Is one really better than the other?
Despite efforts by others, it’s come down to two search engines vying for attention: Google andDuckDuckGo.
Depending on your needs and priorities, Google may not be the best search engine.
DuckDuckGo is rapidly gaining users due to its privacy focus, especially in contrast to Google’s all-seeing eyes.
Overall Findings
Best search results.
Most private search engine.
DuckDuckGo has been at the privacy game for years.
DuckDuckGo’s claim to fame is thatit tracks (nearly) nothing about you.
But this could affect its search abilities.
Search: Powerful Results
Provides accurate results at the highest speed.
Personalizes results based on your browsing history.
Sometimes knows what you’re thinking before you do.
Good search results in most cases.
Innovative bangs direct your search to specific websites.
Results are sometimes inaccurate or poor.
Google’s searches are unquestionably top-notch.
The search engine has an undeniable intuition for what you actually meant to search for.
That’s what all its tracking makes possible: the fastest and most accurate search results.
But it’s not the only game in town.
DuckDuckGo’s bangs are the search engine’s best feature.
The query is sent to IMDb, and you’re redirected to the results page on imdb.com.
Sells ads based on user information.
The chief concern is advertisers, not searchers.
Doesn’t track users or save search results.
The first priority is protecting users' privacy.
No web services means no integration between services.
Google saves and tracks search results.
It also tracks more, such as your current location, web page analytics, and web browsing history.
Google is likely the largest tracker of human behavior in recorded history.
There are some benefits to the panopticon.
Google’s all-seeing eye makes its search and other services more effective and keeps these services free.
DuckDuckGo doesn’t attach your searches to any persistent identifier to build a picture of your likes and dislikes.
No cookies are set by default.
When cookies are set, it’s to track user-implemented parameters.
Also, there’s no method for identifying unique users.
A modern search engine can’t function without examining whether or not users clicked links for a search term.
That’s why search data is only collected in aggregate.
Broad library of web services makes novel and valuable cross-service integrations possible.
Custom visual themes make it easy on the eyes.
Search is limited to textual search, sometimes with contextual options, which don’t always appear when expected.
Mapping and image results are markedly worse.
When you enter to yourGoogle accounton your birthday, you’ll see a special Google Doodle.
Users are comfortable with the look of the search engine.
Ads are not obstructive or overwhelming.
If you use Google Chrome as your web app, you canuse themesto change the appearance, as well.
The appearance of DuckDuckGo is basic and easy to view.
Final Verdict
For web users concerned about privacy, DuckDuckGo is the way to go.
However, this protection comes at a cost, which is sometimes-lacking search results.
