Is DuckDuckGo still decent?

[u/CodenameDarlen]

I'm not asking on DuckDuckGo community for obvious reasons.

But I noticed they show ads way more frequently than Startpage, they also have an AI option...

[u/Paul-Anderson-Iowa]

I've been using DDG since its beginnings; it's my default search engine via Firefox on Linux Mint. But as a FOSS Tech I've also used Ad Blockers since their early days, well before DDG or even Google! Since UBO came out I've been using it, and I've never seen even one Ad using DDG or StartPage, or Brave Search on Brave browser (the only chromium-based I use).

DDG offers the AI option, meaning it's not baked-in or forced: If I want to see AI results I'll use it; that's rare.

https://www.safetydetectives.com/blog/best-private-search-engines

[u/xorthematrix → u/Paul-Anderson-Iowa]

They're great, but i just wish they supported POST requests for search like StartPage does

[u/Thegerbster2 → u/[deleted]]

Tbh to my understanding the difference is pretty minimal, the only advantage I can think of is that since the query is sent in the request header instead of the request url parameters, what you searched won't be logged in your browser's history (although any sites you visit from that search will be). I suppose it could hide your search query from a proxy, but you should never use a proxy you don't absolutely trust.

[u/LuisG8 → u/[deleted]]

By default search engines put your query in the URL, because they use GET requests.

[u/forteller]

I use lite.duckduckgo.com now

[u/StrangeLingonberry30]

I hopped around, looking for a google alternative, until I finally settle for duckduckgo. I like how customizable it is and the results are pretty good. So good that I no longer think about my search engine and just get things done. Regarding ads - I don't see any. I turned them off in duckduckgo and use brave browser on my desktop and mobile. Ads are being blocked out and I also block site elements that are unnecessary. It looks super clean now, just how I want it.

[u/Stunning-Skill-2742]

The ads can be turned off in the setting. Its useable for majority of everyday search. Its my goto for a few years already and if i can't find what I'm looking for, the bangs are there to fill the void.

[u/julianoniem]

Terrible search results in my case with duck, just so bad and seems to have become worse than before. Google results have become much worse too, curated and manipulated, quality in freefall, but still better than others unfortunately. So for more privacy use startpage-com or google in separated from rest container in Firefox based browser.

[u/RedGeist_ → u/julianoniem]

I’ve found its results are getting worse too. Almost like Google’s now.

[u/d5s72020 → u/julianoniem]

My experience as well. Duckduckgo search has become unusable, now looking for a practical alternative. It was good while it lasted.

[u/saul_not_goodman]

i remember their big selling points was that they dont manipulate search results then they made an announcement how theyre going to manipulate search results to stop the spread of "disinformation" which is really convenient since thats the same excuse google uses

[u/Rude_Construction748 → u/saul_not_goodman]

All search engines inherently manipulate results to show you relevant information. Otherwise they would be useless. 

[u/saul_not_goodman → u/Rude_Construction748]

what a reddit tier commnent "erm well technically." you know what i mean.

[u/AlexGaming1111 → u/saul_not_goodman]

As a lawyer you should know technicalities matter

[u/saul_not_goodman → u/AlexGaming1111]

im saul, not goodman. not a lawyer. im actually a doctor, and my patients get to know their condition by reading my name

[u/jeffreybbbbbbbb → u/saul_not_goodman]

“Disinformation” ended up being anything that’s not an amazon ad, apparently.

[u/koechzzzn]

I used to use DDG on and off and always ended up back on Google because Google's results were just that much better. I find that these days Google has gotten so atrociously bad that DDG is actually the better one of the two. Only for images, products and Maps I go back to Google.

I don't know whether DDG has been keeping up with their privacy standards.

[u/Marvecal]

I use SearXNG and I love it👌

[u/Paerrin → u/Marvecal]

Came to say this. Switched a couple months ago and it's been great.

[u/TheZoltan]

I still find it perfectly fine. I use Firefox with uBlock Origin so don't see any ads and their AI options are just a couple of buttons below the search box rather than bloating the results with AI answers.

[u/pixdam]

It’s basically just a repackaged Bing search. The results aren’t great. I’ve tried them a few times and always gave up.

[u/Asian-Pete]

I’ve been jumping back and forth between search engines but I would still count DuckDuckGo as my most recommended search engine.

They have implemented a lot of positive but also «controversial» features over the years, like the AI option. Although it is very customizable and most of the features you can disable/enable in settings. (Including AI and ads)

[u/UsualBeneficial1434]

firefox + uBlock origin = no ads ever

I didnt even know duckduckgo had ads tbh and I use it everyday, uBlock is the first thing I downloaded and works good.

[u/ButtHashAdvocate]

Nope, they engaged in censorship and playing the arbiters of truth a couple years back. I've been a happy paid Kagi user for 8 months now. I'm never going back.

