Bing
bing.com
Microsoft's search engine and the strongest full-index alternative to Google, boosted by its built-in Copilot AI assistant.
Search Engines and Directories: The Best Websites
Google still answers most of the world's searches, but the alternatives have never been stronger, and human-edited directories are quietly making a comeback.
The Search Landscape in 2026
Google remains dominant with roughly 89% of global searches, but its share has been slipping as AI assistants answer more questions and privacy-focused engines mature. Bing holds second place, boosted by its Copilot integration. Meanwhile a wave of independent engines, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Startpage and the paid, ad-free Kagi, now offer credible alternatives depending on what you value.
Brave Search
search.brave.com
A privacy search engine with its own independent index rather than reselling another engine's results. Free with ads, or ad-free on a paid tier.
Curlie
curlie.org
The volunteer-run successor to DMOZ (the Open Directory Project, closed 2017) and the largest human-edited directory of the web.
DuckDuckGo
duckduckgo.com
The most popular private search engine: no search tracking, no profiling, clean results. The default choice for privacy-minded searchers.
Ecosia
ecosia.org
A search engine that uses its profits to plant trees, with well over 200 million planted. Solid results with a purpose.
google.com
Still the world's default search engine, answering roughly nine of every ten searches, now with AI Overviews built into results.
MSN.com
msn.com
Microsoft's news and content portal: headlines, sports, money and weather alongside Windows integration.
Perplexity
perplexity.ai
AI-powered search that answers in plain language with cited sources. A different way to search that many people now prefer for research questions.
Startpage
startpage.com
Google's results served through a privacy proxy: you get Google's answers without Google building a profile of you.
Yahoo!
yahoo.com
Yahoo remains one of the web's most-visited portals: news, finance, sports and mail, with search results powered by Bing.
Which Search Engine Should You Use?
For raw coverage: Google and Bing
Google's index and freshness are still unmatched, and its AI Overviews now sit atop many results. Bing is the strongest full-index alternative and powers several other engines.
For privacy: DuckDuckGo, Brave Search or Startpage
DuckDuckGo does not track your searches and has become the default privacy choice. Brave Search runs its own independent index rather than reselling someone else's. Startpage serves Google results through a privacy proxy, useful if you want Google's answers without the profile.
For power users: Kagi
Kagi is paid (from $5 a month) and shows no ads at all; you are the customer rather than the product. Its lens and ranking controls have earned it a devoted following.
Whatever Happened to Web Directories?
Before search engines got good, humans organized the web by hand. Yahoo Directory closed in 2014, and DMOZ, the Open Directory Project that once fed Google itself, shut down in 2017. Its volunteer successor, Curlie, carries the torch, and small curated directories like this one have seen renewed interest for a simple reason: when search results fill with SEO spam and AI-generated filler, a short list picked by a person becomes valuable again. That is exactly what Win What Where is.
Search Engines and Directories: Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to DMOZ, the Open Directory Project?
DMOZ shut down in March 2017 after AOL ended support. Its volunteer editors continued the project as Curlie (curlie.org), which remains the largest human-edited directory of the web.
What is the best private search engine?
DuckDuckGo is the most popular no-tracking engine. Brave Search adds a fully independent index, Startpage offers Google results through a privacy proxy, and Kagi provides a paid, ad-free experience with extensive customization.
Are web directories still useful?
For general search, no; search engines won that battle two decades ago. But curated directories have regained value as a filter: a human-reviewed list contains no SEO spam or AI-generated filler, which is why niche directories and Curlie persist.
How listings work: Win What Where is committed to finding and listing only the best websites.
Every listing is reviewed by a person. We do not accept paid submissions.