The top search engines other than Google [+ some you might not expect]

Google remains the top search engine, with a significant market share of more than 89%. This means that 89% of all searches take place on Google.

And if this is true, why do marketers need to think about alternative search engines?

I think there are two main reasons.

Firstly, search is changing. Below, I share data on the decline in Google searches and the increase in alternative search engines, including large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, as well as social media channels like Reddit.

Secondly, different search engines bring different things to different users. It’s helpful to know who your audience is before choosing your top search engine because if you know who you’re targeting, you might be able to figure out where they’re completing their search so that you can meet them there.

If I were targeting sustainably driven audiences, I might turn to a green search engine like Ecosia. If I wanted to target men, I might focus on Reddit since the majority of users (59.80%) are male. Choosing the top search engine is less about understanding the quantity of searches and more about quality and audience relevance to your brand.

In this article, I’ll cover the top search engines gunning for Google’s market share based on the numbers. Then, I’ll explore alternative search engines, including the AI-powered options I recommend, and who might use each one.

Before we get into the top search engines, let’s look at the data.

Table of Contents

The Data Behind Top Search Engines

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I’ve worked in SEO and marketing for about a decade, and during my time, I’ve seen Google reach a market share of over 93%.

A staggering monopoly.

In October 2024, something shifted, and Google’s market share dropped below 90% for the first time since 2015.

What changed? Search behavior.

Instead of searchers heading to Google to fulfill their search queries, they are turning to alternate forms of search. Naturally, alternative search engines like Bing capture a portion of the market share. In 2016, Bing had an overall share of 2.79%, and since January 2025, it has increased its share to 3.96%.

Privacy-focused search engines, such as DuckDuckGo, have gained popularity. While searches on this particular search engine are low, DuckDuckGo has captured up to 0.86% of the market share. That’s part of the ground Google has lost.

And what’s more?

Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, have altered search behavior, with more people fulfilling their queries directly within the AI.

It’s no coincidence that Google’s drop aligns with the release of ChatGPT in November 2022.

Oh, and let’s not forget that social media search has been a “threat” to Google for many years. HubSpot’s recent Social Trends Report revealed some insights into how search behavior and social media are evolving.

The report shares that:

• 69% of marketers agree that more shopping will occur directly on social media platforms than on brand websites or third-party marketplaces in 2025.
• Over 40% of Millennials and Gen Zers have purchased products directly on social media in the past three months.
• 25% of general consumers have bought products directly from social media in the past three months​.

I use quotes when I say “threat” because I don’t really see these shifts as a threat but rather as an evolution — and an exciting one at that.

While Google’s searches decrease (a bit), it shouldn’t change anything for marketers who are focused on meeting prospective buyers where they’re at, wherever that may be!

What’s important in modern-day marketing and the future of SEO is that we broaden our approach to search, identify the right search engines to focus our efforts, and expand on what a “search engine” means to our prospective buyers and audiences who are no longer using traditional search only.

For example, if you’re selling a product, you might want to focus more heavily on social media if your target audience is Millennials or Gen Z, because 40% of them make purchases directly on social media, compared to 25% of general consumers.

While Google will be the priority for most businesses because that’s where the majority of searches happen, effective search marketing isn’t just about chasing volume. It’s about understanding your audience and selecting the channels that best align with your business and marketing objectives.

You might be surprised at what different search engines offer different audiences. Below, I’ve outlined the top six search engines based on the data, but don’t stop reading after the top six, because you might be surprised at what other search engines can offer your audience and, therefore, your brand.

For example, sustainably focused brands may not want to ignore Ecosia, as it is considered the greenest search engine. If your audience is sustainability-focused, they might just be part of the 0.1% of searches using Ecosia.

Don’t dismiss 0.1% as insignificant, as it still translates to around 18.43 million searches per day. And that’s a lot of people who share the same values as you.

Where do AI Search, ChatGPT, and social media come into all this?

Strictly speaking, ChatGPT and other forms of AI search are not officially search engines. They are language models.

Search engines index the web and return links to pages.

AI, like ChatGPT, generates human-like responses based on patterns in the data it was trained on and (sometimes) pulls real-time information from the web.

Although not a search engine, these platforms can:

• Answer questions.
• Explain concepts.
• Generate creative content.
• Assist with problem-solving.

