Imagine someone asking you, “What is the best search engine?”. The answer would be 99% Google. Everyone is so fond of Google that the simplest thing in our minds is that we end up Googling.
You are looking for the best restaurants near you, have a technical query. There’s a big big list! What would you do? Simple Google!
But do you know, there’s something beyond this? There are alternatives to the Google search engine, each with unique features and functionalities.
In this blog, we will explore the top 10 search engines in the world. Are you excited to know more about it?
Come! Let’s dive in!
Looking at the Best Search Engines
Google is by far the world’s largest and best search engine, holding 91% of the total market share. It’s one of the most visited websites globally. Google is the master in SERPs and even gives you a quick turnaround for all the queries or doubts you would like to clear.
Google is superfast and offers a range of SERP features, such as People Also Ask Questions, knowledge panels, feature snippets, and more. How about following the AI trend?
Google won’t remain behind in it! It launched an AI-powered assistant called Bard, later renamed Gemini. Beyond just searching, Google provides valuable services like YouTube, Gmail, and Maps, solidifying its position as an essential tool for global users.
The next name or the best alternative to Google is Bing!
It’s one of the popular search engines that was owned by the big industry player, Microsoft, in 2009. Users prefer Bing due to its easy multimedia search, such as images and videos.
Another amazing part is that the Bing search engine offers “Rewards” for every search. These can also be used to make a charitable donation or purchase a gift card. Microsoft has its own search and crawling algorithm, making it different from the rest of the search engines.
In 2023, Bing introduced an AI-powered search component called
Copilot, which shares the results for you in seconds. It’s like ChatGPT.
3. Ask.com
Ask.com started as a unique question-and-answer service rather than a conventional search engine when Garrett Gruener and David Warthen introduced Ask Jeeves, the company’s original name, in 1996 in California.
The business changed its name in 2006, dropping “Jeeves” and becoming Ask. In 2010, Ask.com chose to use Google to power its search results instead of focusing on search due to fierce competition from the search engines.
Even though Ask.com is no longer a significant player in the search engine market, it still provides Q&A content today.
4. Yandex
The following search engine on our list is Yandex. It’s one of Russia’s most significant search engines, with over 68% market share as of July 2024. Yandex is available in Russian and English. Two Russian developers first created Yandex in a project to help with patient classification.
The key aspects this search engine offers are a web browser, maps, voice assistant, music streaming service, etc. It’s a great alternative to Google, as it’s more optimized.
Researchers, academic students, and other knowledge enthusiasts might be familiar with Google Scholar. It mainly focuses on scholarly articles, including journals, research papers, and more. If you’re amongst these and looking for a search engine for sources other than simple blogs, Google Scholar can do wonders.
One notable feature is that the search engine lets you start a result and save it for later.
6. DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo, oh, the name sounds quite exciting, right?
It’s among the most popular search engines, with about 0.58% of the market. One key point to note is that DuckDuckgo does not have its own search index.
Instead, it takes information from different sources for its search engine. As a result, instead of having its data, it depends on sources like Stack Overflow, Bing, Yahoo, and others.
7. Baidu
The most popular search engine in China is Baidu, covering around 52.15% of China’s market. It’s mainly in Mandarin, but it resembles Google with its white background, green URL, and blue links.
Besides its search capabilities, Baidu is integrated with China’s digital ecosystem, offering services like Baidu Maps, Baidu Baike, and Baidu Tieba. It also focuses on AI and machine learning, further boosting its position in voice recognition and autonomous driving technologies.
Baidu is indeed an excellent search engine option in China!
8. Naver
So, if you’re looking for the best search engine in Korea, Naver is your go-to option. Launched in 1999, it’s the first South Korean platform with a search engine. Naver provides search engine features and a mailing, online Q&A, and Knowledge platform.
Naver is immensely known for its “comprehensive search” feature, which provides results across different categories, making it a one-stop platform.
Another fantastic thing is that Naver is known as the “Google of South Korea!”
9. Yahoo
Yahoo is an old search engine founded in 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo. It is powered by Microsoft, so the search results are similar, with a text-heavy and minimalist interface.
Yahoo is an excellent alternative to Google, with a total worldwide market share of 1.16%.
10. AOL
The last one on the list is AOL. In the early days of the internet, AOL, primarily known as America Online, was a leader in online media and search engine space. Even though it’s less popular, this platform offers a search bar, local news, national news stories, and weather updates.
Users must scroll below the fold to view organic search results on the ad-heavy AOL page. Though it is still far from the best search engine in the world, AOL is still a well-known brand in the search engine industry despite its decline in traffic, mainly from the United States.
Final Words
Hope you’ll have been amazed at the top search engines that weren’t on your list! Well, now you can search for the easiest to most complex query or thing you’ve got in mind. We’re sure you’ll love Google! But the search engine options mentioned in this blog can even work well!
As we continue with the technological shifts, online search, and advertising will keep evolving.
Good luck, search buddies! For more trending topics, head over to our blog section.
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