Now that Cloudflare is down, there are other service providers one can switch to, especially if this outage has reminded you how fragile the modern internet can be when so much traffic depends on a single company.

On Nov. 18, 2025, a major Cloudflare disruption triggered widespread 500 errors and knocked sites like X, ChatGPT, Spotify and many others offline for over an hour in some regions

 Here are five strong options and how they compare.

1. Startpage

Startpage offers truly private search by refusing to log, track, or profile its users. Its standout features include Anonymous View for safer browsing and neutral, non-personalised results. Operating under strict European privacy regulations, it’s built with strong data protection in mind. The Startpage app pulls highly relevant results from Google, Bing and other premium providers — but does so without attaching those searches to you.

2. Searx

Searx is an open-source metasearch engine that combines results from multiple providers while avoiding the collection of user data. It’s decentralised and can be self-hosted, which appeals to privacy enthusiasts. However, because different instances are run by different operators, the look, feel and available features can vary significantly from one Searx instance to another.

3. DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is one of the most widely recognised privacy-first search engines. It doesn’t create user profiles and limits tracking across the web. While it offers its own interface and features, most of its web search results are powered by Microsoft’s Bing, which influences the relevance and style of what users see.

4. Brave

Brave Search is part of the broader Brave ecosystem, which includes a privacy-focused browser with built-in ad and tracker blocking. Its goal is to reduce online surveillance and give users more control. That said, Brave’s core strength is still browsing and blocking trackers, so its search product may feel less mature or feature-rich compared with long-established search engines.

5. Qwant

Qwant is designed around anonymity: it doesn’t track users, build profiles, or sell personal data. It offers a clean experience and strong privacy guarantees, especially appealing to users who want minimal data collection. However, compared with the biggest search players, its results can sometimes feel less comprehensive or slightly less precise.