To me, whether these alternative search platforms are considered search engines or not is irrelevant, because people use them like search engines, and as a marketer, I want my clients to be wherever the search is taking place.

I didn’t want to get too lost in exactly what a search engine is, but I did want this article to be clear, so below, in the Top Search Engines section, I’ve listed the top six official search engines. Below this, there’s another section, “Other Search Engines,” where I’ve included official search engines alongside AI search and social media.

Top Search Engines

At the time of writing this article, the top six search engines are:

1. Google (89.54%)
2. Microsoft Bing (3.95%)
3. Yandex (2.45%)
4. Yahoo! (1.37%)
5. DuckDuckGo (0.86%)
6. Baidu (0.73%)

The figure in brackets is the percentage market share at the time of writing.

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1. Google

Let’s start with the heavy hitter. Google dominates search worldwide, and there are many reasons for its success:

• Superior search algorithm that connects searchers with the content they need.
• User-friendly interface that’s minimalist, fast-loading, and easy to use.
• Trust. Google’s brand has scaled into various digital experiences, including email, maps, and business operations, with Google Drive.

Users trust Google. It’s no longer just a brand; “google” is a verb recognized by the Oxford Dictionary, and it means “search for information about (someone or something) on the internet.”

Even though search is evolving, it remains the logical starting point for marketing, running paid marketing campaigns, and developing organic traffic strategies.

Although the future of search is uncertain, regardless of the evolution of OpenAI, search bots, or social media search, the Google ecosystem remains a critical component of my work.

One word of warning when it comes to optimizing on Google: The algorithm works to fulfill users’ needs directly on Google, so they don’t need to click any links. With the newest search engine results page (SERP) feature, AI Overviews, users can search on Google and receive their answers directly within the SERP.

Here’s an example:

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Features like this, plus Google’s popularity, might make it harder for you to capture as much website traffic as you want.

Pro tip: Keep your SEO strategy centered around searches that people have to click through to a website for more information. Bottom- to middle-of-the-funnel searches are your best chance of getting a click. Read this article I wrote on buyer journey keywords for more information. It provides more detailed information about the buyer journey and includes a step-by-step guide to conducting keyword research.

Who uses Google: Let’s be real for a second. I know, you know, and everyone knows the size of Google’s market share and the treasure trove of data they have. Everyone is using it, so focusing on Google SEO is an unavoidable necessity.

Why I like Google: As a searcher, I love Google for its excellent algorithm and easy-to-use interface. As an SEO, I know Google is where I have to be because everyone else is. Additionally, ranking on Google is a crucial component for earning citations within AI searches.

2. Microsoft Bing

Microsoft Bing has long been the second most popular search engine, currently holding a 3.95% market share globally.

This engine also powers Yahoo!, the fourth-biggest search engine.

Bing’s search pages look similar to Google’s. There are the same categories and a similar white background, with blue links and green URLs.

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Bing offers Microsoft Rewards, a program that gives you points when you search or shop on the engine. You can redeem those points for gift cards, nonprofit donations, and more.

Who uses Bing: According to WordStream, Bing is primarily used by white-collar professionals who search on work computers. Users are also slightly older, with an average age of 45.

In one of the agencies where I worked, we had a client targeting an older audience. For this client, we focused on Bing SEO over Google because we knew that searches on Bing would more likely come from the target demographic.

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Why I like Bing: I appreciate how well-integrated Microsoft’s AI, Copilot, is. It summarizes search results for you. However — and this is a pretty important “however” for marketers and SEOs who rely on organic traffic — the direct links are harder for users to find. Plus, the first link it provided was to a different landing page than the one linked above.

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Best for: If you want AI search features and only need summaries, this is a great option. Copilot is so far ahead of Gemini that it’s not even funny. Google also had its privacy-related controversies, while Microsoft has a much clearer track record in that regard.

3. Yandex

In some local markets, smaller search engines go head-to-head with Google — and win.

Russian search engine Yandex has a roughly 2.45% share of the worldwide search engine market, but in its home country, that share skyrockets to nearly 63%. Google holds the number two spot.

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When I used Yandex, I found it hard to navigate. They also have a suite of other services, none of which are particularly relevant in the Anglosphere. My experience with Yandex makes sense, and considering I’m not the usual demographic, it doesn’t matter how I find it. What’s important is who uses it, and if you want to get in front of them, you might want to focus on optimizing for Yandex.

