All info pulled from here https://stopgenai.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Search-Engine-analysis-Dally.pdf
The description for each services is mostly copied verbatim, but I think this post is formatted better for anybody to just get started.
https://www.searchenginemap.com/
See where search engines feed from
Independent Indexes (no genAI user experience, no genAI footprint– hit and miss results)
https://marginalia-search.com/
Marginalia Search is a particularly unique engine. It notes in its About page that it doesn’t believe
itself a full replacement for the big three but rather “complementary” to what already exists. Some
general queries return pretty standard gossip pages, which isn’t an experience out of the realm of
expectation! Other results are a bit dated, but still pan out. Overall, this is a solid place to issue
general queries and can get you something similar to what you’re seeking.
https://rightdao.com/ (seems down)
Another engine that’s got the same sort of “browsy” approach to the internet is Right Dao. Its General
Mission Explanation specifically takes aim at Big Tech and cites the team’s goal as a reason for
building their independent index. Silly searches return a lot of pages that no longer exist and some
social media sites appear fully censored. It’s a small but strong start and probably better used
when you don’t have a clear direction, are wanting to learn more about a general topic, or need
information that isn’t time or region specific
https://stract.com/ (seems defunct)
The most developed search engine on this list has got to be Stract. It focuses heavily on
transparency and its open source model, encouraging users to customize their experience on the
engine. This is by far and away the most interesting non GBY search engine: it received a grant for
its work towards an independent internet and has, as a result, been able to expand its services
accordingly. Silly searches don’t return the greatest content. I’d also note that sometimes, it seems to
simply freeze and stop returning results. There isn’t a noted rhyme or reason, and it got frustrating to
repeatedly try looking things up. Nonetheless, when it’s functioning smoothly, it’s a great starting place
for queries that don’t have a narrow scope and aren’t time-sensitive (due to the fact that sometimes it
simply won’t return results).
Other independent run indexes such as Yep! seem great on the surface but spend a massive amount
of resources to build their own LLMs. This is a step in the wrong direction– it’s not what users want,
and it’s not how to keep the internet a free and fair space for all users equally. Some indexes could be
useful in the future but are still developing English databases, and simply won’t meet user needs. I’ll
include them in the sources for this video nonetheless for anyone interested
GBY-Tangential Searches (limited genAI user experience, minor genAI footprint)
People created an entire webpage that does a Google for you, sans the shit: udm=14. Simply set this
as your homepage and issue all your queries through the search function directly on the page. It’s a
quick, easy way to see the Google you know and love without the AI slop ruining the experience
allows disallowing any AI results (pretty useless if browsing in private window, but as shared by @ep1cfac3pa1m@lemmy.world there is https://noai.duckduckgo.com/)
One bright light seems to be Mojeek. True, their team “both sides” generative AI as a whole. But
when it comes to search engines, they argued in just September of 2025 that Generative AI is not
the answer for search engines. Their explicit Privacy primer has a host of blog posts that discuss
the dangers of the internet becoming a monoculture. They also pretty reliably return decent results for
even mundane queries ("Jason Statham height" search).
https://www.lilo.org/qui-est-lilo/
Another search engine that deserves a shout out is French-based Lilo (fed primarily by Bing). Its main
mission is focused on funding a variety of projects put forth by users. The searches initiated on Lilo
build up in the form of “water drops”, which are stored only if you choose to create an account. The
Privacy Charter lays out exactly when and how data about you is stored. It’s quite popular in France,
and well-regarded in anti-AI circles. Qwant recently purchased Lilo, though, so tread carefully in the
coming months as they likely integrate their in-house “AI solutions” to the recent acquisition.
👍 added