The Top Search Engines Other Than Google [+ Some You Might Not Expect]

Google’s firm grip on the search engine market is both a dream and a nightmare for marketers like me. With nearly 92% of the worldwide search market share, it’s no surprise that when we talk about the top search engines, Google dominates the conversation.

Mar 20, 2025 - 12:01

The Top Search Engines Other Than Google [+ Some You Might Not Expect]

Google’s firm grip on the search engine market is both a dream and a nightmare for marketers like me. With nearly 92% of the worldwide search market share, it’s no surprise that when we talk about the top search engines, Google dominates the conversation.

But that dominance also makes it incredibly tough to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).

I’ve spent years optimizing for Google, only to see algorithm updates shake up rankings overnight. The good news? There are still plenty of opportunities for savvy marketers who know where to look. Millions of people rely on other search engines. With AI-powered search engines shaking up the landscape, we have more ways than ever to reach new audiences.

In this article, I’ll cover the top search engines that are gunning for Google’s market share, which AI-powered options I recommend, and more.

Top Search Engines

Note: I averaged each search engine’s market share over 12 months with data from Statcounter GlobalStats, unless otherwise noted.

1. Google

Let’s start with the heavy hitter. Google dominates in the U.S., handling 60% of all search queries — but that still presents a huge opportunity for marketers to reach the other 40%.

It’s the logical place to start for marketing, running paid marketing campaigns, and developing organic traffic strategies. I still remember the first time I ventured into their course library and Google Analytics.

No matter what OpenAI does, the Google ecosystem will always be the centerpiece of all my workflows.

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But keep in mind that Google’s algorithm works to fulfill users’ needs directly on Google so they don‘t need to click any links. Features like this, plus Google’s popularity, might make it hard for you to capture as much website traffic as you want.

You can, however, come close if you check all the boxes and stay in tune with the updates. The best way to do so is to check out HubSpot’s Complete SEO Starter Pack. You’ll get a rundown of everything you need to navigate the turbulent world of search engines. I love coming back to it every few months to brush up, it’s a massive time saver.

Speaking of turbulence, Google recently rolled out AI Overviews. These info boxes right under the search bar use Gemini, the company’s proprietary AI, to summarize your search results. Let’s just say they’re not always the most accurate. (Cue the “putting glue on pizza” controversy.)

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Why I like it: Let’s be real for a second. I know, you know, and everyone knows the size of Google’s market share and the treasure trove of data they have. Everyone’s using it so focusing on Google SEO is an unavoidable must. Will you live without focusing on Bing? Absolutely. Without Google, though? Not a chance.

Despite Google’s dominance, there’s plenty of other search engines — and potentially a large audience for marketers and SEOs looking to expand their audience.

I rounded up 17 other search engines, including several powered by AI.

Other Search Engines

2. Microsoft Bing

Microsoft Bing trails at a distant second with an overall average of 3.23% of the market share worldwide and just 0.55% on mobile. This engine also powers Yahoo!, the third-biggest search engine in the U.S.

Bing’s search pages look similar to Google’s. There are the same categories and a similar white background, with blue links and green URLs.

Bing additionally offers Microsoft Rewards, a program that gives you points when you search or shop on the engine. You can redeem those points for gift cards, nonprofit donations, and more.

I like this particular tidbit, as I’m always looking for something new to play on my Xbox. But other than that, it’s pretty average. What I appreciate though is how well-integrated Copilot is.

Bing also recently added an AI component, called Copilot, which summarizes search results for you. However — and this is a pretty important “however” for marketers and SEOs who rely on organic traffic — the direct links are harder for users to find. Plus, the first link it provided was to a different landing page than the one linked above.

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Copilot tries to be encouraging about the likelihood of the recent Eurovision winner touring my city. Its human-like tone stands out from other AI-powered searches.

Best for: If you’re infatuated with AI search features and only need summaries, this is a great option. Copilot is so far ahead of Gemini, that it’s not even funny. Mind you, Google also had its privacy-related controversies, while Microsoft has a much clearer track record in that regard.

