Let’s be honest, when we think about search engines, we almost always think about Google.
And with good reason. According to Oberlo, Google is the most visited website in the world and has a 92% share of the search engine market. That’s massive!!!
It’s so popular it has undergone denominalization.
This means that the website Google has become a verb; “to google.” We don’t say “search it,” we say “google it.” The search engine is so popular, it has become a word in its own right.
But Google isn’t the only search engine out there.
If you want options, we’ve got some for you. From eco-friendly search engine to the king of privacy and an anti-gravity search engine.
These are the top 10 best search engines in the world (in my opinion).
#1 Search Engine – Google
Of course, the number one spot has to go to Google.
Google was introduced to the world in 1997 and has been dominating the internet ever since.
Over 3.5 billion searches are made every single day using Google.
The algorithms mean it is super easy to use and connects to other aspects of Google’s portfolio such as YouTube, Google Drive, Google Maps as well as smartphones and laptops.
Google is so popular its technology also powers other search engines such as Ask.com.
You probably use Google every day, but just in case you’ve never heard of it before here is the link https://www.google.com/
#2 Search Engine – Bing
Microsoft’s offering comes in second place to Google.
Bing might be small compared to Google but it’s growing in popularity. Bing is the result of previous search engines like MSN Search and Windows Live Search.
Launched in 2009, Bing offers all the same filters and search options like maps, images, places, and news.
However, rather than the white backdrop, the Bing homepage has a range of stunning images for a more beautiful search engine (as in the screen image above).
Bing handles around 12 billion searches every month, so it’s algorithms are continually improving and ensure you always get the answer you are looking for.
Just like Google, Bing technology also powers other search engines such as Yahoo!
Give Bing a try, it will give you other results Google might not https://www.bing.com/
#3 Search Engine – Baidu
The third-largest search engine in the world is relatively unknown to many people.
Google is banned in China, and so Baidu has grown to dominate the Chinese search engine market.
So many people in China use the search engine that it’s the third-largest in the world despite almost all its users being from just one country.
It has a super-sophisticated artificial intelligence system behind it, making it accurate and easy to use according to users in China.
It’s basically China’s answer to Google, but little is known about it since very few other people use it outside of China.
If you are fluent in Chinese then Baidu is for you https://www.baidu.com/
#4 Search Engine – DuckDuckGo
This will be a surprise for many of you reading this – you might have expected Yahoo to be here.
DuckDuckGo doesn’t have as many users as some of the other sites, but it makes this list as one of the best search engines for privacy. That is why it’s my number 4.
Allegedly, DuckDuckGo is so private that it doesn’t even know how many people use it regularly.
The search engine doesn’t store or share data and doesn’t allow sites to access your data or track your online movements. DuckDuckGo won’t keep your search history and claims that Google trackers can be found in 75% of the top million sites.
Their big claim is that incognito mode deletes information from your computer, but Google can still store it.
The search engine is totally private and can be added as an extension to your browser, so it’s easy to access and use instead of incognito mode.
If you’re concerned about big companies tracking you or learning about you from your internet history, DuckDuckGo is easily the best search engine for you.
For a totally private search experience, you have to try https://duckduckgo.com/
#5 Search Engine – Ecosia
If you want to be environmentally friendly, Ecosia is one of the best search engines out there.
It’s a private search engine that uses renewable energy to power its servers. It is so effective it actually runs on 200% renewable energy meaning it actually removes CO2 from the atmosphere.
Not only does it use renewable energy, but for every search made on Ecosia, a tree is planted.
At the time of writing, Ecosia has planted 116,680,553 trees. Click on the link to see how many they have planted now.
And Ecosia doesn’t just plant trees anywhere; it plants them in environments and locations which need more trees. Currently, that means Burkina Faso.
It publishes its finances every month so you can see exactly what they are doing and where.
Aside from its environmental causes, Ecosia is easy to use, simple and delivers quick results.
It can be installed as an extension to your browser to become your default search engine. Also, unlike Google, it won’t store your data for longer than one week.
If you want to help plant a tree and find information at the same time try https://www.ecosia.org
#6 – Wayback Machine (aka Internet Archive)
This is a search engine with a twist.
Internet Archive, or as it’s better known “Wayback Machine” is not really a traditional search engine, it stores copies of web pages for active websites, as well as pages that have been deleted or hidden.
I personally use it a lot for my digital expert witness court cases, as I can see what content was on a website going back many years. That’s probably why I’ve given it a higher position than others might.
