Best alternatives to Custom Search Engine (2026)
10 Chrome extensions that do a similar job to Custom Search Engine, closest first. Each shows real store users, its rating, how recently it was updated and how many permissions it asks for.
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Custom Search Engine alternatives, compared
- 1
Don't add custom search engines
Prevent Google Chrome from auto-adding custom search engines
≈10K users3.5★ from 83 ratingsUpdated 23 months agoNo special permissions- About 3.3× more users than Custom Search Engine
- Updated less recently
- Asks for fewer permissions (0 vs 2)
- Listed under Workflow & Planning
- 2
Wallpaper Engine Search
Quick search for Wallpaper Engine animated wallpapers with collections, tools, and more
≈1K users2.5★ from 2 ratingsUpdated 20 months ago2 permissions- About 3.0× fewer users than Custom Search Engine
- Listed under Art & Design
- 3
Search Engine Switch
Easily switch among multiple search engines without having to retype the search repeatedly.
677 users4.1★ from 11 ratingsNot updated for 4+ years2 permissions- About 4.4× fewer users than Custom Search Engine
- Updated less recently
- Listed under Workflow & Planning
- 4
Sqoo search engine
New convenient search engine
≈1K users3.7★ from 3 ratingsNot updated for 3+ years1 permissions- About 3.0× fewer users than Custom Search Engine
- Updated less recently
- Asks for fewer permissions (1 vs 2)
- 5
Flex Search Engine
A tool designed to seamlessly change your default search engine
≈10K usersNot rated yetUpdated 17 months ago3 permissions- About 3.3× more users than Custom Search Engine
- Asks for more permissions (3 vs 2)
- 6
Qwant - Search engine
Qwant becomes your default search engine! Start your new search experience now using Qwant's artificial intelligence.
≈100K users4.5★ from 130 ratingsUpdated 12 months agoNo special permissions- About 33× more users than Custom Search Engine
- Updated more recently
- Asks for fewer permissions (0 vs 2)
- 7
Searcheira - Search Engine
Smart and private search engine that optimize your searching experience
≈20K users4.6★ from 7 ratingsNo special permissions- About 6.7× more users than Custom Search Engine
- Asks for fewer permissions (0 vs 2)
- 8
Custom Bang Search
Use custom DuckDuckGo-style bangs directly from the address bar
507 users4.8★ from 14 ratingsUpdated 7 months ago14 permissions- About 5.9× fewer users than Custom Search Engine
- Updated more recently
- Asks for more permissions (14 vs 2)
- 9
CustomizedSearch
Your Customized Search Engine
≈1K usersNot rated yetNot updated for 3+ yearsNo special permissions- About 3.0× fewer users than Custom Search Engine
- Updated less recently
- Asks for fewer permissions (0 vs 2)
- 10
PrivacyWall Search Engine
The search engine that protects your security.
≈4K users3.3★ from 15 ratingsNot updated for 2+ yearsNo special permissions- A similar number of users to Custom Search Engine
- Updated less recently
- Asks for fewer permissions (0 vs 2)
Custom Search Engine alternatives: questions
What is the best alternative to Custom Search Engine?
By users, the most popular alternative is Qwant - Search engine with ≈100K users and a 4.5-star rating. The closest match by what it does is Don't add custom search engines.
Which Custom Search Engine alternative has the best rating?
Qwant - Search engine has the highest rating of these alternatives with 50+ ratings: 4.5 out of 5 from 130 ratings.
Is there a Custom Search Engine alternative that asks for fewer permissions?
Don't add custom search engines asks for 0 permissions, against 2 for Custom Search Engine.
How many alternatives to Custom Search Engine are there?
We list 10 close alternatives to Custom Search Engine on the Chrome Web Store, picked by what they do and ranked by how close they are.
Users and ratings are the figures shown on the Chrome Web Store, re-checked continuously. Alternatives are matched on name, description, category and topic. Browse best-of lists by niche.