Startpage Search Engine Review: Is It Better Than DuckDuckGo?

Read about the privacy features, speed, and other benefits of using Startpage as opposed to DuckDuckGo.

Startpage is a search engine that many people are not familiar with. It has been around for a while, but it has been overshadowed by the more popular DuckDuckGo. Both search engines are competitors, but Startpage has some features that make it a better choice for privacy-conscious users. For starters, Startpage does not collect any personal information about its users. It does not track your searches or store your IP address. This makes it a more secure option than DuckDuckGo, which does collect some personal information.

In this Startpage search engine review, we will compare the two and see which one comes out on top!

Part 1: What's Startpage and Its Main Features?

Google is the most popular and used search engine in the United States and worldwide. Google has 92.04% of the global market share. As of April 2022, Google had an 88.67% share of the market in the US, with Bing trailing Google with a 6.07% share. Yahoo and DuckDuckGo came in third and fourth position with a 2.73% and 2.03% market share, respectively. Interestingly, StartPage holds 0.08% of the market share in the United States, which is not much, but it is a start considering that the search engine has only been around since 2006.

So, what is Startpage, and what are its main features?

Startpage is regarded as the world's first and most private search engine on the planet. It was founded in the Netherlands in 2006 and since then has provided high-quality search results without collecting any personal information since then. Startpage has been trusted for over 15 years and has continuously been profitable since its inception.

Startpage is operated and managed by the Dutch company Startpage BV. The company generates revenue by providing contextually relevant advertisements that respect your privacy. That said, Startpage does not sell, save, or disclose any personal information compared to typical search engines; as a result, anybody across the world may look for un-profiled relevant results without being monitored.

Main Features

• Startpage provides search results similar to Google's results; however, there isn't any tracking associated with it.
• Startpage leverages Google's top-quality search technology and employs their anonymization and privacy policies for every single search.
• Startpage combines search results from Google.
• Startpage is privacy-focused and doesn't store your internet activity.
• Startpage doesn't record your IP address and browsing history on other search engines like Google or DuckDuckGo.
• Every search query on Startpage is encrypted using HTTPS.
• Extensions for private searches.
• The Anonymous View feature allows you to browse websites without being noticed or tracked.
• Startpage offers a free browser extension that blocks cookies and trackers.
• Like DuckDuckGo, Startpage offers an Instant Answers feature for weather, currency converter, dictionary, translator, dictionary, etc.
• Startpage blocks websites from determining your location.

What makes Startpage stand out from other search engines is that it doesn't store any personal information, and it is built on top of Google's search technology. It provides high-quality search results without being intrusive. Furthermore, it has a clean and minimalist interface that makes it easy to use. Startpage does not collect any personal information about its users. It does not track your searches or store your IP address. This makes it a more secure option than DuckDuckGo, which does collect some personal information.

Startpage's search result performance is similar to Google's as it uses the search giant's search technology. However, Startpage provides more privacy and security than DuckDuckGo. In terms of features, Startpage offers Instant Answers, which is similar to DuckDuckGo's.

We did a simple search on FamiSafe, a parental control app on Google, Startpage, and DuckDuckGo. All the search engines showed the same results, directing the visitor to the FamiSafe's website. However, things got interesting when we searched for the query 'best gold watches for men in 2022'.

Startpage and Google's search results are almost the same. Startpage and Google showed us the same website suggestions. However, we found DuckDuckGo's results different. In fact, DuckDuckGo's top five or most website suggestions didn't match Startpage or Google. As usual, Google and DuckDuckGo displayed ads, images, and related searches that match the search query, but we didn't see any such thing on Startpage.

Part 2: How's Startpage Doing in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari Browsers?

Yes, Startpage is compatible with all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. However, you need to install the Startpage extension to set Startpage as the default search engine in Chrome and Firefox. The extension is displayed at the top corner of the browser. Click on it and select 'Add to Chrome' or 'Add to Firefox,' depending on your browser. For Safari, you can set Startpage as the default search engine from the Preferences menu. You can uninstall the extension or remove it from the Preferences menu to remove it. You can make Startpage your homepage or set it as the default search engine.

Here's how to do it:

Make Startpage Your Homepage In Firefox

• Open Firefox preferences. You can find it by typing 'about preferences' into the URL bar and hit Enter/Return.
• In the Home section, Select "Custom URLs" and enter https://www.startpage.com
• Close the Preferences tab.

You will now see Startpage every time you open your Firefox browser or click the Home button.

Make Startpage My Homepage In Safari

• Click Safari > Preferences
• Select the General tab located at the top-left of the pop-up window.
• In the Homepage section, enter: https://www.startpage.com or select 'Set to Current Page' if you're already using Startpage.
• Close the Preferences pop-up.
• Don't forget to set the 'New windows open with' or 'New tabs open with' on your homepage.

You'll see the Startpage website each time you open your Safari browser.

Make Startpage Your Homepage In Chrome

• Launch Chrome
• Click the three vertical dots at the top right of the browser.
• Select 'Settings' from the drop-down menu.
• Navigate to On startup > Open a specific page or set of pages > Add a new page
• Enter "https://www.startpage.com" and click 'Add'
• Close the Settings tab.

You will now see Startpage every time you open your Chrome browser.

Part 3: Detailed Reviews about DuckDuckGo and Startpage

DuckDuckGo and Startpage are two of the most prominent private search engines on the market. But which one should you choose? Here are some factors to consider when comparing these privacy-friendly search engines to see which is best for you.

