Beyond the Overview: Our top alternatives to Google’s continuous AI push in search results

Many users are increasingly fed up with Google's aggressive push toward artificial intelligence, particularly with the introduction of AI Overviews, which the company describes as “a snapshot of key information about a topic or question with links so you can easily explore more on the web”. Between these overviews, AI summaries, and AI-powered direct answers, artificial intelligence has become ubiquitous in the Google Search experience, often cluttering results with synthesized content rather than direct links. For those tired of wading through algorithmic interpretations and yearning for simpler, more straightforward search results, a growing number of no-AI alternatives are here to reclaim the traditional search experience.

The first port of call for many is DuckDuckGo, a popular US-based search engine that prioritizes privacy. Users can easily disable all AI features, including an AI chatbot, AI-powered quick answers, and AI-generated images in the results, directly in the settings. For an even more streamlined solution, DuckDuckGo offers a dedicated no-AI version of its search engine that automatically disables these features upon access. Similarly, Brave Search, developed by the makers of the Brave web browser, includes AI-powered quick answers by default, but these can be swiftly turned off by clicking the settings icon and disabling the “Answer with AI” option. Another notable contender is Mojeek, a UK-based engine known for its independence and privacy focus; while it offers an AI-powered summarization feature, it can be disabled with a single click in the preferences. Uniquely, both Mojeek and Brave Search maintain their own search indexes, a rarity among alternative engines that often rely on big-tech infrastructure like Microsoft Bing and Google.

For users seeking different geographical or ethical alignments, several other options exist. Startpage, based in the Netherlands, acts as a privacy-focused proxy for Google and Bing results without incorporating any AI features of its own. Environmentally conscious users might prefer Ecosia, “the search engine that plants trees”, which uses profits to fund environmental goals; while it includes some AI features by default, an “AI-free searching” option in the settings restores a traditional experience. Among the big players is also Qwant, a French search engine that offers a built-in AI chat by default, but it can easily be turned off in the settings.

On the premium front, Kagi (US-based) and Uruky (a European engine based in Portugal) offer ad-free, non-tracking subscriptions. Kagi aggregates results from various engines and only activates its AI assistant upon manual interaction, ensuring no AI overviews appear by default. Uruky, a recent official partner, provides a fully customizable, private search experience with absolutely no AI features. A bit older and not as popular as the previous ones, MetaGer is an ad-free search engine that uses an anonymizing proxy to keep you protected while surfing the web. There are absolutely no AI features in MetaGer. It is based in Germany and is hosted as a cooperation between the German NGO SUMA-EV and the University of Hannover.

Of course, these are some of the well-known alternative search engines, but many other smaller solutions exist. Swisscows is a Swiss search engine that focuses on privacy, anonymity, and family-friendliness (with no violence or adult content in search results), with no AI features. Lilo is a French eco-friendly and socially responsible search engine that funds social and environmental projects. Like Qwant, it features a built-in AI chat, but it can easily be deactivated in one click in the settings. Waterfox Private Search is another premium search, priced at $5 per month, that acts as a privacy-preserving proxy without persistent user tracking or targeted ads. It features domain blocklists, custom themes, and no AI-generated answers or summaries in the search results.

Finally, for those unwilling to leave Google entirely, numerous browser extensions are available, specifically designed to hide AI Overviews from the search results, allowing users to sanitize their search results without switching engines.