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?

  • Corvus Cornix@piefed.socialEnglish
    1·
    4 months ago

    I know you mentioned having tried it but my experience with DDG has been pretty good and it’s what I use (edit to add that I’m not doubting your experience with it has been poor and this isn’t intended to sound flippant).

    I see Kagi come up a lot. I don’t trust engines like Kagi not to link my payment data with my search history, personally. They’re a US company, so consider what that means in the current state of the world and privacy. I haven’t deeply investigated the validity of it, but the Kagi CEO allegedly harassed a journalist (minor edit, a blogger) who had a critical take on their service, and supposedly they were founded as - you guessed it - an AI company.

    And sure, DDG is a US company, too. But they don’t really have anything personally identifying to link my searches back to me. I can accept the ads (though I have uBlock), which are only contextually targeted based on search keywords. I don’t think I’d use their browser or extensions, which would have a much more privileged place in my “tech stack”, but for search it does well enough.

  • okwhateverdude@lemmy.worldEnglish
    01·
    4 months ago

    If you aren’t paying for it, you are the product. I pay for Kagi and I am very happy with the results and tools they develop.

    • sem@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      0·
      4 months ago

      Lots of times you pay, but you are still the product.

      I also use kagi when I need it, and have managed to stay on the free tier. DDG for everything else.

      • artyom@piefed.socialEnglish
        1·
        4 months ago

        And even sometimes you don’t pay and still aren’t the product. See most FOSS stuff. The statement is just false.