Search Engine Wars: Brave Browser's Promotion takes aim at Google and Bing

Brave is promoting its privacy-focused search engine, Brave Search, with new messages in the Brave Nightly version. These banners target users who don’t use Brave Search by default, highlighting its independence and privacy features compared to Google and Bing.

Brave Search has been available for some time now and serves as the default search engine in the Brave browser for both regular and private browsing modes. Brave offers Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Startpage, and Qwant as alternative search engines.

Today, in the Nightly version of Brave, we noticed a banner promoting Brave Search that appears when you set a search engine other than Brave as the default.

The banner uses a catchy slogan: “Don’t Google it. Can’t Bing it. Just Brave it. Brave Search doesn’t profile you and is 100% independent.” It offers the option to “Try Brave Search”, or dismiss the message.

In addition to targeting Google and Bing, Brave seems to be preparing to take on DuckDuckGo as well with two different search promotions displayed from the address bar (although not yet live for all users).

Brave doesn’t leave DuckDuckGo

“Ditch the Duck. Brave Search doesn’t track you, your queries, or clicks. And (unlike DDG) it’s not just Bing in disguise.” Brave asks to “set Brave as default” or “Try brave search”.

Another promotion promises “better results” with Brave Search, citing that “Brave Search is independently verified to have better results than Bing (or Bing clones like DuckDuckGo).”

Brave Search promotions targetting Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo are being tested in the Nightly verison of Brave browser.

Here’s a quick comparison of these search engines to help you decide which one to use:

Brave Search: Built into the Brave browser and emphasizes privacy. Unlike DuckDuckGo (which uses Bing results), Brave Search has a system to find information without tracking you. Brave Search is a good option for those who want strong privacy and good search results.

DuckDuckGo: Known for its focus on privacy. They don’t track you or store your information. However, they rely on Bing for search results, which might concern some users.

Google: The most popular search engine, offering features like local results and answer snippets. However, Google collects a lot of user data, which some people dislike.

Bing: Microsoft’s search engine with features similar to Google, including a rewards program. Bing’s privacy practices are better than Google’s, but not as good as DuckDuckGo’s.

The best search engine depends on your needs. If privacy is most important, DuckDuckGo is a good choice. If you don’t mind some tracking in exchange for features, Google might be better. Bing offers a middle ground, and Brave Search is a new option that focuses on both privacy and good results.