Alright friends, I need a new search engine

After hearing Google is trying to switch to more AI when I already hate AI search results, I am over it. I was reading a few posts and they all have different suggestions. So I'm just gonna list some things and see if you guys can help direct me :)

Most important things to me:

Functional image searcher with little to no AI image results. I am an artist and CONSTANTLY use image search for drawing references. The recent uptick in images being AI generated is frustrating me because the anatomy is never correct, and that's the important part of searching for drawing references.
Boolean search. I learned this in high school and it immediately made finding what I need for drawing references or research easier, so I was sad when it stopped working properly on google.
Doesn't push AI articles above actual helpful things, preferrably doesn't push sponsored/paid search results in general.
Easier to get results from smaller websites? There's really good small websites out there and it's a shame they're all getting swallowed.
Privacy (?) I have been using the internet for 10+ years without being worried about my privacy, I'm probably already doomed, so it's not the most important to me but would be nice.

also, is using the Brave app wise? I am using it for its adblocker and will consider another app if it's better and has an adblocker.

in degoogleby Ghostiebun

95%

18d

McDredd

18d

Searxng / Searx (stylized as searX) is a free and open-source metasearch engine, available under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3, with the aim of protecting the privacy of its users. To this end, Searx does not share users' IP addresses or search history with the search engines from which it gathers results. Tracking cookies served by the search engines are blocked, preventing user-profiling... Wikipedia

KacperNoe

18d

But you have to selfhost of find a provider you trust.

Heinzelmann_Lappus

17d

I also highly recommend SearXNG. Self-hosting is not difficult, Docker on a NAS and you're done. There are really easy instructions on the Internet.

Sometimes-Its-True

17d

How does one self host and stay private?

Heinzelmann_Lappus

17d

https://docs.searxng.org/own-instance.html

SearXNG protects the privacy of its users in multiple ways regardless of the type of the instance (private, public). Removal of private data from search requests comes in three forms:

removal of private data from requests going to search services

not forwarding anything from a third party services through search services (e.g. advertisement)

removal of private data from requests going to the result pages

Removing private data means not sending cookies to external search engines and generating a random browser profile for every request. Thus, it does not matter if a public or private instance handles the request, because it is anonymized in both cases. IP addresses will be the IP of the instance. But SearXNG can be configured to use proxy or Tor. Result proxy is supported, too.

HonestRepairSTL

18d

Kagi may work for you. It's a paid search engine, but it's worth it. You can make lenses to search for things in specific ways or whatever, and it's basically what Google should have been

wenceslaus

16d

I bought a year subscription to Kagi and look at it like any other annual software purchase. Really an awesome investment considering how much I use search. Highly recommend.

https://help.kagi.com/kagi/why-kagi/why-pay-for-search.html

VirtualPanther

15d

That is exactly what I have been using. In all honesty, I get substantially more return on my investment on this that I ever have from my family iCloud subscription, which is sad...

Back to the point, though: regular search results are good. But their AI search results are nothing short of amazing, especially when it comes to its summarizing features from multiple, referenced, sources.

Ghostiebun

18d

Thank you :) I was hearing about that one but I don't think I can do a paid search engine right now

ImpressionShoddy9271

18d

I use Duckduckgo for most searches. Often go back to Google for maps and related searches. Have not found anything better at maps and street views.

lexluthor_i_am

18d

Gibiru,Dogpile,Presearch,Mojeek,Kagi

Sad_Diamond_8820

18d

Never heard one oft these. Can you explain what makes Thema usable ?

lexluthor_i_am

18d

I am also fed up with Google so I researched alternatives and these were the ones I bookmarked. I don't really use them because I'm not often searching things. Just try them out and see if they work for you.

unumfron

18d

+1 for Presearch.

weeenerdoggo

18d

These are great..

gettingthere52

18d

Start page.com

Pulls data from Google search as a middle man and keeps your/you’re data anonymous

blue_glasses123

17d

I use ecosia, and the results i got are pretty good.

It's the only search engine i would turn the ads off for

Nastas_ITA

18d

Startpage, google but anonimous

399ddf95

18d

I'm looking at Kagi. I don't love paying for search - but ultimately it's expensive to run a search engine (or to license results from one), it's gotta get paid for somehow. That can be ads or it can be data mining or it can be payments from users. I'd rather have the search engine see me as the customer, not the raw material to be processed and sold.

They have a $5/mo plan for 300 searches - so that's like $0.0167 per search if you use all of them.

clap-hands

-1

18d

I have the unlimited plan paid annually (so less than $10/month) and according to my billing i use about 1400 searches a month so im paying less than $0.007 per search. It would probably be close to the last service i cut if i lose my job

HugeCartographer5

18d

I find Qwant to be the best, but your results may vary.

SLZUZPEKQKLNCAQF

18d

startpage.com or search.brave.com

playffy

18d

Ecosia in my mobile and desktop Chrome browser, Norton search in Edge. I had to give up StartPage, it doesn't work with vpn. By the way, Ecosia has both mobile and desktop browsers, but it is better to use what you are used to by changing the settings, in your case search settings.

VibeKiller75

18d

Startpage does work with vpns, no problems with proton or surfshark... but norton and edge? They will both mine your data, you are better off just using google, at least its just one company lol

playffy

-1

18d

From your comment I learned that in different regions the attitude and conditional trust to the same brands is different. It's great that StartPage works with the vpn you use, my experience says otherwise. And this is a statement and not an assumption based on personal experience. Maybe because I use other vpn providers. What's wrong with Norton search, I've noticed a negative attitude towards Norton in the US region? You know something but don't say it. Edge is a pre-installed browser in Windows, using it won't add telemetry about you unless you enable it yourself. I mean, you are already using an operating system that knows everything Microsoft needs to know about you.

ContemplatingFolly

17d

A browser knows all sorts of things an operating system does not, and especially one that loves to track you.

Super_iron_kid

18d

Duckduckgo or startpage

SolidSignificance7

18d

I vote for Kagi.

joanhollowayenjoyer

18d

Kagi, best $10/month I spend.

Emergency_Syncc

18d

firefox for browser and duckduckgo for search engine

Buntygurl

17d

I tend to jump between duckduckgo and startpage, although both have their little irritations. Gets me what I need, in the end.

I abandoned Google as soon as ddg showed up. I squirm a bit whenever I hear people mention it, nowadays.

TechPriestNhyk

18d

I use brave browser and duck duck go search currently. There's no single solution that checks every box, so you just gotta figure out what sucks the least for you.

risredd

18d

Brave search

Neglector9885

17d

Brave Search, Qwant, Startpage, and SearXNG.

McDredd

18d

Love searx but find it a bit painful to use

Void-glitch-zer00ne

17d

Brave search is pretty light on the Ai stuff and still gives some actual results.

BiffBiffkenson

16d

Just switched to presearch after seeing it here. Was using etools but presearch appears to be similar and looks great.

xastronix

18d

You can try brave search

kjroundy

18d

Fuck duck go

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18d

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elhaytchlymeman

18d

It will be hard to avoid the AI. Privacy is achievable in a diluted form. And even lesser known search engines will push more well known sites.

RolingMetal

18d

After many, many, years of Googling, I now use Ecosia :) I tried to use DDG for a while, but that doesn't work as well with duall languages. I'm not sure how good it works for image searches. You could also try perplexity.ai :)