DuckDuckGo vs Startpage: Privacy Policy

Startpage and DuckDuckGo both have comprehensive privacy policies in place. DuckDuckGo does not collect users' IP addresses; instead, it records your search terms without collecting your private data. DuckDuckGo stores your search keywords and searches phrases to optimize their results or keep track of trends. Meanwhile, Startpage has an edge in terms of a technicality because it does not save anything, including search queries, private information, and location data.

DuckDuckGo vs. Startpage: Advertisements

Ads will appear on both DuckDuckGo and Startpage. Of course, you can remove advertising if you wish. Startpage displays any relevant advertisements depending on your search keywords using Google's ad platform. But I have noticed Startpage displays a greater number of ads than DuckDuckGo.

DuckDuckGo vs. Startpage: The Search Result Quality

Startpage makes use of it by sending anonymous queries to the search engine. As a result, the query results are more relevant right away. Meanwhile, DuckDuckGo is reliant on Microsoft's Bing. While it resembles Google's results in many ways, it may differ for a few particular queries in some cases. For example, if a search query is made on DuckDuckGo and it is a current issue of interest reported by news sources, recent stories will appear in the results pages as long as it is relevant. Startpage also shows news stories as results of current events, but the number of sources is more limited.

DuckDuckGo vs Startpage: Ease of Use

Both DuckDuckGo and Startpage are relatively easy to use. However, I believe that DuckDuckGo has a slight edge in this department because it has a more straightforward interface. Startpage, on the other hand, tries to be as minimalistic as possible, which some users may find confusing.

DuckDuckGo vs. Startpage: Country of Jurisdiction

DuckDuckGo is based in the United States, whereas Startpage has its headquarters in the Netherlands, where Startpage is subject to EU rules and oversight. In general, EU data privacy laws focus on giving customers greater control over their data. As a result, their data gathering methods are continuously being evaluated, and new security measures are continually being implemented. However, even if DuckDuckGo begins collecting data in the United States, consumers' rights to control their data and make the company accountable may not be as robust.

DuckDuckGo vs. Startpage: Safe Search Features

DuckDuckGo and Startpage offer different levels of safe search features. DuckDuckGo offers three: Moderate, Strict, and Off. Meanwhile, Startpage only has two: On and Off. The main difference is that with DuckDuckGo's Strict setting, results are filtered more stringently, and sites that host malware or phishing content are blocked entirely. With Startpage's On setting, some filtering occurs, but not to the same extent as DuckDuckGo's Strict setting does. In other words, you may still see some results from sites that host malicious or inappropriate content even if you use Startpage with its safe search feature turned on.

Part 4: Can parents sit back and relax just with a safe search engine?

No, we don't think so. Parents need to do their part in monitoring their children's online activity. There are many ways for kids to bypass safe search engines. For example, they can use a VPN or proxy server to access blocked websites. Parents need to watch their kids' online activity and set limits on screen time, even with a secure search engine.

All browsers have filters that can block certain websites. However, these filters are not 100% effective. For example, with 'Safe Search' turned on, we searched for 'sex,' and we still got results on Google as well as on Startpage. However, on DuckDuckGo with 'Safe Search' turned on, we didn't get any results, and it showed us an error message. This shows that DuckDuckGo's 'Safe Search' filter is more effective than Google or Startpage. The point we are trying to make is that the 'safe search' or 'filter' on browsers or search engines is not foolproof and is not enough to protect kids from online dangers. Parents need to take extra measures to keep their kids safe online.

Some might argue that there are kids-friendly search engines like Kiddle and Kidoz designed explicitly for children. But we think it is still not enough. As we mentioned earlier, kids can bypass filters and access blocked websites using a VPN or proxy server. Also, these search engines have a limited number of websites in their index. So, it is better to teach your kids how to use the internet safely and responsibly rather than rely on these safe search engines.

Considering everything, we think parents can keep their kids safe online by using a safe search engine like DuckDuckGo and monitoring their kids' online activity through parental control apps.

If you are looking for a safe search engine for your kids, we recommend DuckDuckGo. It has an effective 'Safe Search' filter that can block inappropriate websites and content. In addition, you can set DuckDuckGo as the default search engine on all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

If you trust parental control apps, there are many parental control apps available that can help parents monitor their children's online activity. FamiSafe is one such app that we recommend. It has a web filter that can block inappropriate websites and content. Plus, it has features like Screen Time Limit, App Blocker, and Web Filtering that can help parents keep their kids safe online. With FamiSafe, you can set limits on your kid's screen time, block inappropriate websites, and even track your kid's location in real-time. FamiSafe is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

To sum up, we think parents need to do their part in monitoring their children's online activity. A safe search engine like DuckDuckGo can help parents keep their kids safe online by blocking inappropriate websites and content. But it is not enough. Parents need to take extra measures to keep their kids safe online, and a parental control app like FamiSafe can help them do that.

Get some safe search access ideas in your kid's gadgets using this video.

Conclusion

When it comes to privacy, both Startpage and DuckDuckGo are great options. However, Startpage is a better option if you want to keep your searches completely private as it doesn't store any personal information. On the other hand, if you are looking for a search engine that provides better search results, Startpage is the way to go. It leverages Google's top-quality search technology and employs its anonymization and privacy policies for every search. DuckDuckGo is also a great option, but it doesn't provide the same level of privacy as Startpage.

Do you use Startpage or DuckDuckGo?