• By Hammad Memon
  • July 20, 2025

Table of Contents

Indeed, DuckDuckGo is generally a safe search engine to use. Unlike a search engine that tracks and sells your search cookies and search history to advertisers such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing, DuckDuckGo puts your privacy first: it does not track search history or build a profile of your browsing habits. 

However, while DuckDuckGo is a legitimate tool to use, it is not a magic shield to ensure complete anonymity online and does not guarantee that on its own. Here is a better explanation of why. 

What Is DuckDuckGo?

DuckDuckGo is an internet privacy company founded in 2008 with the launch of its private search engine. The primary reason to use DuckDuckGo is that none of your personal search information is stored whenever you search. Your questions are not tracked, sold to third-party advertisers, nor does DuckDuckGo build a user profile that follows you across the internet. As a result, many users begin to see fewer ads that are targeted at them. 

All of these privacy features undoubtedly contribute to DuckDuckGo becoming one of the most trustworthy search engines available today. It’s no surprise that DuckDuckGo handles over 100 million searches every day.

In addition to its search engine, DuckDuckGo offers browser extensions, a mobile app, and a web browser, all designed to give users greater control over their online privacy.

Does DuckDuckGo track you?

It’s important to know that DuckDuckGo does not track you or store your data in any way like Google or other search engines. However, it does not promise 100% encryption either so stay safe.

Reasons DuckDuckGo can’t track you

DuckDuckGo is built with privacy as an intentional aspect of its architecture, and it limits tracking in a few key ways:

  • Don’t create user profiles: DuckDuckGo doesn’t create user profiles, which means it isn’t storing your search history or anything related to you.
  • Encrypted searches: Everything you type into DuckDuckGo is protected by HTTPS encryption, meaning your search data is not subject to sniffing by third parties.
  • Preventing search leakage: Generally speaking, whenever you click on a link from a search engine, the site you went to is able to capture the search terms you used. DuckDuckGo prevents this so that other sites can’t see what you were searching for.

How you can still be tracked on DuckDuckGo

Even as you see these privacy tools in effect, DuckDuckGo is not a 100 percent tool for hiding your online tracks.

Tracking through websites you visit: When you click on a link from DuckDuckGo’s search results, the site you go to can still see that you came from DuckDuckGo, though not the exact terms you searched for.

Local device storage: While DuckDuckGo doesn’t keep tabs on your searches, your device might. Your browsing history and data are still stored locally, so anyone with access to your computer, phone, or tablet could see it (especially if you’re guilty of having 37 tabs open at once).

Information you willingly share: If you submit feedback or share any personal info directly with DuckDuckGo, that’s data they can track — all within the bounds of their privacy policy.

To sum it up, DuckDuckGo plays a crucial role in protecting your privacy, but it cannot guarantee 100% encryption and invisibility.

6 Pros & Cons of DuckDuckGo

ProsCons
No user tracking: DuckDuckGo does not track users – in fact, DuckDuckGo can not even keep count of their total number of users!No personalization. Without user data, DuckDuckGo cannot personalize results based on your interests or habits.
Minimal data collection: DuckDuckGo only stores a little bit of data, like for spelling suggestions or the ability to respond to auto-complete. Outside tracking is still possible. Third parties may still be able to track your device’s local history or any of your personal information that you share on your own.
Encrypted searches: DuckDuckGo provides HTTPS encryption, which secures the connection while protecting both your search results and your search data. Worse image and video search. DuckDuckGo has fewer filtering and sorting options compared to Google.
Stronger privacy controls: DuckDuckGo has integrated support for Global Privacy Control (GPC), allowing you to communicate to sites that they are not permitted to sell or share your data. Not all tools are created equal. Certain services like Google Maps rely on rich amounts of user data, so things may not work quite right.
Pure organic results: The search results you get using DuckDuckGo are not influenced by your previous searches, browsing history, or your current location.Fewer browser add-ons. DuckDuckGo does not have as rich an ecosystem of extensions or extras.
Fewer ads, no creepy targeting: Ads are simply tied to what you search and are not based on a profile that DuckDuckGo has constructed from your past habits.Partial privacy is provided in URLs. Your search terms are included in the browser’s address bar and could be seen by someone who has access to your device.

