Qwant

Qwant is a French privacy-first search engine that does not track users.

European Privacy Friendly Open Source Free of Charge
Website

Description

Qwant is a French search engine founded in 2013, designed to prioritise user privacy and provide an alternative to Big Tech search giants. Qwant does not track users or resell personal data, and it displays contextual ads that are not based on user profiling or tracking, ensuring a privacy-friendly experience.

Qwant integrates artificial intelligence to provide short answers and page summaries directly in search results for logged-in users. At the time of writing the privacy settings page was not working for me, so I couldn't test its behaviour. But if you want a private search experience, why create an account? The AI feature doesn't seem very compelling, if we take the quality of Google's or Bing's AI answers as the benchmark.

It includes a tracker-blocking browser extension and features like the "Zap" button, allowing users to delete all browsing data with a single click. In 2025, Qwant partnered with Ecosia to launch a privacy-focused European search index designed to challenge Big Tech dominance and reduce reliance on external providers.

After Microsoft retired the Bing Search APIs in 2025, Qwant transitioned to its own indexing and alternative data sources.

Website

Sustainability Features of Qwant

European - Based in Europe, ensuring compliance with GDPR and European privacy and labor regulations.

Qwant is based in France, ensuring compliance with GDPR and strong privacy laws.

Privacy Friendly - It does not track users unnecessarily.

Qwant does not track users or resell personal data. For now, it forwards personal information to Bing though.

Open Source - Free and Open-Source Software

Qwant’s browser extension and some privacy tools are open-source, allowing for public review and transparency.

Free of Charge - The services provided can be used for free.

Qwant doesn't cost anything. Although one could argue that users pay with their personal data since IP address and search queries are shared with Big Tech.

Website

Summary

Qwant is a privacy-focused search engine, offering a secure, tracker-free experience with contextual ads that do not rely on user profiling. Its commitment to European data sovereignty makes it a good alternative to Big Tech search solutions.

Sustainability Score
88

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Website