What are some good alternatives to Ecosia?

If you love Ecosia's mission-driven approach or its commitment to privacy, but want to try something different, the best alternatives depend on whether you want another eco-friendly project, strict privacy, or independent search indexing.

Eco-Conscious Alternatives

• MetaGer : A German open-source metasearch engine run by a non-profit association. It operates entirely on renewable energy, doesn't track or store your personal data, and aggregates results from dozens of other sources to protect your privacy. You can access it via the MetaGer Search Engine.
• Mojeek : A UK-based search engine that focuses heavily on green hosting. Its servers are hosted in data centers recognized for high environmental efficiency, and unlike most alternatives, Mojeek has its own independent web crawler and index rather than relying on Google or Bing. You can try it at Mojeek Internet Search.
• OceanHero : An alternative that focuses on cleaning up the oceans instead of planting trees. It uses ad revenue generated from your searches to recover plastic waste from oceans around the globe.

Privacy-First Alternatives

• DuckDuckGo : While not strictly eco-focused, it is the gold standard for mainstream private searching. It doesn't track your search history or build advertising profiles, and it offers lightweight page loading with optional AI-assisted features. Explore it at DuckDuckGo.
• Startpage : If you prefer the accuracy of Google search results without the data harvesting, Startpage acts as an anonymous proxy. It strips all personal identifiers and trackers before passing your query to Google, returning the results privately. Check it out via Startpage.
• Brave Search : Built completely independently from Big Tech, Brave Search offers an entirely private search experience with a zero-tracking policy and a transparent ranking index. It’s built into the Brave browser or accessible via Brave Search.

AI-Enhanced Alternatives

• You.com : A customizable search assistant that lets you toggle between different search modes (like quick facts, deep research, and multi-step reasoning) while prioritizing user privacy and clean citations. Try it at You.com.
• Perplexity AI : Excellent if you use search to find direct, synthesized answers with clear source citations rather than clicking through traditional SEO-heavy result pages. You can use it at Perplexity AI.

Are you looking to switch for environmental reasons, strict privacy , or do you want AI-powered answers ? I can help you pick the exact one that fits your workflow.

If you like Ecosia because it’s privacy-conscious and tries to make search more environmentally/socially responsible, there are several good alternatives—depending on what you value most.

My top picks

• search.brave.com — Best overall alternative

• Privacy-focused and doesn't profile you.

• Uses its own independent search index, rather than simply repackaging Google or Bing results.

• Free and generally quite good for everyday searches.

• Best for: privacy + independence from Big Tech.

• kagi.com — Best search quality

• Paid, but completely ad-free and designed around the idea that you are the customer, not the product.

• Offers unusually good controls for blocking/down-ranking sites and customizing results.

• Has a limited free tier to try it.

• Best for: people who search a lot and want high-quality, uncluttered results.

• startpage.com — Best if you like Google results

• A privacy-oriented intermediary that provides Google-style results without directly exposing your searches to Google.

• Best for: getting results closer to Google while reducing tracking.

• duckduckgo.com — Best simple/free option

• Well-established, easy to use, and privacy-focused.

• Best for: a straightforward Ecosia replacement that requires virtually no adjustment.

• mojeek.com — Best for maximum independence

• Like Brave, it operates its own search index rather than relying entirely on a Big Tech search API.

• Best for: people who specifically want more diversity in the search-engine ecosystem.

Quick comparison

One important difference from Ecosia: most of these don't have Ecosia's tree-planting/environmental mission. If that's the part of Ecosia you care about most, I'd look at alternatives specifically based on environmental impact, rather than just privacy.

If you tell me why you're considering leaving Ecosia—privacy, search quality, environmental impact, avoiding Big Tech, or something else—I can narrow it down to the 2–3 best choices.

If you love Ecosia's mission-driven approach or its privacy focus, several alternatives emphasize environmental impact, ethical data centers, or strict data privacy.

