Suman Samal, Asst. Marketing Manager
Suman Samal
Sep 5, 2023

Top 25 Unique Search Engines to Try Out in 2023

Discover the top 25 unique search engines to try out in 2023. Enhance your search experience with these diverse alternatives.
Top 25 Unique Search Engines to Try Out in 2023

Table of contents

As per a report by Statista, 5.9 million searches are carried out on Google in a minute. Search Engines have changed how we access and browse through vast online information. Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and other popular search engines have become essential to find content quickly. 

Search engine usage drives significant web traffic, shaping users' flow to various websites. According to Statista, in March 2023, Bing held an 8.23 percent share of the global desktop search market. Google dominated with approximately 85.53 percent. Yahoo captured a 2.44 percent market share.

While Google dominates the search engine market, other alternative search engines offer unique features and capabilities. This blog will introduce you to 25 of the best and most unique search engines you can try in 2023. These options are worth checking out if you want to explore a new search site.

25 Best Search Engines in the World in 2023

Mainstream Search Engines

1. Google

As of March 2023, Google is the most widely used search engine globally. Google was established by Larry Page and Sergey Brin back in 1998. 

Google Search offers seamless integration with services like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, etc. It enables voice search and offers translation services. It also provides localized search results and presents advertising opportunities for businesses. 

Google launched the AI chatbot Bard in 2023. The search engine giant also launched Project Magi to around 1 million users within the US. Through Project Magi, Google wants to offer a more personalized search experience to its users, utilizing advanced trackers.

Google SERP results for a search query

2. Bing

Founded in 2009 by Microsoft, Bing is the second-largest search engine in the World. In 2023, Bing partnered with OpenAI's ChatGPT. This collaboration improved the AI-powered search capabilities across Microsoft's platforms. As a result, Bing is now the default search engine for ChatGPT. This, thus, enables users to receive more timely and up-to-date answers to their queries. We also have a detailed article on ‘What chatGPT Is?’ for you. 

Search engine page of the Bing user interface. 

3. Yahoo!

Launched in 1994, Yahoo is one of the oldest search engines on the internet. Microsoft's Bing powers Yahoo's search results. Yahoo also works as a web portal, providing trending news stories, weather forecasts, sports results, etc. If you're looking for something specific, you can use the search box to find what you need.

Screenshot of Yahoo search engine.
Search engine page of Yahoo search engine.

International Search Engines

4. Yandex

Yandex is the largest search engine in Russia and is also used in other countries like Belarus, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. In addition to the Russian version, it has a global English version accessible through yandex.com. The tech company behind Yandex offers many other products and services, including maps, a voice assistant, a ride-hailing service, a web browser, and a music streaming service. In 2023, Yandex's code leaked, including the list of all ranking factors used in its search algorithm, leading to many analyses and interpretations.

A screenshot of Yandex search engine, the largest search engine in Russia.

5. Baidu

Baidu is China's largest search engine. Like Google, Baidu offers a wide range of services, like maps, news, an encyclopedia, and a cloud storage service. Its search algorithm is tailored to the Chinese language and culture. So, it may not be relevant to users outside the Chinese market. China's government heavily censors Baidu.

Search engine page of Baidu Search Engine 

6. Naver

Naver is a South Korean web portal founded in 1999. It has a self-developed search engine. It offers various features and functionalities tailored to the South Korean market. This includes localized search results, real-time trending topics, and integration with other Naver services like Naver Maps and Naver Webtoons.

Search engine page of Naver, a South Korean search engine. 

Privacy-focused Search Engines

7. DuckDuckGo

Founded in 2008, DuckDuckGo.com is an independent company majority owned by its founder, Gabriel Weinberg and team members. It is a privacy-focused search engine that follows a strict privacy policy and prioritizes user anonymity. It doesn’t store any personal information or search history. It is the best option for those concerned about online privacy. In 2023, DuckDuckGo is estimated to have between 70 and 100 million users every month.

DuckDuckGo.com is a privacy-focused search engine that prioritizes user anonymity by not storing any personal information or search history

DuckDuckGo also offers features like images to speed up your search. To perform a targeted search on a particular website, you can utilize the "!" symbol and a keyword. 

For instance, to find shoes on Amazon.com, enter "! Amazon shoes" in DuckDuckGo. It will directly take you to the exact search results page on Amazon.com.

DuckDuckGo !Bang feature showing direct navigation to Amazon search results page for a specific search term.
DuckDuckGo !Bang feature showing direct navigation to Amazon search results page for a specific search term.