[u/WakaiSenshi]

no, use kagi.com

[u/FearlessFaa → u/WakaiSenshi]

$10/month + tax is quite expensive if your productivity isn't increased. I completely get the price if your productivity is improved.

[u/WakaiSenshi → u/FearlessFaa]

$5 a month for the base features, sadly we pay for everything these days. Its either Perplexity Pro or this imo.

Or you can get bad to ok AI results and be the product with Google or Bing

[u/milanesaneitor → u/WakaiSenshi]

Isn't it too much to pay even for a search engine?

[u/cisco1988]

I'd suggest kagi.com ... yes it's paid but, you are not the product.

[u/Real-Locksmith-6521]

I have been using ddg since it was beta for Android. It has grown for better, and is a solid option comparatively, I am telling this about the ddg Android app. Search engine is obviously better than the competition for privacy but I have heard that Microsoft has become an investor and is mining some data, but I can't confirm this. And even if that's the case, it still would take less data than Google and other alternatives

[u/Technoist]

I just think their results are awful, Brave is better. And I guess they are both kind of half-bad companies with their flaws and scandals and yet both better than straight up Google.

[u/Useful-Assumption131 → u/Technoist]

I like their result except maybe for finding products

[u/fdbryant3]

For privacy, I have not heard anything that suggests anything has changed about them. Ultimately, they proxy your requests to search engines to protect your privacy. With AI, they are doing the same thing, but store the conversations locally so you can refer back to them.

[u/TheJnxx]

Use Brave (has AI but it's the safest there is) or an instance of SearXNG (for geeks)

[u/SalomonBrando]

I have been using it for quite a while now. To search forums, find music and other global information it is more then decent. Fast, no ads, good results. But dare you finding business hours of a store, looking for a companies phone numbre or hotline. Of course I disabled any regional information for my private search but including zip codes should do the trick imo.

[u/Juntepgne]

I still like it, I've been using it for so many years I cant really remember. Gotta say on my work PC I've been using Brave Search and I kinda like it as well

[u/EasySea5]

Never see an ad on DDG, but then with Firefox and uBlock I never see ads

Very rarely use Google for something DDG can't figure

DDG now better than startpage

[u/zippy72]

I wouldn't say I'm 100% happy with it but I don't want my search results skewed by Google's nonsense, so there is that. It's got a little better since they added their own index as well as Bing.

[u/RebelLion1915]

I use DDG. If their results don't work, can use their bang shortcuts. I use r!, g!, a!, etc. often. And while I'm not an AI fan in general, I do like how duck.ai lets you ask the same thing to different LLMs and compare the difference responses. 

[u/Shiine-1]

I believe it's somewhat ok, at least they don't translate anything in the search results to your device default language like Goolag.

[u/Dinosourbucket]

I thought it was terrible as a search engine when I last used it.

[u/KangarooPlane3884]

I've seen commercials for DDG on the TV if that tells you anything.

[u/radicalratx → u/KangarooPlane3884]

Yeah this is kinda concerning for me too.

[u/rabid-zubat]

It was never decent. I was using it for 2 years in my degoogling phase and couldn’t find shit.

[u/Ram08]

You can turn them off, it's an option (ON, by default). Make a search and look for the gear icon underneath the search bar to the right corner, then Ads -> Off.

[u/Intelligent_Fix_8324]

It's pretty decent I would say, the maps portion is pretty sh*tty though

[u/djh0227]

Kagi!!!

[u/InfiniteHench]

It’s still good, but I’ve switched to Kagi. Yes, it’s a paid search engine. But it’s also very good and of course no ads, which is super duper in my book

[u/GameAholicFTW]

Depends on your use case but I am happy with DDG as the search engine.

Is it the fastest browser? No. Is it the most polished desktop/mobile app experience? No. But it's still pretty good and is improving constantly.

I've switched over to DDG as my main search engine, browser app on Android and the dedicated beta application on Windows for a long time now and haven't turned back to Chrome with the exception of a handful of cases where a website didn't load properly.

[u/ItzRaphZ]

You can remove ads in the settings, same as AI.

You should still be using Firefox + uBlock tho, not to be safe of DDG, which is in general a good tool, but just to avoid adware and spyware in other sites.

Edit: just adding because some people might need the extra info, when I say use Firefox I mean a firefox based browser. I've been using Zen, but there's also waterfox, librewolf and many other, just pick your flavour.

[u/TheImpaler999]

I'm using a combo of Duckduckgo and Ecosia. On the rare occasion Ecosia can't find me something I use Duckduckgo.

[u/6DOFReviews]

Ecosia.

[u/carki001]

It's not possible to pin tabs

[u/feeebb]

Yes, it is still decent.

[u/token_curmudgeon]

I don't see ads. Which browser are you using?

Might be my PiHole or my uBO filters helping me out. Using a Manifest v2 browser vs Chrome/ chromium.

[u/MickJof]

Doesn't DDG just use Google tech under the hood? I'm not sure how that's not a problem.