3. Yahoo

Its news-heavy page isn’t the sleekest search engine interface, but Yahoo is still one of the more popular alternatives to Google. In fact, Yahoo holds over 1.16% of the worldwide market share.

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Yahoo is powered by Microsoft Bing, so search results are similar. Its search results page has a minimalist, text-heavy interface. However, it's still an important search engine in its own right, with over 300 million monthly users.

Best for: If you’re targeting the Japanese market, Yahoo is just as important as Google, if not more. Of those over 40 in Japan, 66% use Yahoo as their main browser. It’s yet another example of how Japanese consumers display loyalty to brands who deliver consistently.

4. Yandex

In some local markets, smaller search engines go head-to-head with Google — and win.

Russian search engine Yandex has roughly 1.62% of the worldwide market share, but in its home country, that skyrockets to nearly 71%. (Google holds the number two spot.) If you do business globally and are looking to reach Russian customers, there are a few things to keep in mind.

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Yandex has many quality indicators, or badges, that it can display alongside search results. One of the most prominent is the site quality index (SQI), which indicates how useful your site is to users.

When I used it first, I found it hard to navigate. They also have a suite of other services, none of which are particularly relevant in the Anglosphere.

Like Google, Yandex considers whether a user’s query has local intent, and it will display regional-dependent results. To account for this, you’ll need to go into Yandex’s webmaster tools and set a site region.

It’s not advertised anywhere on its search engine, but Yandex’s corporate website notes that AI technologies are delivered to all its products, including search.

Pro tip: I didn’t believe it myself, but Yandex has by far the best image search function. It’s significantly more accurate and can even handle paraphrasing and lengthy descriptions.

5. DuckDuckGo

If you’re uneasy about targeted ads or don’t want your search data stored, you might want to try DuckDuckGo, which touts itself as “the search engine that doesn’t track you.”

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It also doesn’t collect or store any information, so you can search for shoes without being bombarded by subsequent Macy’s ads. It’s worth noting there are still ads on DuckDuckGo — just not personalized ones.

DuckDuckGo has a clean interface that makes it easy to navigate. With more than 100 million daily searches in 2024, it's slowly gaining steam in the search market, especially as users become more concerned about privacy.

6. Baidu

Baidu is China’s largest search engine, capturing 52.15% of China’s search market.

The search engine is in Mandarin (so if your Duolingo game isn’t strong you may have issues as an English-speaker). Otherwise, Baidu looks similar to Google, with a white background, blue links, and green URLs. Like Google, Baidu aims to incorporate more rich features in the SERPs.

If you’re looking to appeal to the Asian market, Baidu is a good option to consider.

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However, the search engine censors certain images and blocks pro-democracy websites. If you’re comparing search results, you’ll find a more comprehensive results list on Google.

Pro tip: If you speak Mandarin, are conducting cultural research, or are looking from another news perspective, Baidu won’t disappoint. But if you’re from the West, the censorship and lack of “outspokenness” will be a bit glaring at first. It’s not my favorite, but it did serve its purpose on my trips to Beijing and Shenzhen.

7. Ask.com

Ask.com, formerly known as Ask Jeeves, is a search engine that was designed — pre-AI-powered search — to answer questions.

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Ask.com’s interface is similar to Yahoo’s, with news under the search body. However, unlike Yahoo, which is powered by Bing, Ask.com is a standalone search engine. Let’s just say using Bing or Google would’ve been a far better idea.

Another thing that irked me was the fact that articles from their news section sometimes dominate the SERPs.

Pro tip: I’ll be straightforward with you — if you’re looking for the best possible results on a topic, Ask.com is not the most useful. But what I found by accident is that you can get a lot of results that would otherwise be on the 15th page of Google’s SERPs.

8. Naver

Naver is South Korea’s second most popular search engine, claiming 53.04% of the country’s search engine market. Naver’s interface is entirely in Korean, with no English version. More than a simple search engine, Naver users can access news content, search suggestions, and more.

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Although it’s in Korean, I used Google Translate to view the landing page in English. It’s very minimalist and has an Apple-like feel. Notably, Naver is a localized search engine, meaning that it does not crawl and catalog the entire internet.