8. StartPage

Founded in 1998, StartPage is a Dutch search engine company focusing on user privacy and security. It sources its search results from Google. Thus making it a popular Google alternative for those who value privacy but still want the accuracy of Google's search results. The company also offers a secure email platform called StartMail.

Startpage is a search engine that focuses on user privacy and security.

9. Qwant

Qwant is a French search engine founded in 2013. Due to strict European data and privacy laws, Qwant takes higher privacy measures than its US competitors. It doesn't use any cookies to track your searches. Qwant also doesn’t sell your personal data. Moreover, Qwant has its web indexing feature.

Search engine page of Qwant, a French privacy-focused search engine 

10. Searx

Searx is a free, open-source metasearch engine. This search engine doesn’t share a user’s IP address or search history with the search engines it uses. It blocks cookies, preventing any prying into your search pattern. 

It directs your search through HTTP posts so that your search keywords are not saved in weblogs. Searx does not use tracked redirect links like Google. It provides direct links to the respective sites for each search result.

Screenshot of Searx, a free, open-source, privacy-focused search engine.

11. Brave Search

Brave is a privacy-focused web browser founded in 2015. It has a search engine called Brave Search, which you can use within or outside the Brave browser. Like DuckDuckGo, Brave Search offers a private and anonymous search. Brave uses its web index and algorithms but also enables "Google fallback," which means it will check Google to provide more accurate results. Its Summarizer feature is an AI-powered tool that provides direct answers in search results.

Search engine page of Brave Search Engine

12. Swisscows

Swisscows, founded in 2014, is a privacy-oriented search engine that has its web crawler and index. It also uses Bing as a data source. Swisscows does not index or show pornographic or sexual results. Swisscows provides services like an email client, a virtual private network (VPN), and a privacy-focused messenger.

Search engine page of Swisscows, a privacy-oriented search engine that is family-friendly.

13. Gibiru

Founded in 2008, Gibiru is a privacy-respecting search engine. Gibiru doesn’t store or sell a user’s privacy. It uses the Google algorithm to provide your search results. However, it doesn’t track your data. 

Search engine page of Gibiru Private Search Engine

Environment-friendly Search Engines 

14. Ecosia

Ecosia is a German search engine founded on 7 December 2009. Ecosia donates a portion of its ad revenue to tree-planting initiatives around the World. This search engine is an excellent choice for those who want to make a positive impact while using a search engine. It is a not-for-profit company. It only earns money from Microsoft Bing advertisements shown in its search results. 

Every month, Ecosia shares its financial results with its users. Ecosia's search engine uses Bing as a data source. It offers quick links to redirect your search query to different pages (like Wikipedia, Amazon, and Google). 

Ecosia is a search engine that donates a portion of its ad revenue to tree-planting initiatives around the world.

15. Ekoru

Ati Bakush, an Australian software professional, founded Ekoru. Ekoru is an ocean-saving search engine. Every search on this search engine raises funds to keep oceans and marine life in good condition. It donates 60% of revenue collected through clicks to Big Blue Ocean Cleanup and Operation Posidonia, organizations working on climate change issues. Ekoru’s servers are powered by hydroelectricity.

Search engine page of Ekoru, an environment-friendly search engine 

16. OceanHero

OceanHero is an eco-friendly search engine founded in Berlin, Germany. This search engine fights against ocean pollution. And, for every five searches you do, one plastic bottle is recovered. It uses its ad revenue to fund ocean cleanup initiatives.OceanHero uses integrated data from Microsoft Bing. The OceanHero Chrome extension allows users to support ocean conservation efforts while browsing the internet. 

Search engine page of OceanHero Search Engine

Image Search Engines

17. Flickr

Flickr is an image and video hosting service. It was founded in 2004 by a Canadian company, Ludicorp. It is an online community where amateurs and professional photographers can post photos. As of 2023, Flickr has around 112 million registered users from 72 countries. Flickr allows you to find photos, illustrations, and videos on their network. It also enables search within Creative Commons-licensed content.

Search engine page of Flickr, an image-based search engine. 

18. Pinterest

Founded in 2009, Pinterest is a US-based image-sharing and social media service. Pinterest allows you to search for your favorite images and pin them to your favorites. It also provides GIFs and videos in the form of pinboards.

Search engine page of Pinterest, an image search engine

19. TinEye

TinEye is a Canadian reverse image search engine founded in 2008. TineEye is the first search engine to use image identification technology instead of keywords, metadata or watermarks.

