1. DuckDuckGo

What is it

DuckDuckGo is a fairly well-known open source search engine. Servers are located in the USA. In addition to its own robot, the search engine uses the results of other sources: Yahoo, Bing, "Wikipedia".

The better

DuckDuckGo positions itself as a search for maximum privacy and confidentiality. The system does not collect any data about the user, does not store logs (no search history), the use of cookies is as limited as possible.
DuckDuckGo does not collect or share personal information from users. This is our privacy policy.
Gabriel Weinberg, Founder of DuckDuckGo

Why do you need it

All major search engines try to personalize search results based on data about a person in front of a monitor. This phenomenon is called the “filter bubble”: the user sees only those results that are consistent with his preferences or that the system considers as such.
DuckDuckGo creates an objective picture that does not depend on your past behavior on the Web, and eliminates Google-themed advertisements and Yandex-based advertisements based on your requests. Using DuckDuckGo, it is easy to search for information in foreign languages: Google and Yandex, by default, prefer Russian-language sites, even if the query is entered in another language.

2. not Evil

What is it

not Evil is a search engine on the anonymous Tor network. To use, you need to go to this network, for example, by launching a specialized browser with the same name.
Evil is not the only search engine of its kind. There are LOOK (search by default in the Tor-browser, is accessible from the usual Internet) or TORCH (one of the oldest search engines in the Tor-network) and others. We stopped at not Evil because of an unambiguous hint at Google (just look at the start page).

The better

Searches where Google, Yandex and other search engines are closed in principle.

Why do you need it

There are many resources on the Tor network that cannot be found on the law-abiding Internet. And their number will grow as the authorities tighten their control over the content of the Network. Tor is a kind of network within the Network with its social networks, torrent trackers, media, trading platforms, blogs, libraries, and so on.

3. YaCy

What is it

YaCy is a decentralized search engine that works on the principle of P2P networks. Each computer on which the main program module is installed scans the Internet on its own, that is, it is an analogue of a search robot. The results are collected in a common base, which is used by all YaCy members.

The better

It’s hard to say whether this is better or worse, since YaCy is a completely different approach to search organization. The lack of a single server and company-owner makes the results completely independent of anyone's preferences. The autonomy of each node excludes censorship. YaCy is capable of searching the deep web and non-indexable public networks.

Why do you need it

If you are a supporter of open source software and free Internet, which is not subject to the influence of state bodies and large corporations, then YaCy is your choice. It can also be used to organize search within a corporate or other autonomous network. And while YaCy is not very useful in everyday life, it is a worthy alternative to Google in terms of the search process.

4. Pipl

What is it

Pipl - a system designed to search for information about a particular person.

The better

The authors of Pipl claim that their specialized algorithms are searched more efficiently than “ordinary” search engines. In particular, the priority sources of information are social network profiles, comments, lists of participants and various databases where information about people is published, for example, court decisions. Pipl's leadership in this area is confirmed by Lifehacker.com, TechCrunch, and other publications.

Why do you need it

If you need to find information about a person living in the United States, then Pipl will be much more efficient than Google. Databases of Russian courts, apparently, are not available for search engine. Therefore, he is not doing so well with the citizens of Russia.

5. FindSounds

What is it

FindSounds is another specialized search engine. Searches for various sounds (house, nature, cars, people, and so on) in open sources. The service does not support queries in Russian, but there is an impressive list of Russian-language tags by which you can perform a search.

The better

In the issuance of only sounds and nothing more. In the search settings, you can set the desired format and sound quality. All found sounds are available for download. There is a search for sounds on the model.

Why do you need it

This service is for you if you need to quickly find the sound of a musket shot, the blows of a woodpecker or the cry of Homer Simpson. And we chose this only from the available Russian-language queries. In English, the spectrum is even wider.
But seriously, a specialized service involves a specialized audience. But what if you need it?

6. Wolfram|Alpha

What is it

Wolfram | Alpha - computational search engine. Instead of links to articles that contain keywords, it gives a ready answer to the user's request. For example, if you type “compare the population of New York and San Francisco” in the search form in English, then Wolfram | Alpha will immediately display tables and graphs with a comparison.

The better

This service is best suited for finding facts and calculating data. Wolfram | Alpha accumulates and organizes knowledge available on the Web from various fields, including science, culture and entertainment. If this database contains a ready-made response to a search query, the system displays it, if not, it calculates and displays the result. In this case, the user sees only the necessary information and nothing superfluous.

Why do you need it

If you are, for example, a student, an analyst, a journalist or a researcher, you can use Wolfram | Alpha to search and calculate data related to your activity. The service does not understand all requests, but is constantly evolving and getting smarter.

7. Dogpile

What is it

Metasearch Dogpile displays a combined list of results from search results of Google, Yahoo and other popular systems.

The better

First, Dogpile displays less advertising. Secondly, the service uses a special algorithm to find and show the best results from different search engines. According to the developers of Dogpile, their systems form the most complete issue in the entire Internet.

Why do you need it

If you cannot find the information in Google or another standard search engine, search for it in several search engines at once using Dogpile.

8. BoardReader

What is it

BoardReader is a text search system for forums, Q & A and other communities.

The better

The service allows you to narrow the search field to social sites. Thanks to special filters, you can quickly find posts and user comments that match your criteria: language, publication date and site name.

Why do you need it

BoardReader can be useful for PR managers and other media professionals who are interested in the opinion of a mass audience on certain issues.

Finally

The life of alternative search engines is often transient. On the long-term prospects of such projects, Lifehacker asked the former general director of the Ukrainian branch of Yandex, Sergei Petrenko .
Sergey Petrenko
Former CEO of Yandex. Ukraine.
- As for the fate of alternative search engines, it is simple: to be very niche projects with a small audience, and therefore without clear commercial prospects or, on the contrary, with complete clarity of their absence.
If you look at the examples in the article, it is clear that such search engines either specialize in a narrow but sought-after niche, which, perhaps only so far, has not grown enough to be noticeable on Google or Yandex radars, or are testing the original hypothesis in the ranking, which is not yet applicable in normal search.
For example, if a search on Tor suddenly turns out to be in demand, that is, the results from there will be needed at least to a percentage of the Google audience, then, of course, ordinary search engines will begin to solve the problem of how to find them and show them to the user. If the behavior of the audience shows that a significant proportion of users in a noticeable number of requests seem to be more relevant results, data without taking into account factors depending on the user, then Yandex or Google will begin to give such results.
To be better in the context of this article does not mean to be better in everything. Yes, in many aspects our heroes are far from Google and Yandex (even Bing is far away). But on the other hand, each of these services gives the user something that the search industry giants cannot offer. Surely you also know similar projects. Share with us - we will discuss.