Other Eco-Friendly & Charitable Search Engines

• OceanHero: OceanHero dedicates its ad revenue to recovering plastic waste from the oceans. If marine conservation is a cause you want to support alongside your daily web browsing, this is a direct parallel to Ecosia's tree-planting model.
• MetaGer: MetaGer is a German non-profit metasearch engine operated by a collective (SUMA-EV). It runs entirely on renewable energy, tracks zero user data, and compiles results from multiple sources to prevent a single tech monopoly from shaping your feed.

Independent & Ethical Search Engines

• Mojeek: Mojeek is a UK-based search engine that runs on its own independent crawler and index (rather than relying on Google or Bing). It places a heavy emphasis on privacy and hosts its servers in an ultra-green UK data center, earning top marks for ethical and climate responsibility.
• Brave Search: Brave Search is an independent search engine built with its own completely independent index. It doesn't track your searches or build profile data, and it features an entirely ad-free paid tier alongside a private, privacy-respecting free tier.

Privacy-First Alternatives

• DuckDuckGo: DuckDuckGo is the gold standard for mainstream alternative search. While it doesn't plant trees natively like Ecosia, it maintains a strict no-tracking privacy policy and offsets its operational carbon footprint.
• Startpage: Startpage acts as a private proxy to Google. It allows you to get uncompromised, high-relevance Google search results without any of the personal data harvesting, profiling, or targeted ad tracking.

Are you leaning more toward wanting another charitable/eco-focused engine, or is stricter privacy / an independent search index your main priority?

If you like Ecosia because it’s privacy-conscious and tries to have a positive environmental impact, there are several good alternatives depending on what matters most to you:

• search.brave.com — Best overall alternative. It’s private by default, doesn’t profile users, and—unlike many “private” search engines—runs its own independent search index. It’s free, although it does have privacy-preserving ads.
• kagi.com — Best for search quality and privacy. Kagi is user-funded rather than ad-funded, so it has no ads or tracking and gives you unusually strong controls for ranking or blocking sites. There’s a free trial, but regular use is paid.
• duckduckgo.com — Best simple, mainstream choice. It’s easy to use, privacy-focused, and free. The main trade-off is that its traditional search results rely substantially on external search providers rather than maintaining the kind of fully independent index Brave does.
• startpage.com — Best if you want Google-like results with more privacy. It acts as a privacy layer around search results from major providers, making it a good option if you're accustomed to Google's results but don't want to search directly through Google.
• mojeek.com — Best independent/privacy-oriented option. It maintains its own crawler and index and takes a particularly strong stance against tracking.

My quick ranking

If you're switching from Ecosia specifically, I'd try Brave Search first. It preserves the “alternative to Big Tech search” philosophy while giving you a genuinely independent index.

If you tell me why you want to leave Ecosia (privacy, search quality, environmental impact, ads, politics/company ownership, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 choices.

If you like Ecosia because it combines a Google-like search experience with privacy and a mission-driven business model, there are several good alternatives. The best one depends on which part of Ecosia you care about most.

🥇 Brave Search — my top recommendation

This is probably the closest general-purpose replacement for Ecosia if you don't specifically need the environmental mission.

Brave Search has its own independent web index, doesn't profile users, and offers AI-generated answers with citations.

Why I'd pick it: You get privacy and independence from Google/Bing, while still getting a fairly conventional search experience.

🦆 DuckDuckGo — easiest switch

If your main reason for using Ecosia is privacy, DuckDuckGo is an excellent choice. It says it doesn't track searches or browsing history and doesn't sell personal information.

The tradeoff is that its web results rely substantially on Microsoft's Bing index, so it's less independent than Brave or Mojeek.

🔎 Startpage — best if you want Google-like results

Startpage is interesting because it essentially gives you Google-powered results through a privacy layer. It's a good option if you frequently find DuckDuckGo/Brave results aren't as good for obscure searches.

The downside is precisely that dependence on Google/Bing: you're getting privacy from the search provider, but not an independent search index.

💎 Kagi — best if you're willing to pay

Kagi is my pick for the highest-quality search experience, rather than the best free Ecosia substitute. It's ad-free, has its own index supplemented by other sources, gives you unusually good control over rankings, and offers zero search telemetry according to its documentation.

