Description
Startpage is a Dutch search engine that sends your query to Google and shows Google’s results without passing on your IP address or other identifying data, with an “Anonymous View” proxy to open result pages privately.
It grew out of Ixquick, a Dutch meta search engine, and is run by Startpage B.V. in the Netherlands. Startpage says it keeps no logs of searches. Because it proxies Google Search, Google still sees the queries themselves, as Privacy Guides points out, but not who sent them. It is free and financed by ads shown next to the results.
In 2019 a stake in the company was bought by Privacy One Group, part of the US ad-tech company System1, which later became its majority owner. Startpage answered questions at the time, but critics such as ghacks and RestorePrivacy said the exact ownership structure and terms remained unclear, and some privacy writers stopped recommending it. Privacy Guides still lists it. Users praise Google-quality results without the tracking, but some report captchas and errors.
Strengths
- Results come from Google, so they are as complete as Google’s, without Google learning the user’s IP address.
- Anonymous View opens result pages through a proxy, which hides the user from the visited site.
- It is free, needs no account and keeps no search logs, according to Startpage.
Weaknesses
- Since 2019 it has been owned largely by System1, a US advertising technology company, and critics say the terms were never fully explained.
- Google still receives every query, and Startpage depends entirely on Google for its results.
- Some users report captchas and errors that make searching slower than on Google itself.
Who it is for
People who want Google’s results but don’t want Google to link searches to their IP address, and who accept an ad-funded service owned by an ad-tech company.
Sources
- Startpage: home (blocked automated access in November 2026)
- Privacy Guides: search engines, Startpage
- ghacks: Startpage Search owner changes raise serious questions
- ghacks: Startpage replies to questions about ownership change
- CyberInsider: Startpage, System1 and Privacy One Group
- Firefox Add-ons: Startpage reviews