Brandwave

DuckDuckGo vs OpenSearch:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, DuckDuckGo had more branded searches than OpenSearch among search engines worldwide. DuckDuckGo had about 68 million branded searches, while OpenSearch had 60,500. DuckDuckGo made up 12.1% of all search engine searches we track, and OpenSearch accounted for 0.01%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about search engines, DuckDuckGo appeared in three of the five answers and OpenSearch in none.

Among search engines worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

DuckDuckGo, about 1124 searches for every 1 for OpenSearch

DuckDuckGo 68M searchesOpenSearch 60.5K searches

Who does AI mention more?

DuckDuckGo, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, OpenSearch in 0

DuckDuckGo in 3 of 5OpenSearch in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

DuckDuckGo, the only one of the two named

DuckDuckGo first in 3OpenSearch never named

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Top search engines in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, DuckDuckGo was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. OpenSearch did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Google1st
  2. DuckDuckGo2nd
  3. Bing3rd
  4. Algolia4th
  5. Brave Search5th
  6. Elastic6th
  7. Perplexity7th
  8. Meilisearch8th
  9. Typesense9th
  10. +3 more
  11. OpenSearch–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Google4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Bing4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • DuckDuckGo3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Perplexity3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Brave Search3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Ecosia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Algolia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Elastic2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Meilisearch1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • OpenSearch0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+3 more

See every answer about search engines

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is DuckDuckGo or OpenSearch more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for DuckDuckGo and OpenSearch by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 13 search engines we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

DuckDuckGo and OpenSearch among search engines worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for DuckDuckGo, OpenSearch. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGoogleDuckDuckGoBingPerplexityBrave SearchYahooEcosiaOpenSearchAlgoliaMeilisearchSolrTypesenseElastic
Oct 202580.6%9.8%2.4%6.5%0.48%0.18%0.08%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Nov 202583.2%8.2%2.5%5.3%0.5%0.18%0.08%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202584.3%8.5%2.5%3.9%0.51%0.19%0.08%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Jan 202684.6%8.5%2.5%3.4%0.51%0.19%0.19%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Feb 202682.5%9.8%2.9%3.9%0.59%0.18%0.14%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Mar 202683.1%10.1%2.5%3.4%0.61%0.18%0.15%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Apr 202684.7%8.4%2.5%3.5%0.62%0.18%0.12%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
May 202683.4%10.3%2.5%2.9%0.62%0.18%0.12%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Jun 202683.6%10.5%2.6%2.4%0.63%0.19%0.13%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Jul 202683.8%10.6%2.6%2.1%0.52%0.19%0.11%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Aug 202683.8%10.5%2.6%2.1%0.63%0.23%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%
Sep 202681.9%12.1%2.4%2.4%0.73%0.27%0.18%0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%<0.01%

How has the DuckDuckGo and OpenSearch comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • DuckDuckGo was ahead of OpenSearch in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DuckDuckGo’s share of searches among search engines worldwide moved from 9.8% to 12.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 55.6M to 68M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenSearch’s share of searches among search engines worldwide held steady at 0.01%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 60.5K.

How did search popularity change for search engines worldwide in September 2026?

1 change

  1. In September 2026, DuckDuckGo gained share of searches among search engines worldwide, from 10.5% to 12.1%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DuckDuckGo’s and OpenSearch’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

DuckDuckGo

1 branded search term

  • duckduckgo

OpenSearch

1 branded search term

  • opensearch

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among search engines

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