Tired of AI Overviews? I found 9 Google Search alternatives that showed me links again

ZDNET identified nine Google Search alternatives that prioritize traditional link-based results over AI-generated overviews. Startpage and DuckDuckGo emerged as top choices for users seeking privacy-focused search with minimal AI interference, while Mojeek offers an independent search index. The report comes as Google continues integrating AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode into its search engine, prompting some users to seek less automated alternatives.

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Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form https://zdnet.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new . Close Tired of AI Overviews? I found 9 Google Search alternatives that showed me links again Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways - Google alternatives with little to no AI still exist. - Startpage and DuckDuckGo are the top options. - Mojeek is best for an independent search index. I'm not the biggest AI critic in the world, but even I'll admit it: I don't always want Google summarizing the internet for me. Honestly, I wish I could turn off AI Overviews https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-force-google-ai-overviews-to-prioritize-your-favorite-news-sources/ . I also don't want to be nudged into AI Mode https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-chrome-searches-ai-mode/ with every query. Sometimes, I just want to type a few words, get a wall of blue links, and decide what to open myself. Yes, I know there are ways to make Google feel a little more like old Google, but they're clunky. And, sure, I could switch to a different search engine, but that's weird, right? Also: Google's new AI Search box is here - along with agents and 5 more upgrades I've been Googling for 20 years. Still, it got me wondering: Are Google's competitors going all in on AI, too? So, I went hunting for alternatives -- ones that use little to no AI and still feel like a classic search engine. Apparently, that version of the internet is getting harder to find. 1. Startpage The most Google-like results, with optional AI If my problem isn't just AI, but how much data Google collects, Startpage https://www.startpage.com/ is an interesting alternative. Launched around 20 years ago, Startpage basically submits my queries to Google and Bing anonymously on my behalf, so I can get plain old Google-style results without actually searching Google directly. It does not store my IP address, use tracking cookies, or store user-agent data. Its Anonymous View https://www.startpage.com/en/anonymous-view/ feature can also mask my IP address from any site I visit. "It essentially acts like a VPN," Startpage said. Also: This free Chrome tool cleans up your Google searches - hide AI, sponsored links, and more Startpage stands by "AI is a choice," not the default experience, and has promised to make "all AI features optional." In settings, I could disable search suggestions, instant answers, and promotional messaging. Startpage does have Vanish https://vanish.startpage.com/en/?source=home , a separate AI product, but even there, the pitch is privacy. Vanish provides "private access" to models such as GPT-5 and Claude, and conversations are never tracked and stay local on device. Show more 2. DuckDuckGo The easiest option, with a dedicated 'no-AI' site If you're looking for the easiest way to replace Google, I'd start with DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo has been around since 2008 and doesn't save or share my search or browsing history. It also never logs IP addresses or "any unique identifiers to disk" that could be tied back to me or to my browsing history. The thing is, DuckDuckGo does have AI features, including Search Assist https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/ai-assisted-answers/ and Duck.ai https://duck.ai/ . Also: This AI-free Google alternative is surging in popularity - how to try it for yourself But it also gives me an escape hatch: noai.duckduckgo.com http://noai.duckduckgo.com . There, DuckDuckGo automatically disables Search Assist, Duck.ai, and even AI-generated images by default. That's what makes DuckDuckGo feel like the easiest option when I want to avoid digging through settings, search something fast, and just get to the links. Show more 3. Mojeek An independent index, with optional AI Want search results that aren't repackaged Google or Bing? Try Mojeek https://www.mojeek.com/ . Its founder first started building search technology in 2004, and Mojeek now indexes more than 9 billion pages. I mention that because, unlike some Google alternatives, Mojeek crawls and indexes the web itself. Mojeek does look and feel less polished than Google. But it also has a strict no-tracking policy, sets no cookies unless I opt in, and replaces IP addresses in logs with two-letter country codes. Better yet, Mojeek is adamant https://blog.mojeek.com/2025/09/mojeek-is-not-an-answer-engine.html that it "will not replace search results with AI-generated answers." That said, Mojeek is not completely anti-AI. Also: I've used nearly every browser out there, and these are my top 4 spoiler: Chrome is out It does use LLMs, such as Mixtral, to offer optional AI-generated summaries https://blog.mojeek.com/2024/04/mojeek-search-summary.html of search results on desktop. I can disable or enable the feature in settings. If enabled, summaries still do not appear automatically after every query. I have to click the "Summarize these results" button that appears in the right rail of the search page. Show more 4. Qwant The European alternative, with optional AI Want a European privacy-focused search engine? There's Qwant https://www.qwant.com/ . Qwant is a French search engine, available in English, that launched in 2013. It's all about privacy, European hosting, and not treating people as products. It doesn't sell personal data or retain search data, and it's part of a European search-index effort https://blog.ecosia.org/launching-our-european-search-index/ with Ecosia. Unfortunately, Qwant is another Google alternative that now has AI features. In settings, I could set AI features to "Always activated," "Activated by Qwant," or "Deactivated." That makes Qwant still worth trying. I just wouldn't put it at the top of the list. Show more 5. Ecosia Search The green alternative, with optional AI Speaking of Ecosia https://www.ecosia.org/ , it's one I saw recommended a lot while looking for Google alternatives. It has a feel-good pitch: Search the web, and Ecosia uses its profits to support climate projects, including tree planting. Right now, it's