Search engine page of TinEye, a reverse image search engine. 

20. Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons is an open and accessible media repository of images, sounds, videos and other media. Founded in 2004, it is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Video Search Engines

21. YouTube

Founded in February 2005, YouTube is a video-sharing search engine platform. As per Statista's report, around 2.6 billion people worldwide use YouTube per month. You can create your account and upload videos on YouTube easily. 

Screenshot of YouTube, a video search engine

22. AOL Video

AOL Video helps search and discover video content on the internet. It allows users to find and watch videos from various sources, including movies, TV shows, music videos, and user-generated content.

Screenshot of AOL Video Search Engine

23. SideReel

SideReel is an online platform that provides information and resources related to television shows. It allows users to track and discover TV shows, create personalized watchlists, and receive notifications on new episodes and upcoming series. SideReel also provides user reviews, ratings, and recommendations to help viewers find new shows.

Screenshot of SideReel Video Search Engine

Data & Statistics Search Engines

24. Crunchbase 

Crunchbase provides insight into your favorite online companies. Users can access profiles of companies and individuals, track industry trends, and discover potential business opportunities. Crunchbase is widely used for market research, networking, and more. 

Search engine page of Crunchbase, a data and statistics search engine 

25. Statista

Founded in 2007, Statista is a data gathering and visualization platform. It offers insight into market and consumer trends. You can search for data and reports on trends across 170 industries and 150+ countries.

Search engine page of Statista, data and statistics search engine 

Conclusion: Choosing the Best Search Engine for Your SEO Needs

Whether you're an SEO expert, marketer, AI enthusiast, or founder of an SMB, one of these search engines will cater to your specific needs. Try them out and discover which search engine best suits your preferences. Businesses worldwide are leveraging these digital platforms to enhance their online visibility. So, building up your online presence on search engines is no easy task. 

If you're genuinely committed to securing top rankings on these search engines, then it's crucial to focus on essential factors such as website content optimization, keyword planning, competitor analysis, etc. These elements play a pivotal role in improving your search engine rankings. Check out Scalenut, which can assist you in this endeavor.

Scalenut is an AI-powered SEO and content marketing platform that has transformed the process of discovering and creating tailored content for your target audience. Whether you want to optimize your content for maximum SEO performance, generate long-form content for your blog posts, articles, etc., or generate a comprehensive content strategy with relevant topic ideas and targeted keywords, Scalenut’s revolutionary tools are the solution to all your SEO needs. 

You can sign up for a free trial with Scalenut to optimize your website, improve SERP rankings, and do more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do search engines work?

Search engines work by crawling, indexing, and ranking web content to provide users with the most relevant results based on their search query.

What makes a search engine unique?

A search engine can be unique regarding its privacy features, niche-specific search capabilities, region-specific search algorithms, or a combination of features that set it apart from other search engines.

How do I choose the right search engine on the internet for my needs?

To choose the right search engine for your needs, consider privacy, search capabilities, language support, and region-specific search algorithms. You may also want to explore search engines that cater to specific industries or niches.

Is Google the best search engine?

Google is widely regarded as one of the best search engines. However, whether Google is considered the best search engine is subjective. Other search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo offer different features and approaches that some users may prefer over Google. Ultimately, the "best" search engine depends on the specific requirements and preferences of the user.

Is there a better alternative to Google?

Yes, some users may consider alternative search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo as better alternatives to Google based on their specific requirements and preferences.

What is the most accurate search engine?

Popular search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo strive to provide accurate search results. However, the perceived accuracy may differ based on user needs and experiences.

Are there any search engines focused on specific industries or niches?

Some search engines are designed for specific industries or niches, such as CC Search for finding Creative Commons content and Boardreader for searching forums and message boards.

What are the most popular search engines?

The most popular search engines currently are Google, Bing, and Yahoo. These search engines have dominated the market for years and continue to be the go-to choices for users worldwide. However, there are also several unique and specialized search engines worth exploring in 2023.

Suman Samal
Asst. Marketing Manager
ABout the AUTHOR
Suman Samal
Asst. Marketing Manager

Suman Samal is a Asst. Marketing Manager at Scalenut. She is a technology enthusiast with a keen interest in content marketing and SEO. She truly believes that with the right set of tools every organization can improve the ROI of their content marketing campaigns. She spends her time managing content operations at Scalenut and ensuring that everything we publish is of the highest quality.

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