CheckMag | I gave the search engine that plants trees a shot and so should you

The headline says it all. A search engine named Ecosia really turns the profits it makes on searches into trees. Even better, it also uses green solar energy to power its infrastructure. The company started its journey in 2009. Since then, over 20 million people have apparently used the search engine, with more than 210 million trees planted by Ecosia using the income generated - not a small number by any means.

What does Ecosia have to offer? Well, I won't say that its features are absolutely on par with Google but it does have most of the bells and whistles that Google and Bing have. It has its own AI chatbot, can generate Wikipedia-based quick answers, convert currencies on the fly, book hotel rooms and airplane tickets (this doesn't work worldwide yet), and more. Now, what does it make its profits on, exactly? Ecosia claims that it is a non-profit organization. As it is powered by Microsoft Bing, some portion of the profits goes into Microsoft's pockets with the rest going towards planting trees. The money comes from advertisements tailored to the user's search queries, with the company claiming that the user's privacy is under no threat.

Ecosia is available as an extension for both Chrome and Firefox; the company also offers a Chromium-based Web browser for Windows with Ecosia set as the default search engine. For Android and iOS, there's a dedicated Web browser available in the Play Store and the App Store respectively. Opera Mobile supports Ecosia natively so anyone using Opera Mobile can give Ecosia a try right now. Now, on to the search engine itself.

The visual design

As mentioned earlier, Ecosia uses Microsoft's Bing search index. The search result page itself is pretty neat and clutter-free which reminds me of the way the Google search page used to look. Nice and simple - a few websites at the top, some YouTube videos in the middle, and more websites at the bottom. There's a small difference, though. In the top left corner, there should be an icon of a tree with a number below it. That number shows how many trees Ecosia has planted from your searches; it takes quite a few searches to plant a tree. Other than that, it's just a normal search result page which is great for those missing those old days when Google was king and the AI hype train was nowhere to be seen. For those who want an AI-generated answer to a question, there is an "Ecosia AI" section just below the search box. In addition to that, there's a News section, Images, Videos, Maps (you get a choice between Google and Bing) and a More section where you can find quick links such as Wikipedia and Shopping. One of the big advantages of this search engine is that it respects the user's privacy - or at least claims to do so. Even its AI doesn't use any user data for training.

Now let's have a peek at Ecosia AI which is just a GPT-3 chatbot except for these two differences. One, you don't need any account to access it, and two, there's a green mode that gives the user extra tips on how to help the environment. For example, here are two answers to the same prompt, one generated in normal mode and the other in green mode.

Prompt: "How good is the RTX 3060. Answer with 3 lines of text."

Answer: "The RTX 3060 is a solid mid-range graphics card suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming. It offers features like ray tracing and DLSS for enhanced visual quality. Consider reviews and benchmarks to ensure it meets your gaming requirements."

And with the green answer mode and the same prompt we get: "If you're considering upgrading your graphics card, have you thought about the environmental impact of electronic waste? Opting for refurbished or energy-efficient models like the RTX 3060 can help reduce your carbon footprint while still enjoying great gaming performance. It's a win-win for both you and the planet!"

It's up to the reader to decide which answer is better. Either way, it's a good addition to the search engine. The AI is not as good or as up-to-date as GPT-4 or Google Gemini, but it can come in handy.

Although it's a really neat search engine, it's not perfect. One of the main drawbacks is the lack of image search which is a popular feature of Google. Another drawback is the lack of a solid AI (though most of us won't care). Though it has a good AI chatbot, it's not on par with GPT-4 or Gemini, which can be considered another drawback. But, even if Ecosia lacks some of the "gimmicky" features or its existing features that are not that great, it has the upper hand in the user privacy department, clean search results, and a clear sustainability focus.

So, is it worth making Ecosia your default search engine? Yes, it's definitely worth it to make Ecosia the default search engine. Once I started using Ecosia, I forgot that I was using a "boutique" search engine. It's fast and accurate.