8 Best AI Search Engines for 2025
By Alex • Updated Nov 9, 2024
AI Search Engines revolutionize how you find information, making searches smarter and more efficient.
After thoroughly testing 19 different options, I've compiled a list of the top 8 AI Search Engines you must try for 2025.
Best AI Search Engines
| # | Tool | Overall | Answer Quality | Features | Ease of Use | Free Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4.7 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free Plan | |
2 | 4.7 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free Plan | |
3 | 4.3 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free | |
4 | 4.0 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free | |
5 | 4.0 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free Plan | |
6 | 3.7 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free Plan | |
7 | 3.7 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free Plan | |
8 | 3.7 ★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Free |
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What Makes a Great AI Search Engine?
When I rank AI search engines, I focus on three main things: Answer Quality, Features, and Ease of Use. Here’s what I mean by each:
- Answer Quality: This is about how accurate and relevant the answers are. I look for search engines that give precise, helpful information. If the answers are often spot-on and detailed, they score high here.
- Features: This covers the tools and functionalities the search engine offers. I look for useful extras like content generation, interactive chats, and any special modes or integrations. The more practical and varied the features, the better the score.
- Ease of Use: This is all about how user-friendly the search engine is. A clean, intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate is key. If I can find what I need quickly and without hassle, the search engine gets a high mark in this category.
These criteria help me judge how well each AI search engine performs overall.
1. Perplexity
Perplexity is my AI search engine of choice. It's great at giving accurate, well-cited answers quickly. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 5/5 ★
Perplexity really stands out here. It consistently delivers accurate and concise answers, always backed up with citations. This makes it super reliable for research or when you need trustworthy information fast.
Features: 4/5 ★
The features are practical and useful. It has tools like Pro Search and Copilot that help you explore topics in depth. It also supports multiple language models (LLMs) and has image generation capabilities. While it might not have every feature out there, what it does have works really well.
Ease of Use: 5/5 ★
Using Perplexity is straightforward. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, so you can get started right away without any hassle.
Overall: 4.7/5 ★
Perplexity is a reliable and user-friendly AI search engine. It excels at providing accurate, well-cited information and has some handy features that make it a strong tool for anyone needing quick and reliable answers.
2. ChatGPT
ChatGPT has recently added a web search feature, making it even more powerful by pulling in real-time information from the internet. Here’s my assessment:
Answer Quality: 5/5 ★
The new search function delivers highly accurate and up-to-date answers. It pulls data from reliable sources and provides direct answers to queries about current events, sports, stocks, and more. The responses are clear, well-organized, and often come with source links for further reading.
Features: 4/5 ★
ChatGPT’s search feature is a big upgrade. It automatically decides when to search the web or allows you to manually trigger it. You get real-time data and links to sources, which is great for fact-checking. However, it still lacks some personalization options and advanced features like favoriting sources or fine-tuning results.
Ease of Use: 5/5 ★
Using ChatGPT with the search function is super easy. The interface is clean, and the search happens seamlessly within the chat. You don’t need to jump between tabs or links—it all happens in one place, making it convenient and user-friendly.
Overall: 4.7/5 ★
ChatGPT’s new search feature is a game-changer. It provides accurate, real-time information in a conversational format, with easy access to sources. While there’s room for more advanced features, it’s already a highly effective tool for getting quick and reliable answers.
3. Microsoft Bing
Microsoft Bing is an AI search tool that combines traditional search with AI to provide detailed answers and suggestions. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 4/5 ★
Bing Chat usually gives accurate and relevant answers. It uses advanced AI models to understand and respond well to queries. Sometimes, though, the answers can be a bit shallow or not as detailed as you'd like.
Features: 5/5 ★
Bing Chat is packed with features. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft services, offers content generation, and has an interactive chat function. These features make it versatile and useful for many tasks, from simple searches to more complex queries.
Ease of Use: 4/5 ★
The interface is user-friendly, especially if you're using Microsoft Edge. It's easy to navigate and makes finding information straightforward. However, it can be a bit less intuitive if you're using it outside the Microsoft ecosystem.
Overall: 4.3/5 ★
Microsoft Bing is a powerful and versatile AI search tool. It provides accurate answers and has a rich set of features that make it useful for various tasks. Its user-friendly interface, especially within Microsoft Edge, makes it a solid choice for anyone looking for a reliable AI search engine.
4. Google
Google's AI Overview is an AI-powered search feature that generates concise summaries of search results. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 4/5 ★
Google's AI Overview generally provides accurate and relevant answers. It pulls information from multiple sources to create a summary at the top of the search results. However, it sometimes produces misleading or incorrect answers, especially with less common queries.
Features: 3/5 ★
The feature set is decent but not overly extensive. AI Overview offers summaries and links to original sources, which can be helpful. However, it lacks some advanced functionalities and can sometimes prioritize AI-generated content over direct source links, which might affect the depth of information.
Ease of Use: 5/5 ★
Using AI Overview is straightforward. The summaries appear at the top of the search results, making it easy to get quick answers without scrolling through multiple links. The interface is clean and intuitive, typical of Google's design.
Overall: 4.0/5 ★
Google's AI Overview is a useful tool for getting quick, summarized information. It provides generally accurate answers and is easy to use, though it sometimes falls short in terms of reliability and depth. It's a solid choice for anyone looking for quick insights directly from their search results.
