Other Than Google and Bing
Google and Bing may be the top two sites that come to mind when talking about internet search engines, but they are not the only ones out there.
Though both have recently been gaining a lot of attention for implementing artificial intelligencebacked integrations in their search operations, they are certainly not the only search engines that can help you discover information and content that you need. Here are takes on five underappreciated search engines that offer a dynamic range of search features and functions to users.
DuckDuckGo duckduckgo.com
Poised as a privacy-centric search engine, DuckDuckGo is a minimalistic search engine that arms users with intuitive search options that’re designed to work for them, not the other way around.
Initially launched in 2008, its pim of custom search features includes options to set how search result pages appear and settings pertaining to auto-complete functions, language options, region or location-specific search options, link opening controls and more.
But as practical as its customization options are, its strength lies in its “we do not track your activities” approach, so much so that it alternatively offers a browser extension and dedicated Android and iOS apps that’re designed to block online entities from tracking your search activities.
When it comes to search engine users, there are those who are okay with the idea that their searches and browsing activities are being tracked or catalogued, as this would mean having a “tailored” or “curated” set of search results in the future.
However, there are those who are not comfortable with the idea that their online searches and activities are being tracked, and if you happen to be this type of browser, you’ll find a lot to like about DuckDuckGo.
Ask ask.com
Originally named “Ask Jeeves”, Ask is a search engine that focuses on helping users find answers to questions. It was established in 1996, and it runs on a natural language processing technology that allows it to “understand” questions, thereby come up with relevant and accurate results.
Sometime in 2010, the site transitioned from being a search engine into becoming a questionand-answer type platform whose dynamic ran similarly to that of the question-and-answer site quora.com.
From here, it evolved into becoming an “answer engine” that also features curated articles and features on news, TV, movies, culture and lifestyle topics, as well as informative highlights like a “Question of the Day” corner.
Ecosia ecosia.org
Launched in 2009, Ecosia is a Berlin-headquartered search engine that prides itself as a social business that supports full financial transparency and user privacy.
It is different from the likes of Google and Bing in that it uses around forty seven percent of its income from advertising revenue to support various tree planting projects and initiatives – which basically means that by using the site, you’re actively helping it accomplish its cause-oriented goals.
Running with the tag-line “Search the web to plant trees…”, it operates as part of the Microsoft Search Network. In June of 2022, it passed the one hundred fifty million trees planted mark by working with various organizations to plant trees in thirty five countries.
It features browser extension applets for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge, which can be installed via the browsers’ official extension distribution channels.
BoardReader boardreader.com
BoardReader is not exactly a search engine as it is a type of web-crawler that conducts “searches” by aggregating information from various social media sources. It is often characterized as an easierto-use version of MessageKing, which is another type of web-crawler that’s used by people to search for posts/content in online forums and social media sites.
Basically, it “gathers” results by parsing through keywords within posts and their titles, and runs on a user dynamic that’s similar to how one would use a regular search engine.
It is a practical tool for those who want to discover opinions on specific topics, reviews on certain products and/or services, views about certain events and happenings and more.
WolframAlpha wolframalpha.com
Like BoardReader, WolframAlpha is not exactly a search engine as it is more of a “knowledge engine” in that it provides users access to different types of information and data.
These cover the likes of geographical facts, economic facts and a names database that lists writers, doctors, artists, singers and more. Apart from serving as a “knowledge engine”, it is equipped to help users solve mathematical problems/ equations with graphs as solutions.
Because of its “knowledge engine” leanings, it often provides just one specific answer to a question, which is different from how most search engines operate in that they provide different links as search results.