not an independent search index in the same way Mojeek is. Ecosia said its search results come from partners including Google and Bing, though it does not create personal profiles based on search history. The AI part is the issue. Ecosia has generative AI features, including AI Overviews https://support.ecosia.org/article/994-ai-overviews and AI Chat https://www.ecosia.org/ai-chat/ . Ecosia said AI Overviews are a beta feature and can be switched off in search settings where available. That makes it worth trying, especially if the climate mission is also a big factor, but it's not great for avoiding AI entirely. Show more 6. Dogpile The OG metasearch engine, with no AI Dogpile is the OG. Launched in 1996, Dogpile https://www.dogpile.com/ is a metasearch engine. Instead of crawling and indexing the web itself, it pulls results from other search engines and combines them into one page. That means Dogpile does not have its own independent web index like Mojeek. It is more of a result aggregator. Privacy is where Dogpile gets harder to recommend. Its Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dogpile.app&hl=en US listing said it offers "no tracking of your search history." But its broader privacy policy is more ad-tech-heavy than the cleaner privacy promises from Startpage or DuckDuckGo. So, I would not treat Dogpile as one of the strongest privacy options here. Also: Google's AI Overviews will show you advice from other people now As for AI, Dogpile is pretty bare-bones. There are no AI Overviews, AI chat windows, or answer-engine features. It just gives me a traditional list of links instead of generating summaries or answers. Show more 7. Metacrawler Another metasearch engine, with no AI Metacrawler is another throwback. Launched in 1994, when it was developed at the University of Washington https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~etzioni/papers/ieee-metacrawler.html , Metacrawler https://www.metacrawler.com/ is similar to Dogpile: It's a metasearch engine that pulls results from other search engines. Metacrawler and Dogpile are also both InfoSpace Holdings services, and InfoSpace Holdings is a System1 company. Unfortunately, privacy is where Metacrawler gets harder to suggest. System1's privacy policy https://system1.com/terms/privacy-policy indicates it may collect information through automated data collection or tracking technologies, including IP addresses, search history, browsing history, cookies, and other usage data. Also: Google's AI features just got more confusing But this isn't a roundup of Google alternatives focused only on privacy. It's about AI, and whether I can get an AI-free experience or at least turn those features off. With Metacrawler, I did not find AI Overviews, AI chat, or an answer-engine mode in its current search experience. I can just type a query, get my links, and be done. Show more 8. Kagi Search The premium replacement, with optional AI Kagi https://kagi.com/ is a strange one. Would I pay to search the web? Probably not. But for people who don't mind paying $10 a month for unlimited searches, Kagi https://kagi.com/ could offer a better experience. Its model is simple: Pay for search, so Kagi doesn't have to fund itself with surveillance ads. Kagi said it has no ads, no tracking, and no search history tied to accounts. But Kagi is not AI-free. Not at all. It has Assistant https://help.kagi.com/kagi/ai/assistant.html , summarization https://help.kagi.com/kagi/summarizer/ , translation https://translate.kagi.com/ai , research agents https://help.kagi.com/kagi/ai/kagi-research.html , and more. Also: Google just gave you control over your Search results - how to see your favorite sites first So why mention it here? Because Kagi makes its AI features opt in. Unlike Google, it does not make AI the default search experience. Although, in settings, I only saw options to disable "Auto Quick Answer" and search suggestions. I could also enable "SlopStop" filters to suppress AI images, videos, and web search results. Show more 9. Brave Search The popular alternative, with optional AI At this point, it's getting tricky to find Google alternatives with no AI at all. Most seem to have some AI features now, and in many cases, those features are optional. Anyway, while I was looking up search engines, I kept seeing one name pop up: Brave Search https://search.brave.com/ . Launched in 2021, Brave Search has a privacy focus, its own independent search index, and tight integration with the Brave browser. It also markets itself around private results, no profiling, and no Big Tech. To be clear, Brave Search is loaded with AI features. Brave's main search page promotes "AI-powered answers," with features like AI Answers https://brave.com/blog/answer-with-ai/ and Ask Brave https://search.brave.com/ask . I found in settings that I could turn off "Answer with AI," which Brave describes as making AI-powered answers appear automatically for some searches. Also: Is Google's AI Ultra plan worth $100/month? I compared it to Plus and Pro tiers That helps, but if my main goal is to get away from AI-riddled search, Brave does not seem like the best pick. Show more Which Google alternative is best? For most people, I would start with Startpage or DuckDuckGo's no-AI page. Startpage is best if I want Google-like results without using Google directly. DuckDuckGo is best if I want the quickest no-AI option. But if I want independence from big search indexes, I would try Mojeek. Dogpile and Metacrawler are also metasearch engines offering a more traditional links-first experience without any AI Overview-like summaries or an AI Mode. The point is there are still choices. Also: The best secure browsers for privacy in 2026: Expert tested Google may be turning Search into AI Search by default, but the classic search engine experience still exists. I can still find search engines that give me links, with little to no AI getting in the way. There are not many left, and plenty of them are slowly moving in the same direction as Google. But for now, at least, the old way of searching the web has not disappeared. You just have to know where to look and where to turn off certain settings. Luckily, I already did that part. FAQs Can I fully turn off AI Overviews in Google Search? Google does not offer a simple switch to permanently disable AI Overviews. But I found four workarounds. https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-ai-overviews-in-google-search-4-easy-ways/ Why is Mojeek different from most Google alternatives? Mojeek crawls and indexes the web itself. Many alternatives rely on Google, Bing, or other search providers for results. 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