5. Phind
Phind is an AI search engine designed specifically for developers. It helps solve programming problems quickly and efficiently. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 4/5 ★
Phind is great at providing accurate and relevant answers to coding questions. It understands the context well and often includes code examples. However, sometimes the answers can be a bit too technical for beginners.
Features: 3/5 ★
Phind offers useful features like code examples, guides, and the ability to ask follow-up questions. It supports multiple search modes and models, but it's mainly focused on developers, which limits its use for general queries.
Ease of Use: 5/5 ★
The interface is clean and intuitive. It's easy to ask questions and get detailed answers quickly. The ability to personalize search settings and see source attributions adds to its user-friendliness.
Overall: 4.0/5 ★
Phind is a powerful tool for developers. It excels at providing precise answers and useful code examples, making it a great resource for solving programming problems. Its user-friendly interface and practical features make it a reliable choice for anyone in the coding community.
6. You.com
You.com is an AI-powered search engine that focuses on personalization and a chat-first approach. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 3/5 ★
You.com provides personalized answers, but the accuracy can be hit or miss. While it does well with general queries, sometimes the responses can lack depth or be outdated.
Features: 4/5 ★
You.com offers a variety of useful features. It includes multiple AI models, modes like Smart and Genius, and tools like YouChat, YouWrite, and YouImagine. These tools help with everything from answering questions to generating content and images. However, some features can be inconsistent in performance.
Ease of Use: 4/5 ★
The platform is user-friendly with a clean interface. It's easy to navigate and customize, though some advanced features might take a bit of time to get used to.
Overall: 3.7/5 ★
You.com is a versatile AI search engine with strong personalization and useful tools. While it excels in offering a range of features and a user-friendly interface, its answer quality can sometimes be inconsistent. It's a solid choice for those looking for a customizable and interactive search experience.
7. Brave Search
Brave Search is an AI-powered search engine focused on privacy and independence. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 3/5 ★
Brave Search provides relevant answers, but it's still in beta, so the results can sometimes be inconsistent or less thorough compared to other search engines. It's improving, but it has some way to go.
Features: 3/5 ★
Brave Search offers several innovative features like the AI Summarizer, CodeLLM for programming queries, and Goggles for custom search rankings. However, it lacks some advanced functionalities and the depth of more established search engines.
Ease of Use: 5/5 ★
The interface is clean and user-friendly. It's easy to navigate, and the privacy settings are straightforward. Whether you use it within the Brave browser or as a standalone search engine, it’s designed to be intuitive.
Overall: 3.7/5 ★
Brave Search is a promising tool with a strong focus on privacy and independence. While it still has room for improvement in answer quality and features, its user-friendly interface and commitment to privacy make it a solid choice for those prioritizing these aspects.
8. DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo's DuckAssist is an AI feature designed to provide quick, natural language summaries in response to search queries. Here’s my take on it:
Answer Quality: 3/5 ★
DuckAssist generally provides relevant answers by summarizing content from Wikipedia and sometimes Britannica. While it's good for straightforward questions, it can struggle with more complex or recent topics, making the answers only relatively reliable.
Features: 3/5 ★
DuckAssist integrates seamlessly with DuckDuckGo's existing search engine, offering quick summaries without needing to click through links. It uses AI from OpenAI and Anthropic, but its reliance on a limited set of sources means it lacks some depth and versatility compared to other AI tools.
Ease of Use: 5/5 ★
The interface is clean and easy to use. DuckAssist appears automatically for suitable queries, making it simple to get quick answers. It's also privacy-focused, not tracking or logging queries, which aligns with DuckDuckGo's commitment to user privacy.
Overall: 3.7/5 ★
DuckAssist is a useful addition to DuckDuckGo, providing quick and private answers for straightforward questions. While it has some limitations in answer depth and source variety, its ease of use and privacy features make it a solid choice for users looking for quick, reliable information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are AI Search Engines?
AI Search Engines are advanced tools that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve your search experience. They can provide more accurate and relevant results, often with additional features like personalized suggestions and filtering.
How do AI Search Engines work?
AI Search Engines use sophisticated algorithms and machine learning models to analyze your search queries and provide the most relevant results. They can learn from your search habits and adapt to your preferences over time.
Are AI Search Engines secure?
Most AI Search Engines prioritize data privacy and security. They often have strict data security standards and protocols in place to ensure the safety of your data. However, it's always a good idea to review the privacy policy of the AI Search Engine you choose to use.
Can AI Search Engines really improve my search results?
Yes, AI Search Engines can significantly improve the accuracy and relevance of your search results. By using advanced algorithms and machine learning models, these tools can help you find what you're looking for more efficiently.
Can AI Search Engines replace human judgment?
Not really. AI Search Engines are designed to assist you in finding information, not replace your judgment. They provide suggestions and results based on your queries, but you still need to evaluate the relevance and accuracy of the results.
Conclusion
AI search engines have revolutionized the way we search and access information online. Each of the search engines listed above offers unique features and capabilities, catering to different user needs and preferences.
Whether you're looking for a free or paid option, a privacy-focused search engine, or an industry-specific solution, there's an AI search engine out there for you. Consider your specific requirements and try out these top AI search engines to find the perfect fit for your needs.
All AI Search Engines
| # | Tool | Overall |
|---|---|---|
1 | 4.7 ★ | |
2 | 4.7 ★ | |
3 | 4.3 ★ | |
4 | 4.0 ★ | |
5 | 4.0 ★ | |
6 | 3.7 ★ | |
7 | 3.7 ★ | |
8 | 3.7 ★ | |
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