models anonymised by DuckDuckGo. Free models include Claude Haiku 5.5, Mistral Small 4 and GPT-5.4 mini; Plus and Pro subscribers get more advanced ones. Recent chats stay on the device.
- Web tracking protections. The apps and extensions include 3rd-Party Tracker Loading Protection, 3rd-Party Cookie Protection, the Fire Button to clear data, and Global Privacy Control. The vendor says tracker detection uses its open Tracker Radar list.
- Email Protection. Users get a personal Duck Address and generate private Duck Addresses that forward to a real inbox and remove email trackers. The help section covers setup on desktop and mobile.
- Sync and Backup. Settings and optionally chats sync across devices. The privacy policy says the master decryption key exists only on synced devices, so DuckDuckGo cannot read stored chats.
Who DuckDuckGo suits
- A privacy-minded individual. Sets DuckDuckGo as the default search engine and uses the browser or extension for tracker blocking, then clears sessions with the Fire Button, relying on the vendor's no-search-history policy.
- A small business owner who wants to try AI without an account. Uses Duck.ai to draft an email or summarise text with a free model, knowing the vendor says recent chats are stored locally on the device and not on its servers.
- A researcher who wants a second index. Uses advanced syntax such as site: and filetype:pdf and bang shortcuts to jump to other sites' search, accepting that the vendor says some syntax does not work correctly on every query.
Getting started with DuckDuckGo
Set DuckDuckGo as the default search engine at duckduckgo.com, or install the browser from the vendor's site for Windows, iPhone, iPad or Android. Extensions exist for Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Opera, and the help pages list instructions for other browsers such as Safari, Brave and Vivaldi.
No account is needed for search. Email Protection needs a Duck Address, created in the browser or extension. Duck.ai is reached from the search page or its own address. The help pages cover a mobile search widget, Cloud Save for search settings, and how to deploy private search in an organisation.
The case for and against DuckDuckGo
- Best for: Users who want a no-account private default with optional AI features.
- DuckDuckGo is tagged Optional AI in our records.
- Catalogue tag: Private by default.
- Marked in our records as bing-sourced links.
- The pages read show no price for the subscription and no company address.
- Not for: Buyers who want results from an index independent of Microsoft.
- Traditional links and images are largely sourced from Bing.
- DuckDuckGo calls itself an independent company since 2008, yet its help page says traditional links and images are largely sourced from Bing, with its own crawler and instant-answer sources added on top.
What we make of DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo calls itself an independent company since 2008, yet its help page says traditional links and images are largely sourced from Bing, with its own crawler and instant-answer sources added on top. Ads come from Microsoft, Tripadvisor and Yelp according to its help pages. A subscription exists, but the pages we read gave no prices and no company address.
DuckDuckGo is entry #7 of 16 in the search engines list: the products next to it are Ecosia above and Yandex below. From place 4 the established names follow in their ranked order; we publish no numeric score.
The vendor states no country of establishment, so DuckDuckGo is left out of the regional count for this list.
DuckDuckGo pros and cons in practice
- The vendor states it does not save search history or IP addresses alongside searches, which is easy to verify by reading the privacy policy.
- Free browser, extensions and email aliases mean the privacy tooling costs nothing.
- Duck.ai gives access to several AI models without logging in, with chats kept locally.
- Bang shortcuts and operators speed up searches that start on another site.
- The vendor says traditional links and images are largely sourced from Bing, so results depend on a large US tech company's index.
- The vendor admits some advanced syntax does not work correctly on all queries.
- Ad clicks pass through Microsoft's ad network, which some privacy-focused users may not expect.
- Subscription prices and the full model list were not visible without client-side rendering.
What DuckDuckGo costs
Pricing as recorded: Free with ads; optional subscription with Plus and Pro plans.
Search, the browser and the extensions are free; the vendor says it earns money from private search ads based on the results page being viewed, not on the person. Ad clicks run through Microsoft's ad network, and the help section also lists ads by Tripadvisor and Yelp. A paid subscription exists with Plus and Pro tiers that unlock more advanced Duck.ai models, and Pro has higher usage limits than Plus. The subscription amounts were not shown in the pages we could read, so no prices are given here.
Where this comes from: the vendor pages at duckduckgo.com, checked for Best Search Engines in 2026 on 7 November 2026.
Living with DuckDuckGo: setup and exit
Setup is a browser default with no account.
The company says it does not save or share search history and does not log IP addresses alongside searches.
AI features are optional and can be opted out of.
The independence claim concerns the company, not the link supply.
DuckDuckGo: data and security
The privacy policy says IP addresses and other unique identifiers are not saved with searches, Duck.ai chats or website visits. Servers are located across the world, and devices usually connect to a regional server, for instance European servers in Europe. Partner requests are proxied so partners see them as coming from DuckDuckGo. Duck.ai Recent Chats are stored locally. Certifications were not stated on the pages we read.
