I am kinda fed up off trying all these privacy focused search engines which provide lesser quality service. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

  1. Duckduckgo: bad results when you search something that piracy related
  2. Searx: I’m not geeky enough to host mine own searx so I just jump from one instance to another and the uptimes have been bad.
  3. Startpage: Idk why it’s down most of the time
  4. Ecosia: Not very private, but I just tried it for the sake of it. It’s bad when it comes to the results.

Honestly I feel Brave search is the best when it comes to results. But the sketchy practices kept me away from it. Kagi is paid so I haven’t tried it.

What have you been using?

  • Voxel@feddit.ukEnglish
    13·
    8 days ago

    Startpage has never been down for me, so idrk what the problem on ur end is.

    • teyrnon@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      51·
      8 days ago

      You are doing business with google when using it though, and it’s results have severely enshitified along with the rest since 2021. (They pay google.)

      • Voxel@feddit.ukEnglish
        22·
        8 days ago

        *you’re supporting Google

        StartPage or rather the companies behind it do business with Google, not yourself.

        • teyrnon@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          61·
          8 days ago

          Which amounts to the same thing. I use startpage too for lack of an alternative, but it’s not ideal. I want to do zero business with these silicon valley parasites.

          • Voxel@feddit.ukEnglish
            54·
            8 days ago

            Consider Brave Search. It is the only search engine with useful results I’m aware of that doesn’t use the search index of Bing (Microsoft) or Google, but it is sadly also by an US-based company and not as privacy-friendly as StartPage afaik.

    • s38b35M5@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      8 days ago

      Same. Been using for two years or more. Never had an issue except the settings cookie seems to expire monthly.

    • zerozaku@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      32·
      8 days ago

      I get this page all the time idk why. I thought it was startpage’s issue.

      • J3N5T4R@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        8 days ago

        I get my connection blocked a lot by that search engine saying to many requests despite using it very little.

        • frongt@lemmy.zipEnglish
          23·
          8 days ago

          Are you sharing your IP address with other people? CGNAT or university network or something?

          • J3N5T4R@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            7 days ago

            Usb tethering to one pc. They block Mr saying I make hundreds of searches yet it’s my first of the morning. I gave up an moved to noai duck.