The catch: it's paid.

🌱 If the environmental mission is what you love about Ecosia

That's harder to replicate. Ecosia's distinctive feature isn't merely privacy—it's using search revenue to fund environmental projects.

So I'd divide the choice like this:

• Want privacy + independence? → Brave Search
• Want simple/private/free? → DuckDuckGo
• Want Google-quality results without Google directly tracking your searches? → Startpage
• Want the best search experience and don't mind paying? → Kagi
• Want a genuinely independent search index? → Brave or Mojeek
• Want Ecosia's environmental mission specifically? → Stick with Ecosia

My personal ranking for an Ecosia user: Brave Search → Kagi → DuckDuckGo → Startpage → Mojeek. Brave is the one I'd try first.

• Brave Search is an independent privacy-focused search engine that runs on its own index, meaning it doesn't track you or rely on big tech conglomerates like Google or Bing for its results.
• DuckDuckGo is the quintessential privacy search engine, famous for blocking trackers, refusing to store your search history, and offering handy features like "!bangs" to jump straight to searches on other sites.
• Ekoru is a fantastic alternative if you loved Ecosia's environmental mission; it donates a portion of its ad revenue to clean up oceans, plant trees, and protect habitats, while running its servers on hydro-power.
• Qwant is a European privacy-oriented search engine based in France that respects user data privacy by design and doesn't log your search queries.
• Startpage lets you get completely unpersonalized, anonymous Google search results without any of Google's tracking cookies or data profiling.
• Swisscows is a family-friendly privacy search engine based in Switzerland that encrypts queries strictly and uses semantic recognition to deliver precise answers without storing personal data.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Is your priority environmental impact or strict privacy/no tracking?
• Do you prefer an engine that uses its own index or one that proxies results from a major provider?

I can help you pick the ideal replacement for your workflow.

If you love Ecosia's mission of environmental consciousness or privacy, but want to try a different search engine, here are some of the best alternatives categorized by what they do best:

• Brave Search is an exceptional choice if privacy is your main priority. It operates completely independently with its own index (not relying on Google or Bing) and refuses to track your searches, clicks, or personal data.
• DuckDuckGo is the classic choice for private browsing . It doesn't track you, provides clean and unbiased results, and includes fun quality-of-life features like "bangs" (typing "!w" before a query to search Wikipedia directly, for instance).
• Lilo is a direct ideological match for Ecosia if you want to support social and environmental causes . It donates 80% of its advertising revenue to social and environmental projects of your choice, tracked via a drop-of-water counter system.
• Qwant is a privacy-first European search engine based in France. It respects user privacy by not storing search queries or personal data, and it features a clean, visually distinct layout for web, news, and social media results.
• Startpage is the best option if you want Google-quality results paired with strict privacy. It acts as a private intermediary, submitting your search to Google anonymously so you get top-tier search results without any of the tracking or targeted profiling.
• The Humble Search Engine is a newer minimalist alternative focused on low digital carbon footprints and simplicity, stripping away the bloat and heavy tracking scripts found in mainstream search portals.

Would you like to know more about how to set one of these as your default browser search engine , or are you looking for an alternative that specifically focuses on a particular cause or privacy feature?

If you like Ecosia because it combines privacy, independent-ish search, and a mission beyond profit, there are several good alternatives—but they each prioritize something different. Ecosia currently funds climate action with its profits and says it doesn't use your search data to personalize ads elsewhere.

My picks

• Closest overall replacement: Brave Search — probably the first one I'd try if you're moving away from Ecosia.
• Best for privacy: DuckDuckGo or Brave Search.
• Best results: Kagi, if you're willing to pay.
• Best for avoiding Google/Bing dependence: Mojeek or Brave Search.
• Best if the environmental mission is the main reason you use Ecosia: Ecosia is still unusually strong here. Its profits go toward climate action, and it publishes monthly financial reporting.