It has a massive archive of over 475 billion web pages, and if you know what you are looking for, it will give you the right page, no matter how old or obscure it is.
As well as web pages, there are 28 million books and texts, 14 million audio recordings, 6 million videos, and 3.5 million images. There are also scans of old newspapers and articles, so pre-internet information is easily accessible.
Instead of a standard search button, the Wayback Machine has a “browse history” button.
It’s truly a remarkable archive of everything that has ever appeared on the internet since its creation.
To check how web pages looked back in time https://archive.org/web/
#7 – Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is another unusual search engine, but a handy one. Wolfram Alpha answers your search queries with actual answers rather than web pages.
If you’ve got a direct question, this is much better than other search engines as you don’t have to trawl through the search results looking for an answer.
This search engine does that for you and just gives you what you need.
The homepage is helpfully equipped with links to common questions covering everything from mathematics, linguistics, engineering, art, and finance to politics, materials, transport, health, and measurements.
The smart algorithms give you the right answer almost every time within seconds. That is why it features in my number 7 slot.
To get an answer quickly https://www.wolframalpha.com/
#8 Search Engine – Elgoog
No, you aren’t going mad – that does say Google backwards.
This search engine offers all the convenience and technology of the main Google site, but with some rather fun twists.
Elgoog lets you search Google underwater, backwards, without gravity, and several other fun modes. It’s a great way to use Google but make it a bit more exciting.
It is powder by Google, so you’ll still get the same results and the same algorithms processing your request – it’s just a little different and a bit more exciting.
To give Elgoog a spin visit https://elgoog.im/
#9 Search Engine – Million Short
This search engine lets you see a whole other side of the internet.
It filters out the most popular results letting you see the less-popular but often more specific web pages.
Million Short removes the first 100 results, so get to see different perspectives and new angles and discover new pages that are a little more obscure than Google’s top-ranked sites.
If you want a direct answer to a question, this isn’t the best search engine, but if you are doing research or want varied opinions or sources, this can be a great way to discover what other search engines just won’t show you.
Try Million Short here https://millionshort.com/
#10 Search Engine – Dogpile
This fantastic website is the mother of all search engines.
It basically combines the results from other search engines into one search. It’s like asking Google, Bing, and Yahoo! at the same time.
It will filter the best, most accurate results and offer a results page which only gives you the best of the best.
The website has an images tab as well as tabs for video searches and news. If you search for an extensive and popular topic, it suggests more focused searches that could help narrow down your results to get the answer you need.
You can also refine your search using their parameters, which include filtering out any explicit content. It’s all the popular search engines in one place with the addition of a cute dog mascot.
You can give Dogpile a try here https://www.dogpile.com/
Top 10 Search Engines Recap
When people ask “What are the top 10 best search engines?” the list is as follows:
- Bing
- Baidu
- DuckDuckGo
- Ecosia
- Wayback Machine
- Wolfram Alpha
- Elgoog
- MillionShort
- Dogpile
So, Google isn’t the only search engine you can use. However, its popularity means it’ll probably stay in the top spot as the most popular for the foreseeable future.
Why not give one of the other search engines a try – you can help plant a tree, visit an obscure website or get a direct answer without any fuss.
Google isn’t your only option, but if you are a Google addict, you can always use Google upsidedown!
Search Engines Statistics
Ok, Ok. I know that my list contains websites which are not strictly search engines and that there are other search engines which are more popular.
But, in my opinion, search engines such as Yahoo! (which is powered by Bing) is very similar to Bing.
Then there are others including Yandex, Naver, Sogou, Shenma, Ask.com and AOL.
Which unless you are in those countries which favour each search engine i.e. Russia with Yandex or Korea with Naver, then you are unlikely going to use them. So to satisfy the search gurus.
Here are the search engine statistics:
| Search Engine | Market Share |
|---|---|
| 1. Google | 91.54% |
| 2. Bing | 2.44% |
| 3. Yahoo! | 1.64% |
| 4. Baidu | 1.08% |
| 5. Yandex | 0.54% |
| 6. DuckDuckGo | 0.45% |
| 7. Sogou | 0.44% |
| 8. Ecosia | 0.14% |
| 9. Shenma | 0.08% |
| 10. Naver | 0.07% |
Before You Go
If you learned about one new search engine (or search website) that you never knew about by reading my post, can you please share it with your connections or social media network, so other people can learn too.