Like Google, Yandex considers whether a user’s query has local intent and displays region-dependent results. To account for this, you’ll need to go into Yandex’s webmaster tools and set a site region.

It’s not advertised anywhere on its search engine, but Yandex’s corporate website notes that AI technologies are delivered to all its products, including search.

Who uses Yandex: If you do business globally and are looking to reach Russian customers, then you want to be on Yandex. Something to keep in mind: Yandex displays many quality indicators, or badges, alongside its search results. One of the most prominent is the site quality index (SQI), which indicates how useful your site is to users.

Why I like Yandex: I didn’t expect it, but Yandex has by far the best image search function. It’s significantly more accurate and can even handle paraphrasing and lengthy descriptions.

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4. Yahoo!

Its news-heavy page isn’t the sleekest search engine interface, but Yahoo is still one of the more popular alternatives to Google. In fact, Yahoo holds over 1.37% of the worldwide search engine market share.

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Yahoo is powered by Microsoft Bing, so search results are similar. Its search results page has a minimalist, text-heavy interface. However, it’s still an important search engine in its own right, with over 300 million monthly users.

What I like about Yahoo!: I have quite fond memories of Yahoo! Search. It was the search engine back in the day. Yahoo! was founded in January 1994, four years before Google was established. When I was young, I’d put all my search queries into Yahoo! For this reason, the Yahoo! interface always feels quite nostalgic.

Who uses Yahoo!: According to Similarweb, searchers in the U.S. send most traffic to Yahoo!, Brazil, India, and Taiwan follow. The majority of searchers are aged 25–34. A key point regarding Microsoft search, including Bing, is that voice search powered by Alexa leverages Microsoft search tools. If voice search is a priority for you, focus on Yahoo and Bing.

5. DuckDuckGo

If you’re uneasy about targeted ads or don’t want your search data stored, you might want to try DuckDuckGo, which touts itself as “the search engine that doesn’t track you.”

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This search engine doesn’t collect or store any information, so you can search for shoes without being bombarded by subsequent ads. It’s worth noting there are still ads on DuckDuckGo — just not personalized ones.

DuckDuckGo features a clean interface that makes navigation easy. With more than 100 million daily searches in 2024, it’s slowly gaining steam in the market, especially as users become more concerned about privacy.

What I like about DuckDuckGo: As a marketer, I love data. As a consumer, I dislike my data being captured. Personally, DuckDuckGo is a great solution when I want to browse in peace.

Who uses DuckDuckGo: Considering there’s no tracking data, we don’t know; however, it’s probably safe to assume that DuckDuckGo users are protective of their data. If you’re selling a product like a VPN, advertising on DuckDuckGo may be a suitable solution.

6. Baidu

Baidu is China’s largest search engine, capturing 50.71% of China’s search engine market. Following Baidu, there’s Bing (24.22%), Haosoi (17.04%), and Yandex (4.26%).

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The search engine is in Mandarin (so if your Duolingo game isn’t strong, you may have issues as an English speaker). Otherwise, Baidu looks similar to Google, featuring a white background, blue links, and green URLs. Like Google, Baidu aims to incorporate more rich features in the SERPs.

If you’re looking to appeal to the Asian market, Baidu is a good option to consider.

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What I like about Baidu: As an English speaker, Baidu is challenging to use. A few years ago, I cycled across China for three months and could only access Baidu. Google was only available with a VPN. Baidu Maps was definitely more useful than Google Maps in China.

Baidu’s search engine censors certain images and blocks pro-democracy websites. If you’re comparing search results, you’ll find a more comprehensive results list on Google.

Pro tip: If you speak Mandarin, are conducting cultural research, or are looking from another news perspective, Baidu won’t disappoint. But if you’re from the West, the censorship and lack of “outspokenness” will be a bit glaring at first.

Who uses Baidu: The Chinese market is the largest user of Baidu, although you might be surprised to hear that younger people seeking a more Western influence are turning to Google. In Chengdu, I met a group of young ukulele enthusiasts, and everything they knew came from YouTube. Younger generations are finding workarounds to access information.

Need support learning SEO? Try HubSpot’s Complete SEO Starter Pack. You’ll get a rundown of everything you need to navigate the turbulent world of search engines.

