Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

StartPage VS Disconnect Search

Compare StartPage VS Disconnect Search and see what are their differences

StartPage logo StartPage

Startpage search engine, the new private way to search Google. Protect your Privacy with Startpage!

Disconnect Search logo Disconnect Search

Disconnect Search is a meta-search-engine browser extension that lets you search privately using...
  • StartPage Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-30
  • Disconnect Search Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-06

StartPage features and specs

  • Privacy Protection
    StartPage emphasizes user privacy by not storing personal data, search history, or tracking users with cookies, ensuring a high level of anonymity.
  • Google Search Results
    StartPage provides search results from Google, delivering high-quality and relevant search results without compromising user privacy.
  • No Filter Bubble
    Because StartPage does not personalize search results, users are exposed to a broader range of viewpoints and information, avoiding the filter bubble effect.
  • Anonymous View
    StartPage offers a feature called Anonymous View, which allows users to visit websites through a proxy server, further protecting their identity from the websites they visit.
  • Interface Simplicity
    The interface is clean and straightforward, making it easy to use and navigate according to traditional search engine norms.

Possible disadvantages of StartPage

  • Limited Features
    Compared to other search engines like Google or Bing, StartPage may lack some advanced features, such as comprehensive news, maps, and shopping results.
  • Slower Performance
    The additional privacy protections can sometimes result in slightly slower search performance compared to directly using mainstream search engines.
  • Ad-based Revenue
    While StartPage does not track users, it still shows ads based on search queries, which may be a downside for users seeking a completely ad-free experience.
  • Dependence on Google
    Since StartPage relies on Google's search data, any changes in Google's algorithms or data access policies can directly impact StartPage's effectiveness and reliability.
  • Geographical Limitations
    Some users report that the search results are not as geographically relevant compared to using Google's localized versions, which might affect the search quality for region-specific inquiries.

Disconnect Search features and specs

  • Privacy Protection
    Disconnect Search routes search queries through their servers, which helps to mask the user's IP address from search engines, providing enhanced privacy.
  • No Tracking
    Disconnect claims to not track or store users' search history, ensuring a higher level of anonymity and data security compared to traditional search engines.
  • Multiple Search Engines
    The service allows users to search through multiple search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo, giving users broader access to different result sets.
  • Open Source Extensions
    Disconnect provides open-source browser extensions, allowing transparency in how the tool operates and giving users confidence in its privacy claims.

Possible disadvantages of Disconnect Search

  • Limited Search Tools
    Disconnect Search may lack the advanced search tools and specific result features found directly on search engines like Google, which can affect the user experience for more complex queries.
  • Reliance on Third-Party Engines
    Since Disconnect Search outputs results from third-party search engines, it is still indirectly subject to those engines' algorithms and potential biases.
  • Performance
    Some users might experience slower search result delivery since queries are proxied through Disconnect’s servers first, potentially causing delays.
  • Niche Market
    As a privacy-focused search tool, it appeals mainly to privacy-conscious users, which may limit its broader appeal compared to mainstream search engines.

Analysis of StartPage

Overall verdict

  • StartPage is considered good for users who prioritize privacy and anonymity while browsing the internet. It effectively balances providing relevant search results with respecting user privacy, which is a growing concern in the digital age.

Why this product is good

  • StartPage is a privacy-focused search engine that combines the search results from Google with enhanced privacy protections. Unlike traditional search engines, it does not track or store users' personal information or search history, which makes it appealing to users concerned about privacy. By using proxy servers, it also provides an additional layer of anonymity.

Recommended for

  • Privacy-conscious users who want to avoid being tracked online.
  • Users who appreciate the quality of Google's search results but prefer a more privacy-oriented approach.
  • Individuals who want to minimize their digital footprint.
  • People residing in regions with strict data protection laws who seek compliant search alternatives.

StartPage videos

Misconceptions About Private Search Engines - DuckDuckGo, StartPage, and Search Encrypt

More videos:

  • Review - Startpage Search Engine Review A Private Google Yahoo Aol Bing Alternative
  • Review - StartPage Sale to System1: Is Startpage Still Safe?

Disconnect Search videos

Disconnect Search

More videos:

  • Review - 46 Disconnect Search | Search Engines and Privacy

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to StartPage and Disconnect Search)
Search Engine
83 83%
17% 17
Internet Search
83 83%
17% 17
Web Search
85 85%
15% 15
Private Search Engine
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare StartPage and Disconnect Search

StartPage Reviews

Alternative search engines
Startpage lies at the opposite side of the spectrum from Mojeek in that it is simply a proxy for Google Search. So, Startpage lets you use Google Search without handing over any personal data to Google. If you just want Google Search with better privacy, Startpage is your best bet.
The best private search engines for secure browsing
Startpage was founded in The Netherlands and is now owned by a US company, System1. Overall, Startpage is a reliable private search engine, providing top-quality search results and innovative features to safeguard user privacy.
Source: nordvpn.com
Best DuckDuckGo Alternative: Private Search Engines in 2024
Startpage obtains its search results from Google Search, but still maintains privacy by not tracking users or storing personal information or search history. As a result of using Google’s web index, Startpage provides high-quality search results. One of its distinguishing features is its “anonymous view,” which masks your identity via a proxy while you visit websites...
The Difference Between Search Engines
Both are two new techniques of looking the web. Gigablast does sort the sub websites and websites into blocks, this way the subsites results will be split sort into directories. you can expand it and show it if you click [on more from this site] and Gigablast in Additionally it is an opensource search engine and it indexes its effects. It's not an enormous tech search engine...
No need for Google: 12 alternative search engines in 2018
Like DuckDuckGo, StartPage was founded with strict user Privacy as its USP. Again, it doesn’t track and store your data, and it doesn’t target ads based on your behaviors.

Disconnect Search Reviews

The best private search engines for secure browsing
Why should you use a private search engine?The best private search engines1. Startpage2. DuckDuckGoHow is DuckDuckGo different from a VPN?Get NordVPNLearn more3. Qwant4. Searx5. SearchEncrypt6. Gibiru“faster than the NSA Search Engines since it does not install all sorts of personalization and tracking cookies on your system.”7. Ecosia8. Swisscows9. Mojeek10. MetaGer11....
Source: nordvpn.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Disconnect Search seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

StartPage mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of StartPage yet. Tracking of StartPage recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Disconnect Search mentions (3)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing StartPage and Disconnect Search, you can also consider the following products

DuckDuckGo - The Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs.

Google - Google Search, also referred to as Google Web Search or simply Google, is a web search engine developed by Google. It is the most used search engine on the World Wide Web

Swisscows - Swisscows is the data-safe search engine and the absolute alternative to Google. Swisscows does not monitor and does not store any data and does not show any pornographic content.

Searx - Open source metasearch engine

Qwant - Qwant is a search engine that respects your privacy and eases discovering and sharing via a social approach.

Ecosia - Ecosia is a green search engine that donates at least 80% of its profits from search ad revenue and...