Upfront summary: Is DuckDuckGo worth it?
DuckDuckGo is a web search engine created with the sole purpose to offer its users a more private and safe browsing experience. DuckDuckGo does not farm the data its user generates while making use of the browser. Hence, a user is kept completely anonymous throughout his or her browsing experience.
In an era where the amassing of tech and data is extensive, trying to visualize a search engine that does not stalk or obtain your data generated during usage sounds like a fairy tale. Unlike Google, the innovation of such a search engine that automatically removes all your data, making your browsing experience more safe and private, seems far-fetched. Well, this is the 21st century, and there is little to no weight in the word impossible, and DuckDuckGo is additional proof of that.
What is DuckDuckGo, you might wonder? Is it safe? How does it work? And is DuckDuckGo legit? We will be deliberating on this topic during the course of this article. So, keep your eyes peeled.
What Is DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo is a search engine created with a high priority on user privacy. Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo does not profile its users or give different search results to various users following their previously collected data. While DuckDuckGo majorly functions as a web search engine, its main objective is to provide its user with a safe and anonymous experience.
DuckDuckGo Company Information
| Official Website: | https://duckduckgo.com |
| Founded: | 2008 |
| Owner: | Gabriel Weinberg |
| Location: | 20 Paoli Pike Paoli, Pennsylvania, United States. |
| Contact: | mailto:press@duckduckgo.com |
| Social Media: | Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn |
How Does DuckDuckGo work?
DuckDuckGo works like every other search engine, but the difference is that, they do not put a tracker on your data generated during usage. As earlier stated, the main objective of DuckDuckGo is that of keeping a user as anonymous as possible. It uses the APIs of several other websites to display the results of user searches and queries. And for formal links, the search engine uses its crawler or employs the assistance of its partnering companies, especially Bing. DuckDuckGo doesn’t offer too many extra features but instead focuses on the privacy and quality experience of its users. However, it does possess its apps and extensions. Adding the DuckDuckGo extension as your default search engine for your browser makes your browsing experience a private one. But if you desire extra privacy, downloading and installing the app will help achieve this goal, as the app restricts unknown trackers and connects to the encrypted version of a website.
DuckDuckGo also offers a single page of search results, making it easy for a user to just scroll down endlessly. Unlike Google, which splits search results into numerous pages that users never visit, as the majority of internet users never go past the first page of search results.
Is DuckDuckGo Legit and Safe?
The central selling point of the DuckDuckGo browser is the privacy of its user. It also offers a considerable amount of privacy than most traditional browsers. Hence it can be said to be relatively safe. The search engine does not collect or keep track of its user data, so it’s a fresh start every time a user uses the browser. The only disadvantage of this is the absence of automatic suggestions for search words that browsers like Google offer. But that shouldn’t be a disturbing factor if a private browsing experience is what you crave. However, you can willingly share your data with the browser if you so desire.
Like other browsers, DuckDuckGo can be a victim to virus attacks and other internet-related threats. But whether or not you’ll be a victim of such an attack depends on your online activities. DuckDuckGo is available and open to users globally. Furthermore, the search engine doesn’t link your searches with your IP address like Google does, so excessive ads popping up would not be a problem.
Is DuckDuckGo Reliable and Trustworthy?
With a general web rating of about 4 out of 5 stars, DuckDuckGo has earned the trust of the more significant majority of users, guaranteeing anonymity for every user and answering the question, is DuckDuckGo legit? DuckDuckGo also has a substantial customer support community, so if need be, every user gets a solution to their queries. With all these benefits associated with the DuckDuckGo service, are there some disadvantages to using the service?
The Pros of DuckDuckGo
A couple of factors make DuckDuckGo more advantageous to use. They include:
Guaranteed Private Experience
The central selling point of DuckDuckGo is its ability to provide a private experience for its users. They do not engage in any form of data farming or storage whatsoever. Any data generated by a user, be it search history, personal information, or frequently used words, is not retained by the web browser. Privacy is the central selling point of the search engine. DuckDuckGo doesn’t store your data or track your habits and search history. It cannot pass your information to third parties, leak it, or use it for marketing purposes.
An Easy-to-use Interface
DuckDuckGo employs an easy-to-use user interface that makes it easy to operate and comb through the Internet at will.
Other Beneficial Features
DuckDuckGo also offers many valuable features to enhance its user experience. Like the social media bios, more developers features, loan calculators, etc. Targeted ads are also a pass for users as they are privacy-oriented. Also, there is no link between the IP address and the search results, so everyone anywhere around the globe will get the same results on a particular keyword search irrespective of geographical jurisdiction.
The Cons of DuckDuckGo
Some drawbacks associated with DuckDuckGo include:
Limited Services
There are a limited number of services offered on DuckDuckGo, unlike other search engines like Google.
Small Market Share
When compared with other search engines like Google, DuckDuckGo has a lower market share. So, a user will find it challenging to sync other services and accounts to it, making DuckDuckGo a little less convenient to use than a search engine like Google.
No Auto-Suggest Feature
It’s a good thing that DuckDuckGo is more focused on keeping a user as anonymous as possible by not saving user data. Still, there is a drawback associated with that, and that is the absence of the auto-suggest feature, which feeds off the history and tracked data of a user, as available in Google.
How Does Duckduckgo Make Money?
Of course, irrespective of the advantages DuckDuckGo has to offer, the company is no charity organization. Like every other establishment, they run on funds and aim to make profits. How do they achieve this? By making use of ads. When a user looks up a keyword using the web browser, the search results page generated reflects ads that relates to the keyword being searched by the user. However, once the user navigates to a new page, the service doesn’t recall the keywords browsed. They also affiliate with other businesses and earn commissions whenever a product is sold via their platform.
Best DuckDuckGo Alternatives
Sometimes a web search engine like DuckDuckGo might meet with some set of difficulties or might not tickle the fancy of a user at the moment. At such a time, an alternative to the web browser might just come in handy. With regards to this, some search engines that can serve as alternatives to DuckDuckGo has been listed below. They include:
- Searx
- StartPage
- Yandex Search
- Qwant
- Metager
- Dogpile
- Mojeek
- Yacy
- Ecosia
- Swisscows
All the same, when it comes to providing a satisfying private experience to its users, DuckDuckGo seems to be the leading search engine. So, if you are yet to do so, what better time to explore this web browser than now.