What is DuckDuckGo used for?

DuckDuckGo is a web search engine built around privacy and no search tracking, with companion browsers, extensions and an AI chat service. It is a good fit for searching the web without profiling and using a privacy-minded browser on mobile.

Yes. DuckDuckGo is free to use.

Is DuckDuckGo open source?

No. DuckDuckGo is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to DuckDuckGo include SearXNG, YaCy and Degoog.

What are some alternatives to DuckDuckGo?

DuckDuckGo competes with Brave Search, Kagi and Startpage. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source DuckDuckGo alternatives.

DuckDuckGo: features, pricing and alternatives

About DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is a web search engine built around privacy. It does not track people's searches, and the company has expanded into a wider set of privacy tools for everyday internet use, such as protecting email and blocking trackers while browsing.

Besides search, its site lists browsers for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, browser extensions, Duck.ai for chatting with AI models, and Email Protection. It also offers themes, settings, a newsletter, a blog, a podcast and a privacy comparison page. DuckDuckGo is proprietary and vendor-hosted, and the search engine is free to use, with the business supported by advertising on search.

Key features

Search without tracking
Privacy-focused browsers for several platforms
Browser extensions for privacy
Duck.ai chat with AI models
Email Protection service

Good fit for

→Searching the web without profiling
→Using a privacy-minded browser on mobile

Tags: search-engine; privacy; web-search; browser; no-tracking; ai-chat; email-protection

DuckDuckGo: questions and answers

What is DuckDuckGo used for?: DuckDuckGo is a web search engine built around privacy and no search tracking, with companion browsers, extensions and an AI chat service. It is a good fit for searching the web without profiling and using a privacy-minded browser on mobile.
Is DuckDuckGo free?: Yes. DuckDuckGo is free to use.
Is DuckDuckGo open source?: No. DuckDuckGo is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to DuckDuckGo include SearXNG, YaCy and Degoog.
What are some alternatives to DuckDuckGo?: DuckDuckGo competes with Brave Search, Kagi and Startpage. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source DuckDuckGo alternatives.