Head-to-head · General Web Search Engines
Brave Search vs Startpage
Brave Search leads on 0 checks, Startpage on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreBrave Search · 9.2/10
- Free planboth
Brave Search scores higher on our rubric for general web search engines: 9.2 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.
Brave Search is the better fit for people seeking independent search plus research tools. Startpage is the better fit for privacy-focused users who want mainstream web results.
- Brave Search fits best
People seeking independent search plus research tools
- Startpage fits best
Privacy-focused users who want mainstream web results
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Side by side
| Feature | Brave Search 9.2/10 Visit ↗ | Startpage 8.9/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.2 | 8.9 |
| Ranking | #2 in General Web Search Engines | #4 in General Web Search Engines |
| Best for | People seeking independent search plus research tools | Privacy-focused users who want mainstream web results |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Free |
| Starting price | $29.99/yr | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension | Cloud, Browser extension, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Chrome extension, iOS, Android |
| Support | Community, Docs | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Brave Search 0/4 · Startpage 0/4 | ||
| Language selection | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Region selection | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Safe search controls | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Search operators | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Index approach | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Region focus | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Brave Search is a privacy-focused search engine built on Brave’s independent web index. It suits people who want an alternative search index alongside tools for exploring results, including AI-generated answers with cited sources,… Read the review → |
Startpage is a free metasearch engine for people who want mainstream web results without having their queries logged or their results profiled. It sends anonymized queries to external search and content providers, then presents web, image,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Brave Search — where it wins
- Independent index with web, image, video, and news search
- AI Answers, Ask Brave, and Deep Research support research
- Goggles, search operators, and Bangs offer result controls
Where it doesn't
- Search Premium is available only in the Brave Browser
- Search API pricing is separate from Search Premium
- Search Premium primarily adds ad-free results and a cleaner view
Startpage — where it wins
- Anonymizes queries sent to external search and content providers
- Offers web, image, video and news search with region and language filters
- Anonymous View proxies visits to search results
Where it doesn't
- Relies on external providers rather than maintaining its own web index
- Anonymous View is a proxy for visits to search results, not a general browsing mode
- The browser extension is available for Chrome
- Brave Search9.2/10 · Free plan
An independent search index pairs web search with cited AI answers and ranking controls.
Visit Brave SearchFull verdict → - Startpage8.9/10 · Free plan
A free metasearch engine that anonymizes queries and offers a proxy for visiting results.
Visit StartpageFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update