Other Search Engines

I rounded up three more “search engines,” including ChatGPT and Perplexity, two AI tools that people use to fulfill queries.

7. Ecosia

Ecosia is “the search engine that plants trees.” For every search a user makes with Ecosia (whether on the web page or using its free browser extension), Ecosia will allocate a portion of its profits to plant trees in vulnerable areas.

To date, Ecosia has planted over 230 million trees and dedicated over 90 million euros to climate action.

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Note to marketers: Ecosia’s sponsored spots push your content nearly below the fold. I love using it every now and then. It feels really good to contribute to a good cause.

Ecosia is most popular in its home country of Germany, where it holds a 1.09% market share and is the sixth most popular search engine in the country. Like Yahoo, Ecosia runs on Microsoft Bing.

Pro tip: Are you a PPC expert who lives in or targets Germany? If so, that’s the only possible reason you might want to use Ecosia.

Who uses Ecosia: Considering Ecosia is a sustainably-focused search engine, it’s likely that those using it are conscious about the environment. If this is your audience, or if your company is committed to sustainable marketing, you might want to focus on Ecosia.

8. ChatGPT

As previously mentioned, ChatGPT is not a search engine per se; however, AI search platforms cannot be ignored in conversations about the top search engines.

Why?

Because people are using LLMs as a search engine, and this is happening significantly.

The speed at which ChatGPT gained search market share was unprecedented, and compared to Bing, which has been fighting for their 2-4% market share over the years, ChatGPT’s rise was incredible. Within five days, ChatGPT had one million users. By comparison, it took Instagram two and a half months to reach the same milestone, and Netflix required three and a half years to hit one million users.

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I’m conscious about keeping the search and LLM conversation balanced, so let’s quickly review how many people search on Google compared to AI tools:

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Google is used significantly more than ChatGPT and Perplexity. Whatever you do, don’t lose your traffic by focusing too much on AI search and forgetting about traditional search.

What I like about ChatGPT: I’ve used ChatGPT for years, and I think I use it daily, just like Google. I like how ChatGPT can provide answers to longer-tail, more complex searches.

Who uses ChatGPT: According to Exploding Topics, the majority of ChatGPT searchers are male (64.32%), from the U.S. (14.78%), and more than 45% of ChatGPT’s users are under the age of 25.

9. Perplexity AI

Perplexity has gotten a lot of buzz in the past year. It has a similar design to other AI search engines, with source links above a longer answer in easily skimmable bullet points. It also features citations that reveal the source when you hover over them — essential to ensure that you’re not falling prey to misinformation.

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If you’re interested in AI search, take a look at this article: The Best AI Search Engines, which includes a rundown of each search engine and what makes it good. Perplexity was the best overall.

An important caveat: Those who use ChatGPT and Perplexity are not necessarily searching for your products or services; those under 25 could be studying and looking for generative AI. The stats are not entirely conclusive when it comes to search.

My approach to AI and SEO is that we should all consider AI tools and be mentioned within them. The platform has experienced unprecedented growth, and it is very helpful for search. Marketers mustn’t sleep on AI.

Emerging Search Engine Trends

Social Media Search

TikTok and YouTube aren’t search engines per se, but consider how often you use their search functions. YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, after Google, and people use the search bar to find relevant content.

Recent HubSpot research showed that:

• More people turn to social media for search.
• Social search is expected to become a key brand discovery channel in 2025, with 84% of marketers agreeing that consumers will search for brands on social media this year.

Emarketer shares that:

• Only 64% of Gen Zers use search engines, compared to 94% of Baby Boomers.
• 81% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer social media over traditional search.

If Gen Z or Millennials are your audience, you need to think outside traditional search engines.

Finally, 24% of people in the U.S. overall turn to social media first when searching. In line with the statistics above, Gen Z and Millennial audiences are most likely to turn to social media first.

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All major social media platforms have a search bar; however, for this article, I’m including two platforms, TikTok and YouTube, as these two search tools appear to have had the most significant impact on the market.

10. TikTok

A few years ago, the threat of TikTok search had a significant impact on the narrative surrounding SEO and its future. Everyone was discussing SEO and TikTok, debating whether the then-new social media platform would replace Google as the primary search engine.

