Startpage
Dutch-run private search with anonymous page viewing and sponsored links. In our guide to search engines it is ranked #4 of 16.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderCommercial relationships can affect which products appear and how prominently. The Startpage link is marked as every vendor link is, see disclosure.
Visit Startpage See it in the search engines ranking
Startpage at a glance
| Headquarters | Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Left open by the sources we used |
| API | Startpage mentions an API in the material we reviewed |
| Best for | Users who want private search from a Dutch company, with anonymous visiting of results |
| Free plan | No free tier on record |
| Pricing model | Ad-supported with sponsored links; account and subscription exist, price not shown |
Strengths and limits of Startpage
- Startpage is run by Surfboard Holding BV in The Hague and says it logs no search queries and records no IP address for search.
- Startpage is tagged Anonymous View in our records.
- Marked in our records as dutch company.
- Suits: Users who want private search from a Dutch company, with anonymous visiting of results.
- Startpage is tagged Sponsored links in our records.
- Less suited to: Buyers who must know whose index ranks their results.
- The pages read do not say which index supplies the organic results.
- Sponsored links are retrieved from platforms such as Google AdSense.
What we make of Startpage
Startpage is run by Surfboard Holding BV in The Hague and says it logs no search queries and records no IP address for search. Its Anonymous View opens a result through Startpage instead of directly.
Sponsored links come from platforms such as Google AdSense, and the policy and about pages we could read do not name the index behind the organic results, so independence cannot be judged.
The search engines list places Startpage 4 of 16: Brave Search sits directly above it and Qwant directly below. From place 4 the established names follow in their ranked order; we publish no numeric score.
By headquarters, 6 of the 16 are established in Europe, as Startpage is in the Netherlands.
Setup, support and exit with Startpage
Setup is a browser default plus an optional account.
The policy says government requests must come from Dutch judicial authorities and are met only if legally required.
Exit is trivial because searching needs no login.
Video results come through YouTube API Services.
Paying for Startpage
In the catalogue: Ad-supported with sponsored links; account and subscription exist, price not shown.
An account and subscription now exist under a supplemental privacy policy dated 13 August 2026, but we found no price, so the cost of the paid tier cannot be stated.
Read from startpage.com when Best Search Engines in 2026 was last reviewed (7 November 2026).
Fact sheet: Startpage
| Product | Startpage |
|---|---|
| Vendor website | startpage.com |
| Rank there | #4 of 16 |
| Primary guide | Best Search Engines in 2026 |
| Not in our data | uptime history and customer numbers |
| Alternatives page | None yet |
| Head-to-head pages | 1 |
| Price visibility | Model recorded, no figure |
| Headquarters | Netherlands (Europe) |
| Catalogue tags | Dutch company, Anonymous View, Sponsored links |
Integrations and ecosystem
- Video results come through YouTube API Services.
Also ranked in
| Guide | Position |
|---|---|
| Best Search Engines in 2026 | #4 of 16 |
Close alternatives to Startpage
We pick the closest products in the same guide by tags, price model and region.
- Mojeek (#2 of 16): Best for: Privacy-minded users and developers who want an independent index from a UK company. (United Kingdom)
- Baidu (#9 of 16): Beijing-based engine with a Chinese-language site and an AI assistant. Watch out: the interface and privacy policy we read were in Chinese only. (China)
- Yahoo Search (#10 of 16): Ad-funded portal search whose help page does not name its result supplier.
- Google Search (#12 of 16): Suits: People who accept personalised, ad-funded search in exchange for the broadest default.
Compare Startpage
- Startpage vs DuckDuckGo: Startpage is the better fit if you want a private search engine from a named Dutch company and like opening results anonymously through the engine.
Startpage FAQ
5 answersIs Startpage a European company?
Our records put Startpage in the Netherlands, a Europe vendor. Headquarters and hosting region are separate questions; this answers the first.
Which tools compete with Startpage?
The closest products in the same guide are Mojeek, Baidu, Yahoo Search and Google Search. Compare their entries before settling on Startpage.
What does Startpage cost?
Our catalogue records Startpage’s pricing as: Ad-supported with sponsored links; account and subscription exist, price not shown. On free access, we recorded no free plan.
Who should choose Startpage?
Users who want private search from a Dutch company, with anonymous visiting of results. Less suited to: buyers who must know whose index ranks their results.
Is Startpage one of the top search engines?
In our search engines list Startpage stands at place 4 of 16.
How we rank
We rank on what separates products after the demo: time to useful, the real price, the exit and who the product is for. Startpage ends up at #4 among 16. Read the editorial process for the method and where paid visibility fits in.