Any review of a privacy-focused search engine wouldn’t be complete without analyzing it against its competitors. Here is the comparison of DuckDuckGo to the significant players in the market.

DuckDuckGo vs. Google

Google is the search engine of choice for most people; however, it has plenty of downsides. Check out their comparison.

  • Data Collection: Google collects an absurd amount of personal information (location, IP address, search history, etc.), and tailors their results to each user’s data. DuckDuckGo addresses this issue by avoiding tracking altogether.
  • Extra Services: Google’s ecosystem is massive. In addition to search, you also have Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, etc., and there are many different ways Google can better serve you than DuckDuckGo.
  • Privacy-Sensitive outcomes: DuckDuckGo doesn’t personalize your results or collect data based on previous behavior like Google does, meaning you can be confident in more privacy-sensitive searches.
  • Privacy Tools: Although DuckDuckGo has fewer services than Google, DuckDuckGo offers different types of privacy tools, such as Global Privacy Control, Privacy Grades, and its own private browser that serves as an alternative to Google Chrome.

DuckDuckGo vs. Yahoo

Yahoo sits awkwardly between privacy and capability — it can’t beat DuckDuckGo on protecting your data, and it doesn’t come close to Google’s overall power.

  • Integrated ecosystem: Yahoo offers a streamlined search experience closely tied to its own services, such as Yahoo Mail and Yahoo News.
  • Targeted advertising: Much like Google, Yahoo tracks plenty of your data to serve up personalized results and ads.
  • Privacy edge: DuckDuckGo, by contrast, delivers neutral, tracker-free searches and even has its own private browser — something Yahoo doesn’t offer.

DuckDuckGo vs. Bing

Many Microsoft users default to Bing, but while DuckDuckGo actually pulls its core search results from Bing, the two are worlds apart when it comes to privacy.

  • Data collection: Bing tracks your activity extensively, including your exact location, to personalize search results.
  • Perks program: Bing’s Rewards lets you earn points for searching, which you can cash in for gift cards or discounts. DuckDuckGo prioritizes strict privacy over loyalty programs.
  • Privacy priority: DuckDuckGo shields your searches from trackers and avoids targeted ads, making it a far more privacy-friendly option.

Use DuckDuckGo with a VPN for extra protection

DuckDuckGo is already a solid choice for private searching, but if you want to take your online privacy and security up a notch, pairing it with a VPN (like SaviourVPN) is the way to go.

When you connect to SaviourVPN, it encrypts your data and assigns your device a new IP address. This means your real IP stays hidden from websites and any third-party trackers that DuckDuckGo might not block on its own.

So, using a VPN with DuckDuckGo doesn’t just keep your searches private — it also shields all your online activity from prying eyes, hackers, and even your internet provider.

Plus, when you browse with a VPN, every website you visit through DuckDuckGo will see you as a brand-new visitor coming from the VPN server’s location, not your actual one.

Together, SaviourVPN VPN and DuckDuckGo create a much safer online environment, combining the strengths of private search with the added security of VPN encryption.

FAQs

Absolutely. DuckDuckGo is a legitimate, safe-to-use search engine. It’s built around privacy — unlike Google, Yahoo, or Bing, it doesn’t track you or create profiles based on your searches, making it a favorite for anyone concerned about online privacy.

The biggest drawback is that it doesn’t personalize your search results. For many privacy-conscious users, that’s actually a plus. But if you’re used to Google tailoring results based on your past searches and behavior, DuckDuckGo might feel less “smart.” Since it doesn’t store your personal data, your search history has no influence on what you see.

Two simple reasons: privacy and neutral results. DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect or keep any of your data, so your searches stay private and unbiased. There’s no algorithm serving results based on your personal habits — just straightforward, unfiltered searching.

Yes! Both DuckDuckGo’s search engine and browser are entirely free. However, in 2024, DuckDuckGo launched Privacy Pro, a premium subscription that bundles a VPN and other privacy features for those seeking even more protection.

Picture of Hammad Memon
Hammad Memon

Hammad is a passionate cybersecurity enthusiast and tech writer dedicated to making online privacy accessible to everyone. With a background in coding and digital security, he breaks down complex VPN and cybersecurity topics into easy-to-understand guides for Saviour VPN’s audience.

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