If you’re targeting the South Korean market with your content, make sure your SEO matches the criteria of South Korea’s second-most popular search engine.

Pro tip: According to my Korean acquaintances and my own, albeit Google Translate-d, efforts, Naver is much less inclined to have clickbait rank too high. For the sake of journalistic ethics and quality of search results, this is a great thing.

9. Ecosia

Ecosia is “the search engine that plants trees.” For every search a user makes with Ecosia (either the webpage or its free browser extension), Ecosia will allocate part of its profits to plant trees in vulnerable areas.

To date, Ecosia has planted nearly 210 million trees and dedicated another 85 million euros (about $92 million) to climate action.

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Note to marketers: Ecosia’s sponsored spots push your content nearly below the fold. I love using it every once in a while, just because I’m trying to improve my gardening. It feels really good to contribute to a good cause.

Ecosia is most popular in its home country of Germany, where it has 0.87% of the market. Like Yahoo, Ecosia runs on Microsoft Bing.

Pro tip: Are you a PPC expert who lives in or targets Germany? If so, that’s the only possible reason you might want to use Ecosia.

10. AOL

AOL, formerly known as America Online, is both an online media company and a search engine. The interface features a search bar and national news articles, along with local news and weather.

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AOL’s search results page suffers from the same issues as Ecosia and its algorithm feels a bit outdated. Nevertheless, it’s surprisingly useful for basic information. I liked the “Related searches” feature in particular.

Most of AOL’s traffic is generated from the United States, but it’s on the decline at only 0.09% of the market.

Best for: Honestly? The nostalgia factor. Even though you won’t get to hear the legendary “You’ve got mail,” there are still fragments of that old-school AOL feel.

11. Internet Archive

Internet Archive is a different kind of search engine. As its name implies, Internet Archive is a free archive of books, movies, software, music, websites, etc. It’s actually one of my favorite sites, and sometimes the only way to reach certain sites, articles, and all kinds of data.

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Instead of attempting to rank in this search engine, users can sign up for a free account and upload their content to the archives.

Most of Internet Archive’s audience is located in the United States. However, the search engine is gaining popularity in other countries, such as Great Britain and India.

Best for: Research, research, and research. With the help of snapshots at different points in the past, you can see how sites looked in the past and what content was removed. It’s even great for obscure, regional websites, somehow. I’m often surprised how few people know about it.

12. Yep

The popular SEO tool Ahrefs launched Yep, an AI-powered search engine, in 2022. I liked the chat feature. Even the summary on the right sidebar is right on the money most of the time. I also love that it quotes sources, so you know where information comes from.

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Yep’s business model distinguishes it from the rest. It shares 90% of its ad revenue with content creators in an effort to encourage more people to share their knowledge and high-quality content.

Best for: Other than Google, this is probably the best search engine for PPC. While not too many people use it, its interface is very similar to Google.

Plus, the revenue-sharing model is enticing, to say the least. According to the engine’s website, Yep has a “90/10 revenue share business model where we pay 90% of advertising revenue directly to these makers.”

13. Brave Search

Of the half a dozen or so AI-powered search engines I tested for this article, Brave was one of my favorites. In our own research, it was the AI search engine of choice, preferred by 8% of respondents.

Brave’s default settings don’t include AI search, but once you toggle on “search with AI,” it delivers AI summaries above traditional search results.

It has a clean interface and some of the most enhanced privacy features of any search engine on this list. It blocks ads and cross-site cookie tracking, and it doesn’t collect any info about its users.

HubSpot’s research suggests that will be key to capturing regular AI search users — privacy and security were among the top concerns. A quarter of respondents said they’re only likely to use AI search engines if their concerns are addressed.

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Brave’s search results were impressively thorough. When I asked for help writing a listicle about search engines, it began with the history of search engines — but it still gave me relevant information about current search engines.

14. Andi

Andi has a vertically split interface, with the typical AI search engine chat box on the left, and sources on the right. That’s useful for marketers and users, both of whom want high placement of the most relevant results.