What DuckDuckGo connects to
Integrations the vendor names (13):
- Bing (link and image source)
- Microsoft ad network
- Tripadvisor
- Yelp
- Sportradar
- Wikipedia
- Firefox extension
- Chrome extension
- Edge extension
- Opera extension
- Safari
- Brave
- Vivaldi
DuckDuckGo fact sheet
| Product | DuckDuckGo |
|---|---|
| Vendor website | duckduckgo.com |
| Primary guide | Best Search Engines in 2026 |
| Head-to-head pages | 3 |
| Alternatives page | Not written yet |
| Rank there | #7 of 16 |
| Price visibility | A price or free offer is shown |
| Headquarters | Not stated by the vendor |
| Catalogue tags | Bing-sourced links, Private by default, Optional AI |
| Not in our data | headcount, funding and customer count |
DuckDuckGo head to head
- DuckDuckGo vs Brave Search: pick DuckDuckGo when you want an account-free default with a stated no-history policy and a documented AI opt-out, and can live with Bing-sourced links.
- DuckDuckGo vs Google Search: choose DuckDuckGo if you want an account-free default that claims to keep no search history, plus a documented AI opt-out.
- DuckDuckGo vs Startpage: pick DuckDuckGo when you want the vendor to state plainly where its links come from, and you want optional AI features you can opt out of.
Every guide that lists DuckDuckGo
| Guide | Position |
|---|---|
| Best Search Engines in 2026 | #7 of 16 |
Close alternatives to DuckDuckGo
5 products in this guide come closest to DuckDuckGo on tags, pricing and region.
- Mojeek (#2 of 16): UK crawler with its own index, no tracking and a metered API.
- Brave Search (#3 of 16): A good match for: Developers and users who want an independent index and an optional ad-free paid tier.
- Qwant (#5 of 16): Paris-based engine with its own crawler, partner results and optional AI summaries. Best for: French and European users who want a Paris-based engine with optional AI answers.
- Yandex (#8 of 16): Best for: Teams researching Russian-language results and site visibility in that market. (Russia)
- SearXNG (#15 of 16): Metasearch engine that queries many services without tracking its users. Watch out: the project names no legal entity or country, so nobody can be held to a service commitment.
DuckDuckGo FAQ
9 answersWhat does DuckDuckGo cost?
Free with ads; optional subscription with Plus and Pro plans is how we record the pricing of DuckDuckGo. On free access, it has a free tier or free plan.
How does DuckDuckGo rank for search engines?
The search engines ranking has DuckDuckGo at position 7 out of 16.
Is DuckDuckGo the right fit for me?
Users who want a no-account private default with optional AI features. It does not fit as well for buyers who want results from an index independent of Microsoft.
Which tools compete with DuckDuckGo?
The nearest neighbours in our ranking are Mojeek, Brave Search, Qwant, Yandex and SearXNG. They are ranked and described in the same list.
Is DuckDuckGo a European company?
The vendor pages we reviewed state no country of establishment for DuckDuckGo, so we do not give one.
Does DuckDuckGo use Bing?
Partly. The help page says the engine keeps its own crawler and many indexes but that its traditional links and images are largely sourced from Bing, with instant answers from specialised partners. Requests to partners are proxied so users stay anonymous to them.
How does DuckDuckGo make money?
Through private search ads. The privacy policy says ads depend on the results page being viewed rather than a personal profile. Ad clicks are managed by Microsoft's ad network, and help pages also list ads from Tripadvisor and Yelp.
What can I do with Duck.ai?
Duck.ai is a private chat with third-party AI models, anonymised by DuckDuckGo. Free models include Claude Haiku 5.5, Mistral Small 4 and GPT-5.4 mini. Plus and Pro subscribers get more advanced models, and Recent Chats are stored locally on the device.
Is there a paid plan?
Yes. A subscription with Plus and Pro tiers exists, mainly unlocking advanced Duck.ai models and higher usage on Pro. The pages we could read did not show amounts, so check the vendor's subscription page for current prices.
DuckDuckGo: sources
Read from the vendor’s own pages on 5 November 2026.
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/sources: Result sources, Bing, DuckDuckBot, partners
- duckduckgo.com/privacy: Privacy policy, ads, identifiers, servers
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai: Duck.ai models, Plus and Pro, local recent chats
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/syntax: Search operators and bangs
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy/web-tracking-protections: Tracker protections
How we rank
Four tests decide a position: how soon the product is useful, what the bill really becomes, how data leaves and who it suits. That puts DuckDuckGo at #7 of 16. The editorial process sets out how facts are gathered and how commercial links are handled.