With a 90% market share worldwide, Google is the number 1. inevitable search engine, we get used to “Googler” to better find what we want on the web.
But if the research giant is the most used, it is problematic at several points. The first is obviously in privacy. When searching, Google uses its history and then manages to track it. Especially because the many services it manages, such as YouTube and the office suite, allow you to capture the user from beginning to end.
In addition, the great dependence of the Internet on Google can sometimes precipitate companies in an economic vacuum, in case of reference linked to an algorithm change. In addition, the results of the investigation are less and less effective, the priority is increasingly given to the AI of the group, Gemini.
However, there are alternatives. But like the passage from iPhone to Android (or vice versa), the change can be afraid. However, it can be beneficial and offers interesting perspectives. Tech & Co has tested alternatives for you under the following conditions: Personal and continuous use for several weeks.
DuckDuckgo: The king of privacy
Also available in the form of a browser, Duckdukgo is a search engine that does not seem at the beginning, but that is the main player in terms of privacy in the research sector. The interface takes that of its competitors, but its main difference comes from the characteristics it has to preserve its data.
With Duckdukgo, they will not follow you. You can also customize your experience. The ads are deactivated by default, we can also eliminate the links and promotional inviting it to download the starting browser and the possible tips.
When looking for something, you can choose to eliminate a particular site. This can be practical when you want to evacuate the “click trap” sites that are generally translated into several languages in a given topic (as solutions for a video game).
The rest is quite similar to what we find in Google. Several eyelashes are present as dedicated to news, videos and even a purchase part.
Duck.ai, Duckdukgo chatbot works in the same way and can summarize certain results if you want to use large language models according to your convenience (Claude, Chatgpt or Mistral), or answer, without using your requests to train. Several filters are also available to better customize their answers, particularly giving your name, changing the tone or your role in the context of a fast.
There are also some notable filters in the search for images. We can eliminate the results of the images generated by AI.
Our opinion about DuckDuckgo: It is the ideal search engine for those who want to cut the bridges with Google. However, it is especially suitable for personal use and the search for images remains perfect according to your requests. When it comes to searching in a particular place, as in Reddit, we will tend to reuse Google for a few minutes to find what you want.
On the other hand, its great customization and its very general public interface make Duckduckgogo a safe bet. However, keep in mind that for all the investigation, more than 400 sources are used for indexation, including Bing mainly, but also Wikipedia and Yahoo. But, again, it is not possible to continue. It is also to participate in a philosophy turned into “free” projects (accessible to all and the community).
Duckckgo offers “! Bang” that allows you to launch an action without leaving the window window. With orders like! G, we can search Google, while! WFR sends back to Wikipedia. There are 13,000 accessible shortcuts.
Qwant: the Franco-theemán who does his tests (finally)
Advised in the administrations, Qwant had a tumultuous life. Although backed by President Emmanuel Macron, the search engine imagined in France has difficulties in speaking, although it has some solid arguments.
The most appears is that it has its own index for research. If it is still based mainly on Bing (such as Duckdukgo), and also has an AI to summarize the results (based on chatgpt), QWant continues to index the website to show its own results as frequently as possible. The problems of the past where certain results were very old are forgotten.
In addition, the use of QWant is also to ensure that data remains theoretically in Europe. In addition, the search engine has been associated with one of its competitors, the German ecosia (which “plant trees” if you use it) to further improve its formula.
But unlike Duckckgo, the problems remain present in confidentiality. Qwant does not install any advertising or tracer cookies, and does not take into account the research history. On the other hand, send data to the Bing ads. Therefore, there is no anonymization but a pseudonym.
Our opinion about Qwant: Daily, Qwant is a good alternative. If it is still improved from a point of view of private life, its desire to offer a European index (long term) is remarkable, while Duckdukgo is American. We also observe the excellent idea of offering a children’s version, QWant Junior, to preserve certain results.
For purely personal use, Qwant is very effective when a purely textual search is made. In video or news, it is a little less relevant, and we will tend to iron on Google much more frequently than in Duckdugo.
Qwant has an equivalent to “Bang” by Duckckgo, these are “qwicks”. Again, at the search bar level, you can quickly start a request starting with & GI (for Google images) or & GM (for Google Maps). All shortcuts are visible thanks to the shortcut and qwick.
And for professional use?
If more privacy is always welcome in the business, Google remains, due to its power of indexation, to a large extent necessary daily. This is the case in journalism, but also on the webmastering (to design websites) or the search for documentation.
On the other hand, even if you do not want to change your search engine, it can be interesting, either for personal or professional use, to download a new browser. The Firefox/Duckdukgo Combo is recommended, but if you are happy with Firefox, your private life will already thank you.
Source: BFM TV