In my mind, the narrative was somewhat overblown, and the AI screenshot shared above mirrors that narrative. Search Engines like DuckDuckGo are actually more threatening to Google, but back then, TikTok was more exciting.

Now that the TikTok versus Google narrative has settled a bit, we can see things more clearly. We know that people use TikTok to search. Consumers in the U.S. use TikTok as a search engine, but only 41% compared to 50% who do not.

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What I like about TikTok: I was a big fan of TikTok. A few years ago, I created an account and started filming videos there. I reached 2,000 followers relatively quickly. I found the platform to be fun and easy to use, but not as engaging as I would have liked. It was easy to get videos in front of people and feature them in the SEO search results.

Who uses TikTok as a search engine: As cited above, according to Emarketer, younger generations, such as Gen Zers and Millennials, are more likely to use TikTok for search.

11. YouTube

YouTube has long been the second most visited website in the world, coming second to Google. Google owns YouTube, so if you’re a video marketer, uploading videos to YouTube should be a no-brainer. While Google does rank other video content, such as TikTok, YouTube videos receive significantly more space in the SERP.

YouTube is a search engine in its own right and has been for years. People go directly to the site to search within its search bar:

The platform has 3.5 billion searches daily.

What I like about YouTube: I like that I turn to it when I need a demonstration. How-to videos are a good example. YouTube has a tidy interface, and it’s easy to use; the algorithm is excellent, and I always find what I want. As a marketer, I think YouTube is a powerhouse for SEO. An optimized video has a high chance of ranking on both Google and YouTube.

Who uses YouTube: YouTube has a broad user base. The majority are male (54%) and aged 25 to 44 (39.4%).

12. Reddit

You might have noticed more subreddit answers showing up in response to your queries on Google. This is because Reddit is another social platform contending as a search engine in its own right.

A recent study by Adobe Express found some surprising results. Nearly two in three Americans use Reddit as a search engine at least once a week. More impressively, 95% of users find the results helpful and 92% find them trustworthy — even more trustworthy than Google!

Many people cite the authentic reviews and community-based discussions as the reason for their trust in Reddit. Although brands can be present on and even advertise on Reddit, that is not the point of the platform, and people who blatantly shill (sell or promote their products) will get voted down and booed out of the subreddit.

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What I like about Reddit: Like most people, as a user, I appreciate the uncurated, unfiltered reviews for products I’m interested in buying. I like the option to filter my search by communities, posts, people, comments, or media. As a marketer, I can create and respond to posts using the keywords I want to be found for on Reddit. And, if my post is helpful and relevant enough, it can show up on a Google SERP.

Who uses Reddit: Of Reddit’s estimated 1.1 billion monthly active users, 61% are male, and the majority are between the ages of 18 and 29. Most users are from the U.S., with the U.K. and Canada following close behind. If your brand naturally fits into the topic of a subreddit, I think it’s worth showing up there — as long as you do it in an authentic way that follows the community rules.

Google Updates

Google continually works to prioritize high-quality content, doing so while expanding its AI capabilities. AI overviews were recently expanded with the introduction of AI Mode. These changes keep AI at the front and center of search, and will likely encourage users to continue using it and build trust in AI capabilities. All signs point to AI being a growing trend in search, and therefore, it will likely remain a search engine for many.

Holistic Search

It’s essential to consider search holistically. We’re not just optimizing one platform anymore; we need to consider multiple platforms. Research shows that people use multiple platforms for search.

According to Statista, 66% of adults in the U.S. use search engines and social media to conduct searches.

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Which search engine should you focus on?

Exploring alternative search engines has completely altered my perspective on SEO and content strategy. There’s a whole world beyond Google, and savvy marketers can find real opportunities by diversifying their approach.

I’ve personally found AI-powered search engines fascinating, and I’ll be keeping an eye on how platforms like Perplexity, Brave, and You.com evolve. Meanwhile, search engines like Yandex and Baidu remind me of the importance of tailoring strategies for different markets.

Ultimately, where you focus your efforts will depend on your customer profiles. This article has hopefully outlined some broad demographic and user statistics, but remember that this data is general, and you can conduct your own research to identify which search engine brings the highest quality traffic to your site.

Whether it’s through AI-driven search, privacy-focused platforms, or niche engines, understanding how people search in 2025 (and beyond) will be the real differentiator for marketers like us.

This article was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.