Brave Search
Privacy-focused web search engine from Brave, built on its own independent index.
Recommended as a free Google replacement with its own index12345, AI answers many find useful678, and DDG-style bangs.91011 Complaints include AI answers some find wrong or unwanted1213, and weaker support than Google for advanced search operators.1415
Why people recommend it
Google alternative · 3
Several users switched from Google and rarely go back.
“Brave search is the best alternative to Google.”
“Brave search works really well”
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“I use https://search.brave.com by default everywhere”
AI answers · 3
Users say its AI summaries are often good enough to answer the question directly.
“What I like about Brave Search is the quality of its AI answers compared to rivals.”
“I actually like the Brave version of their Search + AI solution”
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“I use Brave search and usually the AI response is more than good”
Free · 3
Called the best option for people who don't want to pay for Kagi.
“If you just want a free search engine, Brave is probably the best index.”
“I highly recommend it for people who don't want to pay for Kagi.”
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“I can highly recommend Brave Search to anyone who is looking for an alternative.”
Own index · 3
Commenters value that it runs its own independent index.
“Brave search is the best alternative to Google.”
“I have been using Brave Search since its launch and it has been great in my experience.”
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“I highly recommend it for people who don't want to pay for Kagi.”
Bangs · 3
Supports DDG-style bangs like !g to redirect to other sites.
“I highly recommend it for people who don't want to pay for Kagi.”
“What I like about Brave Search is the quality of its AI answers compared to rivals.”
Show 1 more
“brave search's excellent and free AI”
Old-Google feel · 2
Compared to Google from 2008, just searching for what you ask.
“Feels like Google Search from 2008.”
“So many people sleep on Brave search. I agree, it's like Google from 08.”
Caveats and dissent
AI answers · 3
Some find the AI answers wrong or unwelcome, though they can be turned off.
“Moved to https://search.brave.com years ago because that's what works/worked the best for me”
“Entered search term. AI response included in the result. Ah, yes. Just like 2008.”
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“I actually like the Brave version of their Search + AI solution”
Search operators · 2
Lacks Google's deep support for advanced search operators.
“brave search's excellent and free AI”
Obscure results · 1
One user says Marginalia finds obscure pages Brave doesn't surface.
“If you just want a free search engine, Brave is probably the best index.”
Speed · 1
One user finds it slower than Google.
“Been using Brave Search now for a while including its Brave AI and aside of sporadic times I never needed Google”
Crawler identity · 1
A site owner notes that allowing Google's user agent only from Google IPs would block Brave's crawler.
“though that's their own fault”
Often compared with
1 moved from DuckDuckGo to Brave SearchGoogle Search10 comments mention both
4 moved from Google Search to Brave Search
1 moved from Kagi to Brave Search
Who recommends it in their own words
From the makers not counted in the ranking
“Brave Search is 100% independent”
Threads where it came up
- Ask HN: What are the viable alternatives to DuckDuckGo? 8 mentions
- Mullvad: Shutting down our search proxy Leta 6 mentions
- Back to Kagi 4 mentions
- Leaving Google has actively improved my life 3 mentions
- Waiting for dawn in search: Search index, Google rulings and impact on Kagi 3 mentions
- Search engines alternatives now that Google isn't Google anymore 2 mentions
Data: brave-search.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 40
“though that's their own fault”
“Brave Search: 2,126 searches/month”
“Brave search is the best alternative to Google.”
“Moved to https://search.brave.com years ago because that's what works/worked the best for me”
“Been using Brave Search now for a while including its Brave AI and aside of sporadic times I never needed Google”
“some players in the market, such as Parallel and Brave, may be using the same underlying search index”
“I use Brave Search+ DuckDuckGo+ Google Image search”
“I use https://search.brave.com by default everywhere”
“Brave search works really well”
“Brave search is decent.”
“If a page shows up in both Brave & Mojeek, it's probably a good one.”
“Entered search term. AI response included in the result. Ah, yes. Just like 2008.”
“https://search.brave.com”
“So many people sleep on Brave search. I agree, it's like Google from 08.”
“Brave Search is great if you want something free.”
“If you just want a free search engine, Brave is probably the best index.”
“Feels like Google Search from 2008.”
“It's the same insight Brave Search had - they used to be a metasearch engine”
I think that ship has sailed [0]. If Microsoft hasn’t managed to build a meaningful search index after 17 years of sinking billions in it, there’s a good chance that no one ever will. [0]: https://blog.kagi.com/waiting-dawn-search (cf. section _The problem: A search monopoly_)
“I have been using Brave Search since its launch and it has been great in my experience.”
“Brave search has maybe worse results and I miss the bangs to change result location, but at least during the world cup, for example, I used its widgets frequently”
“I ask Brave for any error and it gives an AI answer with code on how to fix it.”
“stick with Brave search for the most part”
“their browser is great out of the box and so is their search engine”
“I will pay for search once Kagi or Brave accepts Monero and offers a reasonable price.”
“I actually like the Brave version of their Search + AI solution”
“I use Brave Search as well.”
“I use Brave search and usually the AI response is more than good”
“I highly recommend it for people who don't want to pay for Kagi.”
“I use Brave search and I find it to be the best.”
“Check out Kagi, or Brave Search.”
“Brave default search is awful.”
“https://search.brave.com/ask says”
“https://search.brave.com”
“brave search's excellent and free AI”
“except Mojeek and brave and probably yandex.ru”
“What I like about Brave Search is the quality of its AI answers compared to rivals.”
“I can highly recommend Brave Search to anyone who is looking for an alternative.”
“knowing brave has a generous free search tier for their api makes me think it's possible to replace Google search”
Interesting idea on the local search index! It occurs to me that running something that passively saves down content that I browse and things that AI turns up while it does its own searches, plus a little agent to curate/expand/enrich/update the index could be super handy. I imagine once it had docs on the stuff I use most frequently that even a small model would feel quite smart.