DuckDuckGo does not track your searches or build a profile of your browsing habits, but it does collect some data — just less than Google does

DuckDuckGo is a search engine that deliberately avoids storing information about who you are or what you search for. When you search on DuckDuckGo, the company does not record your IP address, does not create a user profile tied to your searches, and does not sell your search history to advertisers. That is the core difference between DuckDuckGo and Google, which stores your searches indefinitely and uses them to build a detailed profile of your interests.

But "does not track you" does not mean "collects nothing." DuckDuckGo still sees your search query when you type it — the company has to, to return results. It also collects some technical information about your device and connection. The question is not whether data flows to DuckDuckGo, but what the company does with it afterward.

Key Takeaways

  • DuckDuckGo does not store your IP address or create a searchable history tied to your account, unlike Google.
  • The company still sees your search query in the moment you type it, but does not link it to your identity or past searches.
  • DuckDuckGo makes money from ads, but those ads are based on the keyword you searched right then — not on a profile built over months or years.
  • Your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your activity even if you use DuckDuckGo, because the search engine is only one part of your online footprint.

What DuckDuckGo does not collect or store

DuckDuckGo's privacy policy states that the company does not store your IP address. This is significant because your IP address is how websites and internet service providers identify you. Google stores your IP address along with your search history, which means Google can connect your searches to your location and your device over time. DuckDuckGo deliberately does not do this.

The company also does not create a user profile based on your searches. If you search for "knee pain remedies" on Monday and "orthopedic surgeons near me" on Friday, DuckDuckGo does not link those two searches together in a file about you. Google does. This is why you see ads for knee braces weeks after searching for a health condition on Google — the company has connected the dots and decided you are interested in that topic.

DuckDuckGo does not require you to log in to use the search engine, and it does not use cookies to track you across websites. (Cookies are small files that websites place on your device to recognize you when you return.) This means DuckDuckGo cannot follow you from the search results page to the websites you click on.

What DuckDuckGo does collect in the moment

When you search on DuckDuckGo, the company sees your search query. It has to — that is how it returns results. But DuckDuckGo says it does not link that query to your identity or your past searches. The query exists in the moment you type it, then is treated as separate from any other search you do.

DuckDuckGo also collects some technical information: the type of device you are using, your browser, and the approximate location based on your IP address (though the company says it does not store the IP address itself). This information helps DuckDuckGo return results that work on your device and in your language or region.

The company uses search queries to improve its search results and to detect abuse — for example, to spot automated attacks or spam. But DuckDuckGo says it does not use your searches to build an advertising profile of you.

How DuckDuckGo makes money without tracking you

DuckDuckGo is free to use, so the company has to make money somehow. It does this through ads, but the ads work differently than they do on Google. On Google, ads are targeted to you based on your long-term profile — your past searches, your location history, your YouTube watch history, and more. On DuckDuckGo, ads are based only on the search term you typed right now.

If you search for "laptop bags" on DuckDuckGo, you will see ads for laptop bags. But DuckDuckGo does not know whether you searched for laptop bags because you are a student, a business traveler, or someone who just broke their old one. It does not know your income, your age, or your shopping history. The advertiser sees only that someone searched for "laptop bags" — not who that someone is.

This model is less profitable for DuckDuckGo than the tracking model is for Google, which is one reason DuckDuckGo is smaller. But it is also why DuckDuckGo can claim it does not track you.

What DuckDuckGo cannot protect you from

Using DuckDuckGo does not hide your activity from your internet service provider. Your ISP can see every website you visit, regardless of which search engine you use. If you want to hide your activity from your ISP, you would need to use a VPN (virtual private network), which encrypts your traffic so your ISP sees only that you are connected to the VPN, not where you are going.

DuckDuckGo also cannot protect you from the websites you visit. If you click through to Amazon from a DuckDuckGo search result, Amazon can still track you on Amazon.com and across the web using its own cookies and tracking tools. DuckDuckGo is only one part of your online footprint.

Your device itself may also track you. If you use DuckDuckGo on an iPhone, Apple can still see some information about your device and activity. If you use it on an Android phone, Google can still collect data through Android itself, even if you are not using the Google search engine.

DuckDuckGo versus Google: the real difference

Google's business model depends on knowing as much about you as possible. The company collects your searches, your location history, your YouTube watch history, your Gmail contacts, and more. Google then uses this information to build a detailed profile of your interests, which it sells to advertisers. This profile follows you across the web through Google's tracking tools.

DuckDuckGo's business model does not depend on knowing who you are. The company makes money from ads based on what you search for right now, not on a profile built over months or years. DuckDuckGo does not sell your data to third parties, and it does not build a long-term profile of your interests.

This does not mean DuckDuckGo is perfect or that it collects nothing. It means DuckDuckGo collects less, stores less, and uses what it collects differently than Google does. For many people, that is a meaningful difference.

How to use DuckDuckGo effectively

You can start using DuckDuckGo right now by going to duckduckgo.com in any browser. You do not need to create an account or install anything. If you want DuckDuckGo to be your default search engine, you can change that in your browser settings — the steps vary depending on whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, but all of them allow you to choose your default search engine.

DuckDuckGo also offers a browser extension and a mobile app if you want to use it on your phone. These tools can block some tracking by websites, though they do not replace a VPN for hiding your activity from your ISP.

Keep in mind that switching to DuckDuckGo does not make you anonymous online. It only changes what one company (the search engine) knows about you. Your ISP, the websites you visit, and your device manufacturer can still collect data about your activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DuckDuckGo owned by Google?

No. DuckDuckGo is an independent company founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg. Google has never owned DuckDuckGo, though Google does pay DuckDuckGo for some search results through a partnership. This partnership does not give Google access to your DuckDuckGo searches.

Can DuckDuckGo see my passwords or banking information?

DuckDuckGo cannot see your passwords or banking information unless you type them directly into the search box, which you should never do. DuckDuckGo is a search engine, not a banking app or password manager. Your bank's website and your password manager handle your sensitive information separately.

Does DuckDuckGo work as well as Google for finding things?

DuckDuckGo returns good results for most searches, though some people find Google's results slightly better for very specific or technical queries. DuckDuckGo uses results from Bing and other sources, so the results are different but usually comparable. The best way to know is to try it for a week and see whether it works for your searches.

If I use DuckDuckGo, can websites still track me?

Yes. DuckDuckGo only controls what the search engine itself collects. Websites you visit, your internet service provider, and your device manufacturer can still track you. DuckDuckGo does offer a tracker-blocking feature in its browser extension, but that is separate from the search engine itself.