7 Best AI Search Engines to Try Instead of Google (Free)

Looking for the best AI search engine to use instead of Google? AI search engines answer your question in plain sentences, pull facts from several web pages at once and link to their sources, so you spend less time opening tabs. All seven below can be used for free, and we checked each one’s own help pages for what the free version includes, how it shows sources and how it handles your privacy.

Quick answer: Perplexity is the best all-round AI search engine, with numbered citations on every answer. Use ChatGPT search if you already use ChatGPT, Brave Search or DuckDuckGo if privacy matters most, and Bing AI Mode for a familiar search page with an AI tab. Always click through to the source for anything important.

AI search engines compared

Checked on 4 November 2026 on each company’s official site or help centre.

1. Perplexity

Perplexity is the tool most people mean when they say “AI search engine”. It searches the web in real time and, according to its help centre, “every answer includes citations linking to the original sources”, shown as numbered references you can click to check a fact.

• Free plan: practically unlimited basic searches, 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research query a month, plus limited file uploads, per Perplexity’s plan guide.
• Good at: comparison questions, quick research, follow-up questions that keep the context.
• Watch out for: advanced models and image generation need a paid plan.

2. ChatGPT search

If you already use ChatGPT, its built-in web search is the easiest switch. OpenAI’s free-tier FAQ says free users can browse the web for up-to-date information, though browsing shares a usage limit with file uploads and data analysis.

• How it works: ChatGPT searches automatically when a question needs fresh information, or you can click the web search icon in the message box. Answers include inline citations, and a Sources button lists every page used, according to OpenAI’s search help page.
• Bonus: OpenAI’s Chrome extension can make ChatGPT your default search from the address bar.
• Watch out for: heavy daily searching will hit free-plan limits. See our beginner’s guide to ChatGPT to get started.

3. Bing AI Mode (Microsoft Copilot)

Microsoft’s AI search now lives inside Bing as two features powered by Copilot: AI Overview, a summary at the top of normal results, and AI Mode, a separate tab for follow-up questions and deeper answers. Microsoft’s Bing AI search page says AI Mode “displays a list of the references used to generate your answer”, with a “Show all” option.

• How to use it: search on Bing, then select the AI Mode tab on the results page.
• Good at: people who want a classic results page and AI answers in one place.
• Watch out for: Microsoft notes that features vary by device, country and browser version.

4. Brave Search (Ask Brave)

Brave Search runs on its own independent index, which Brave describes as over 35 billion web pages, rather than renting results from Google or Bing. Its Ask Brave feature combines search and AI chat in one box and is “free and available on any browser or platform”.

• Privacy: Brave says Ask Brave conversations are never used for training, are encrypted and expire after 24 hours of inactivity, and that it doesn’t keep IP addresses.
• Good at: private everyday searches with an AI answer on top.
• Watch out for: a smaller index than Google can mean thinner results for very local or niche searches.

5. DuckDuckGo (Search Assist and Duck.ai)

DuckDuckGo adds AI on your terms. Search Assist writes a short AI answer above the results and, per DuckDuckGo’s help page, always links to one or two sources. You choose how often it appears (often, sometimes, on demand or never) in search settings.

• Duck.ai: a free private chat with several third-party models. DuckDuckGo says it removes your IP address before prompts reach the model providers, doesn’t store chats by default, and that providers agree not to train on your conversations.
• No AI at all? noai.duckduckgo.com works like normal DuckDuckGo search with every AI feature turned off.
• Watch out for: Search Assist answers are brief; use Duck.ai for longer back-and-forth.

6. Claude with web search

Anthropic’s Claude isn’t a search engine in the classic sense, but its free plan includes web search, and Anthropic’s help centre says “every response includes citations, so you can easily verify sources yourself”. It is a good pick when you want a careful, well-written explanation rather than a quick snippet.

• How to use it: in a chat, click the + button and switch on Web search; in newer versions Claude searches automatically when it helps.
• Watch out for: on the free plan, searches count toward usage limits that reset every five hours. Our guide to using Claude explains the free plan.

7. Ecosia

Ecosia is a search engine that puts 100% of its profits toward climate action, and it now has two optional AI features: AI Overviews, which summarise results and link reliable sources above the normal results, and AI Chat for conversational answers.

• Control: AI Overviews are on by default but can be switched off in Ecosia’s search settings, and an AI-free search setting is available on desktop, according to Ecosia’s help centre.
• Watch out for: image generation in AI Chat needs you to be signed in, and Ecosia also sells an optional AI subscription.

How to choose the right AI search engine

• For research and studying: Perplexity, then ChatGPT search.
• For privacy: Brave Search or DuckDuckGo with Duck.ai.
• For a familiar results page: Bing with AI Mode, or Ecosia.
• For long, careful explanations: Claude.
• For no AI at all: noai.duckduckgo.com, or follow our steps to turn off AI Overviews in Google.

Tips for getting good answers from AI search

1. Ask full questions. “Which budget robot vacuum handles pet hair best?” works better than “robot vacuum pet hair”.
2. Open the sources for health, money, legal and news questions. AI answers can misread a page or mix up dates.
3. Use follow-ups to narrow down (“only free options”, “for Windows”, “in the UK”) instead of starting over.
4. Check the date of the pages cited when you need the latest prices or rules.
5. Keep a classic search engine handy for maps, local businesses, shopping and finding one exact page.

FAQ

What is the best AI search engine?

For most people, Perplexity is the best all-round AI search engine because every answer comes with numbered citations and the free plan allows practically unlimited basic searches. Brave Search and DuckDuckGo are the best private options.

Is there a free AI search engine?

Yes. All seven in this list can be used for free: Perplexity, ChatGPT search, Bing AI Mode, Brave Search, DuckDuckGo, Claude and Ecosia. Paid plans mainly add more advanced searches and models.

Is ChatGPT a search engine?

Not exactly, but ChatGPT can search the web and cite its sources, including on the free plan, which makes it work like an AI search engine for many questions.

Which search engine doesn’t use AI?

DuckDuckGo offers noai.duckduckgo.com, which turns off all of its AI features, and Ecosia has an AI-free search setting on desktop.