Ecosia

European Alternative to:

• Google Search

A search engine from Berlin, around since 2009, that puts the profit from its search ads into planting trees. Over 200 million so far, with monthly financial reports showing exactly where the money went.

How the model works

• Search ads generate revenue, and the bulk of the profit goes to reforestation projects run with local organisations
• In 2018 the founders made Ecosia steward-owned: the company can't be sold, and no owner can take profit out of it
• It runs on its own solar installations, producing more renewable energy than its searches use
• On privacy: no selling of personal data, no third-party trackers, and searches aren't used to build an ad profile

What the search itself is like

Results come mainly from Bing, with Ecosia's own ranking layered on top. There's a maps view, image and news tabs, and Ecosia now ships its own browser as well. It's free on web, iOS and Android.

Worth knowing

Ecosia and Qwant announced a joint venture in 2024 to build a shared European search index, so over time more of the results may come from infrastructure that isn't a US search engine.