DuckDuckGo review

DuckDuckGo is the easiest private search engine to adopt because it looks and behaves like a mainstream engine and costs nothing. Its help pages say search, the browser extensions and the DuckDuckGo Private Browser are all free, and that requests to result partners are proxied through its own servers, so partners never see your IP address. Most traditional links come from Bing, topped up by DuckDuckBot and Instant Answers from sources such as Wikipedia and Sportradar. The company reports 3 billion monthly searches and 9 million monthly app downloads. The browser, on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, blocks cookie pop-ups and invasive ads. The optional Plus subscription costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and adds a VPN, advanced Duck.ai models, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration; Pro is $19.99 a month. The trade-off is reliance on Bing for most links and ads on the results page.

Who it is for

everyday searchers who want a free, familiar switch from Google

Price

Search, browser and extensions free; optional Plus subscription $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

The Plus plan costs $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• Search, browser extensions and DuckDuckGo Private Browser are all free
• Requests to result partners are proxied through DuckDuckGo servers so no IP address is passed on
• Own crawler, DuckDuckBot, plus traditional links largely sourced from Bing
• Browser blocks cookie pop-ups and invasive ads, including on videos
• Plus subscription bundles a VPN, advanced Duck.ai models, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: DuckDuckGo reports 3 billion monthly searches, so results and Instant Answers are mature
• Strength: Browser available on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android
• Strength: All AI features are optional
• Weakness: Traditional web links largely come from Bing rather than an independent index
• Weakness: Search results carry ads, including Microsoft ads
• Weakness: The subscription is a four-in-one bundle at $9.99 a month, with no search-only paid tier

Key facts

• Price: Free; Plus $9.99 a month
• Main result source: Bing plus own crawler
• Monthly searches: 3 billion (company figure)
• Founded: 2008

Where it ranks

DuckDuckGo is No. 1 in our Best Private Search Engines verdict.