One interesting point about Ecosia itself in 2026: its results aren't simply "Bing results" anymore. Ecosia says it now uses Bing, Google, and EUSP, depending on location, device, permissions, and other factors.

If you tell me what you like most about Ecosia (privacy, trees/environment, search quality, avoiding Google, or avoiding ads), I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best choices for you.

If you love Ecosia's mission-driven approach or its utility as a cleaner search alternative, but want to explore other options depending on whether you prioritize other environmental causes, strict privacy , or independent search indexes , here are the best alternatives:

• OceanHero — Best for ocean conservation. Instead of planting trees, OceanHero uses ad revenue to fund the removal of plastic waste from oceans and protect marine life. It operates like a traditional search engine and is available as a browser extension.
• Ekoru — Best for marine restoration and low-emission searches. Ekoru donates a major share of its revenue to ocean cleanup partners and plants seagrass (which absorbs carbon rapidly). Their servers run on hydro-electricity and use natural cooling data centers to keep energy consumption low.
• DuckDuckGo — Best for everyday privacy. If you want to move away from Bing-backed results (which Ecosia utilizes) while keeping a clean interface and zero user tracking, DuckDuckGo is the standard go-to private search engine.
• Brave Search — Best for complete index independence. Built by the privacy-focused team behind the Brave browser, Brave Search uses its own independent index rather than relying on Big Tech scrapers (like Google or Microsoft), offering robust privacy without corporate tracking.
• Mojeek — Best for unbiased, eco-friendly infrastructure. Mojeek runs its own independent search crawler and index, and it is unique for being hosted in a green data center powered with a strong emphasis on low environmental impact and non-profiled results.
• Search for Trees — Best alternative tree-planter. Unlike Ecosia (which leans on Bing), Search for Trees utilizes Google results and dedicates a larger percentage of its ad revenue directly to global reforestation efforts through partners like Trees for the Future.

If you want to narrow down your choice, let me know:

• Are you looking to support another specific cause (like clean oceans vs. reforestation)?
• Is absolute data privacy your primary concern?

I can help you pick the right fit or show you how to set it up in your browser.

If you like Ecosia because it’s an alternative to Google with a privacy/ethical angle, there are several good options. The best one depends on why you use Ecosia.

My picks

1. Brave Search — best free replacement

Probably the one I'd try first. Unlike Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Startpage, Brave has its own independent web index, rather than primarily depending on another company's index. Brave also says it doesn't track users, searches, or clicks.

2. Startpage — if you like Google's results

If your biggest complaint with alternative search engines is that their results aren't as good as Google, Startpage is interesting: it provides Google/Bing-powered results while keeping your searches and personal profile separate from Google.

3. Kagi — if you're willing to pay

This is the one I'd recommend to a heavy searcher. It's subscription-funded, so there are no search ads, and it offers an unusually high degree of control over results, including the ability to block or down-rank sites. It also has its own index.

4. Mojeek — if independence matters most

Mojeek maintains its own search index and is particularly interesting if you want to get away from the Google/Bing search ecosystem entirely. It's less polished and comprehensive than the biggest engines, though.

5. DuckDuckGo — easiest mainstream switch

It's a solid, familiar choice and doesn't require an account. The tradeoff is that its traditional web results largely come from Bing's index, so you're not getting the same degree of search-engine independence as Brave or Mojeek.

One important distinction

If what you really like about Ecosia is the environmental mission, most of these aren't direct replacements. Ecosia's advertising revenue is specifically directed toward environmental projects, whereas the alternatives above prioritize privacy, independence, or search quality instead. Ecosia is also working with Qwant on a European search index called European Search Perspective, currently available through Ecosia in France.

My quick ranking:
🥇 Brave Search — best free all-rounder
🥈 Kagi — best if you don't mind paying
🥉 Startpage — best if you want Google-quality results privately
🌱 Ecosia — still best if the environmental mission is the priority
🔎 Mojeek — most interesting independent alternative

If you tell me what you like about Ecosia—tree planting, privacy, search quality, avoiding Google, or avoiding Microsoft/Bing—I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 choices.