It’s a pretty safe bet to assume that most people have heard of and used the all-powerful Google. Many people might not know that this search engine giant isn’t the only option- a great alternative for many people is DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo reviews are abound extolling its user privacy-focused take on internet searching.
Never heard of it? Heard of it but not sure why you might want to use it over Google? We’re here to tell you all about DuckDuckGo and its similarities and differences compared to Google.
In this article we’ll discuss:
DuckDuckGo vs Google
The Differences
With their story beginning in 1995, Google is the most popular search engine in the world and is known as the original search engine. DuckDuckGo, on the other hand, came into the game a little later but has been around since 2008.
One of the main differences between these 2 search engines is that Google stores the personal information of its users. It then uses this to serve ads and target individuals based on their preferences.
DuckDuckGo, in comparison, claims to never store or use this type of information. While Google’s tactics may be beneficial in some circumstances, not everyone is comfortable with their personal information being saved and used! This is where DuckDuckGo has been able to make a name for itself. DuckDuckGo doesn’t keep track of search history, track IP addresses or target users with pesky ads! So, online users concerned with their privacy can rest assured that their personal data is safe.
Another difference between the 2 is that DuckDuckGo uses its web crawler (DuckDuckBot), other search engines and crowdsourcing sites to gather its search results. Google, on the other hand, doesn’t require help from other search engines. It’s search index is massive in size – the biggest of all search engines allowing it to serve the best results without help.
A more minor difference is in the way users search through results after the first 10 page results. In Google, users can click the next arrow or select a number and a new page will open with the additional search results. In DuckDuckGo however, when users get to the bottom of the first page of results, they can click more results and additional options will load directly below without opening a new page.
It also owns additional tools that give it a huge advantage over smaller search engines like DuckDuckGo. Tools like Maps offer a wealth of info provided by businesses and individuals. DuckDuckGo also offers directions but these are pulled from other sources like Bing Maps (by default) or even Google Maps.
Beyond several minor differences and the major difference in privacy, these search engines also have many similarities.
The Similarities
Firstly, both search engines are easy to use and navigate. They have similar layouts – a basic search engine landing page showing organic search results along with ads near the top of the page.
Similarly, both also offer the ability to search through particular segments of content. Both offer web results, image results, video results, news results and maps results with Google also offering additional options like shopping, books, flights and finance.
Why Use DuckDuckGo? The Advantages
Privacy
DuckDuckGo is known as one of the most private search engines available and boasts a policy of never tracking or storing the personal data of its users. Privacy is, therefore, the number one advantage of using DuckDuckGo, especially over other search engines that harvest and store personal data.
Due to this amazing policy, you won’t see any ads that target you based on your searches and you can ensure that you are seeing the same results as other users because there is no targeting or personal profiling.
In our DuckDuckGo reviews, privacy came up as one of the search engine’s paramount features. Your search history, site cookies and even your IP address are left alone.
Simplicity
DuckDuckGo is simple, clean and easy to use and navigate. One of its best features is infinite scrolling – rather than having to click over to a new page to see additional search results, DuckDuckGo loads more results directly below the top ten organic returns!
Continuous improvement
DuckDuckGo continues to grow in popularity year after year, meaning that they are able to continually build upon what they have and improve. As they continue to grow, they will realize more profit and therefore will be able to invest in continually improving the search engine.
The Disadvantages of DuckDuckGo
Personalization
Due to the fact that DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect personal information or track its users, there is no way to personalize user experience. This is a benefit for privacy but a downfall for personalization.
Small search engine
As a small search engine, DuckDuckGo doesn’t have nearly the resources or capabilities of Google. This also means that DuckDuckGo will always be trailing larger search engines in its capabilities, options and innovations. DuckDuckGo reviews point to its more limited functionality in exchange for ultimate privacy.
Fewer features
While DuckDuckGo does have many great features, it doesn’t have nearly the capabilities that Google does. For example, Google’s tools include Gmail, Flights and Finance, just to name a few.
The Benefits Of Google
Personalization
Although not the best for privacy, the fact that Google tracks and stores personal and search data allows it to personalize results and offer users content that they are likely to be interested in seeing.
This search engine also remembers your search history, allowing you to easily find information you’ve previously viewed.
Size/popularity
As an original search engine, Google is ahead of the game in nearly everything they do. As the most popular search engine, they have the most resources which helps them to continue to stay ahead, to innovate and to improve everything they touch! With so many resources, it is constantly updating their algorithms and innovating technology, adding things like artificial intelligence and machine learning to search.
This search engine giant has the largest and most advanced search index and algorithms, not to mention their extensive lineup of additional tools like Maps, Flights, Books and Finance.
Integration
Google has a long list of popular additional tools, of which you probably use or have used one or more! As we mentioned, there’s Gmail, Maps, AdSense, YouTube, Google photos, Google Home, Google Docs, Google Analytics, etc. And, since it owns all of these tools, this makes it incredibly easy for users to integrate everything, making for a streamlined experience.
Disadvantages of Google
Privacy
Lack of privacy is the biggest disadvantage. Google collects, stores, uses and sells personal information for many different reasons, including to target users with content tailored to them. Not even searches in incognito mode are completely private! While it can be annoying to be followed around by targeted ads, many people also fear a data breach, in which personal data could be leaked and used for other, more intrusive, purposes.
DuckDuckGo reviews bring up the fact that its users will never be subjected to personalized ads or targeted marketed through site cookies and personal searches.
Testing and experimentation
In an effort to be continually improving their services and user experience, Google is constantly making changes and testing new ideas. This is great for innovation but can be annoying and confusing for some users.
Key Takeaways on DuckDuckGo vs Google
Although Google is the largest and most popular search engine in the world, it does come with downfalls, particularly regarding its privacy practices. This is where DuckDuckGo has stepped in to fill a void. It offers a private search experience where users can feel confident that their data is not being collected and used to target them.
To summarize, here are the positives and negatives of each search engine.
DuckDuckGo
Pros
- Offers complete privacy to users
- Simple and easy to use
- Continually making improvements and growing in popularity and resources
Cons
- Lacks personalization because it doesn’t collect personal data
- Smaller in size meaning fewer resources and therefore capabilities
- Fewer features and tools than larger search engines
Pros
- Ability to provide personalization due to personal data collection
- Large and popular allowing for continual improvements and innovations
- Integration with other popular tools like Gmail and Maps.
Cons
- Collects and uses personal data
- Constantly testing and experimenting with new features and ideas making it confusing and difficult to use at times
With all of this information, you can now decide for yourself which you’d like to use – or if you’d like to use both!
