Startpage — Private Search Engine

Name: Startpage — Private Search Engine
Rating: 4.0120481927710845 (83 reviews)
Author: https://startpage.com

Take back your online privacy by using Startpage as your default search engine.

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Startpage - Private Search Engine extension lets you set Startpage as your default search engine, ensuring complete online privacy without tracking or storing your searches. With features like anonymous search, no 3rd party trackers, and compliance with GDPR and CCPA, Startpage guarantees unprofiled, private search results accessible directly from your URL bar.

It also includes an "Anonymous View" proxy for private browsing of search results and opens the Startpage homepage with one click. Developed under strict European and Dutch privacy laws, Startpage provides a secure, private search experience for users worldwide.

Extension Privacy & Security Productivity Utilities

By:

https://startpage.com

Users:

200,000

Rating:

4.01

(83) 0.01

Version:

3.0.8 Last updated: 2025-05-05

Creation date:

2020-04-02

Risk:

Permissions:

storage
declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess

Host permissions:

https://*.startpage.com/*

Size:

19.96KB

Email:

su*****@startpage.com

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Chrome Web Store

Data ingested on:

2025-07-11

Ranking

# 1,196 ▲ 26

Other rankings

#1555 in Tools ▼ 14

#4 in start page keyword 42

#20 in engine keyword 12 ▼ 2

#31 in default search keyword 40 ▲ 1

#76 in chrome homepage keyword 66

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Other platforms

Startpage — Private Search Engine (v3.0.2)

135,790 4.80

(15)

User reviews

Startpage Chrome extension is praised for its privacy protections, delivering quality search results without tracking, and for being lightweight and easy to use. Loyal users appreciate the security and anonymity it offers. However, multiple users report functional issues such as the extension not working or causing redirects, lack of advanced features like AI integration and flexible search result options, and difficulties in integration with browser search bars, especially on Chrome across various systems. Some features like safesearch can be inconveniently enabled by default.

Pros

Provides privacy-focused search experience without tracking users.
Gives better search result quality compared to some other privacy search engines.
Lightweight and easy to set up, integrating well as a search bar in some browsers.
Offers an alternative to mainstream search engines with good security and anonymity features.
Has loyal users who have used it for years and recommend it highly.

Cons

Extension functionality is inconsistent; some users report it does nothing or does not work properly.
Lack of features like AI integration, custom date search, and displaying more than 10 results per page.
Some users experience issues like strange redirections or proxy/VPN interference.
Safesearch is reported to always be on by default and works oddly for some users.
Not all users find it integrates with browser search bar or functions as expected in Chrome on multiple systems.

Recent reviews

it primitive .. not working and when click button, redirecting their website.

Ke*****, 2025-06-24

Extension works for me in Brave. Search bar becomes Startpage which is the purpose.

Je*****, 2025-06-22

Poor search results. Compare search results for 'DSCP_fix_enable' on startpage and ddg/brave/google/bing. I appreciate privacy, but quality results are a base requirement.

Se*****, 2025-04-20

View all user reviews ›

Extension safety

Risk impact

Risk impact measures the level of extra permissions an extension has access to. A low risk impact extension cannot do much harms, whereas a high risk impact extension can do a lot of damage like stealing your password, bypassing your security settings, and accessing your personal data. High risk impact extensions are not necessarily malicious. However, if they do turn malicious, they can be very harmful.

Startpage — Private Search Engine requires a few sensitive permissions. Exercise caution before installing.

Risk impact analysis details

High Can change search providers, which could redirect searches to malicious sites, posing moderate risk.
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Risk likelihood

Risk likelihood measures the probability that a Chrome extension may turn malicious. This is determined by the publisher and the Chrome extension reputation on Chrome Web Store, the amount of time the Chrome extension has been around, and other signals about the Chrome extension. Our algorithms are not perfect, and are subject to change as we discover new ways to detect malicious extensions. We recommend that you always exercise caution when installing a Chrome extension.

Startpage — Private Search Engine has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.

Risk likelihood analysis details

Medium This extension was updated in the past 3 months. New updates may not be stable or safe.
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