Seeing familiar, credible sources may alleviate consumer anxiety around AI. What I immediately thought when using Andi was how good it is as a general intro to AI. Even ChatGPT is more abstract, when you think about it.

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Likewise, I was pretty impressed by the accuracy of both the research results and additional queries you get as suggestions.

15. Perplexity AI

Perplexity has gotten a lot of buzz in the past year. It has a similar design to other AI search engines, with source links above a longer answer in easily skimmable bullet points. It also features citations that reveal the source when you hover over them — essential to ensure that you’re not falling prey to misinformation.

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HubSpot’s research showed that Perplexity tied with You.com as the second-most popular AI search engine, preferred by 5% of all respondents.

16. Phind.com

Phind.com bills itself as “an answer engine” designed specifically for developers. It still does a fine job handling the more mundane queries, but if you need help getting “from idea to working product,” this search engine was built for you.

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17. You.com

You.com has four assistants to choose from to support a variety of more complicated queries: Smart, Genius, Creative, and Research. I love this approach and had a lot of fun playing around with it. In particular, I wanted to see if it could recommend some prestige dramas for me.

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It prepared an easily skimmable report that began, “If you are a fan of prestige dramas, you are likely looking for TV shows that offer high-quality storytelling, complex characters, and often, a cinematic feel.”

The results included the usual suspects (The Wire, Sopranos), but also a few more recent recs (The Crown, Succession).

It also has 15 AI models to choose from. If you’re an AI enthusiast, this is the one to use. You can select from different versions of GPT, Gemini, Claude, and others.

Pro tip: Try to be more specific than I was. Some of the more vague prompts I used weren’t quite successful. It takes a bit of getting used to, since we’re used to using simple queries when using Google and traditional search engines.

18. Komo

I asked Komo to tell me about HubSpot’s website grader, and it quickly summarized it, calling it “a powerful and comprehensive tool” (stop it, we’re blushing). Jokes aside, Komo is amongst my favorite search engines for research.

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Like other AI search engines, it has bibliography-style citations that make it easy to sort fact from fiction. I’ve also tried DeepResearch by OpenAI and I have to say Komo is a tad bit better when it comes to general queries and page analysis. Don’t think of it as an end all-be all. It’s more of a shortcut, when needed.

Pro tip: Use it for general research and direction where to go next. If you don’t want to waste ChatGPT or Claude prompts, let Komo handle most of the heavy lifting. The UI is amongst my favorites on this list, too.

Emerging Search Engine Trends

Social Media Search

TikTok and YouTube aren’t search engines per se, but think about how often you use their search functions.

Recent HubSpot research showed that 42% — not quite half — of respondents turn to social media to search for information. That’s more than any other search engine except Google.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has already incorporated its proprietary AI search into all three platforms.

Google Updates

Google is always working to prioritize good content, with improvements like the 2024 Core Update, which penalizes lower-quality, unoriginal, often AI-generated content. HubSpot’s Manager of EN Blog Strategy Amanda Sellers says it has huge implications for the industry.

“First, Google is sending a strong signal that content written by humans is preferable to content by computers. Ironic, given virtually all of the SERPs are algorithmized,” Sellers says

Sellers also points out that this update should encourage SEOs to take a more comprehensive approach to site performance.

“This update prioritizes user-first content over keyword-first content,” Sellers explains. “With this in mind, SEOs should be looking at their site as a whole and making sure they’re creating helpful, reliable content for their users — not for search engines.”

Think Beyond Google

Exploring alternative search engines has completely changed how I think about SEO and content strategy. There’s a whole world beyond Google, and savvy marketers can find real opportunities by diversifying their approach.

I’ve personally found AI-powered search engines fascinating, and I’ll be keeping an eye on how platforms like Perplexity, Brave, and You.com evolve. Meanwhile, search engines like Yandex, Baidu, and Naver remind me how crucial it is to tailor strategies for different markets.

Whether it’s through AI-driven search, privacy-focused platforms, or niche engines, understanding how people search in 2025 (and beyond) will be the real differentiator for marketers like us.

This article was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.