Throughout most of the world, Google has become a dominating force in search engine usage. Not only does Google provide standard text-based search results, but it now also helps individuals find where they need to go, which businesses are nearby and provides access to a wealth of multimedia and news.

This sheer level of dominance may at times make certain actions convenient, but it can also result in less than ideal practices. From collecting sensitive data to undermining your desire to reach audiences via SEO, Google is essentially a monopoly and can do what it wants.

In the spirit of some competition, here are three alternative search engines you might wish to try in the near future.

Qwant

In operation for several years now, Qwant creates a more secure and streamlined version of Bing that’s available to all. In addition to utilizing Bing’s search data, Qwant is also pinging websites with its own crawlers to further improve the indexing process. Providing both generalized and localized results, users can take advantage of the fact that their search preferences aren’t being cataloged or geotagged like with major search engine providers. You also don’t have to worry about Qwant tracking your movements via cookies or associating your IP with you specifically, making it a great choice for privacy buffs.

Swisscows

A smaller search engine provider based in Switzerland, Swisscows offers a G-rated search experience for those who want it. Providing German speakers with its unique index and utilizing Bing for the rest, Swisscows can be used by speakers of any language. Ultimately, those who want control over their children’s search behaviors may find Swisscows to be useful: it blocks out any type of pornographic or violent content, with no way to opt out of this. Like many of these smaller search engines, it also does not store any cookies on your device or track your movements, and comes with a certain guaranteed level of anonymity given it’s based in Switzerland rather than one of many other European nations.

Yahoo

More than a decade ago, Yahoo was sitting on some serious search engine market share. Larger than Google was at the time, Yahoo saw a slow and steady decline from its prominent position – ultimately falling to under two percent of search volume in the United States. Despite this, it does still have its advantages. Powered by Bing these days, the primary reason to use Yahoo is due to the availability of other services within it. Offering little privacy, those who care about such matters and/or those who don’t care about having news, email, weather and the like integrated into their search experience may be better off just using Bing.

While Google remains a behemoth, not everybody wishes to use it. These three options above all offer varying benefits and guarantees, helping you to take back control of your personal information and search experience. For those who are pinging websites on a daily basis via search and want more control, selecting an alternative search engines just makes sense.