The best AI search engines of 2024: Google, Perplexity, and more

Unlike the rest of the picks on this list that have integrated AI into existing search engines, Perplexity AI has been built to be an AI search engine -- and this approach shows in its interface, which perfectly blends the best features of AI chatbots and search engines. Ultimately, this capability sets Perplexity apart from all the competitors on the market and makes it the most compelling and comprehensive AI search engine. 

When you first visit the application, you will see a textbox that resembles what you see when you visit any AI chatbot. However, when you click on the textbox, you will be given many prompt suggestions based on current events, much like when you are going to enter a search query in a search engine. These suggestions are helpful for prompt ideation and set Perplexity apart from other AI chatbots. 

Also: Perplexity AI's new tool makes researching the stock market 'delightful'. Here's how

Once you enter your search query, the results page provides several links at the top, which is helpful if you use Perplexity as a search engine to find the most appropriate website. The results include conversational, concise, bulleted AI-generated answers with footnotes and website links. 

Lastly, underneath the AI insights, users can take advantage of a "related" section, which resembles the experience on a search engine tool, such as Google's "people also ask" feature. This "related" section encourages discovery. Perplexity is free to use, and you don't need an account, making it easy to jump in and try the tool. 

Perplexity features: Free | Proprietary LLM | Premium subscription available with access to advanced models such as GPT-4 Turbo, Claude 3, and more

Microsoft infused its Bing search engine with its AI chatbot, Copilot, and the tech company has seen its Bing daily active users increase significantly, with over 40 million new users during the past year. In my testing, Copilot has proven itself to be an extremely competitive chatbot, with features that make it a more attractive option than ChatGPT. 

Also: ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?

Microsoft collaborated with OpenAI when developing Copilot, and, as a result, the chatbot uses GPT-4, OpenAI's very capable LLM. With the integration of Copilot in Bing, users experience high-quality responses when they search for anything through the box at the top of the search page results. The best part of Microsoft's execution, which places it over Google's, is that the AI insights aren't overwhelming and limited to one box off to the side, as seen in the picture below. 

This approach means you can easily expand the results to see more AI-enabled insights. However, if you want to ignore the output and scroll through the normal search results, the AI insights are confined to a small portion of your desktop screen that you can ignore. If you aren't entirely sure if you want to commit to an AI search engine, Bing is a great option. 

Microsoft Bing features: Free | GPT-4 

If you are a loyal Google user and curious about how AI can improve the search experience, then Google might be your best option. Last year, Google introduced its Search Generative Experience (SGE), which was only accessible via Search Labs and gave users AI-generated insights at the top of their search results. However, at Google I/O, the company announced it was bringing those AI overviews to all users in the U.S.

Also: Google's new AI tool transforms dense research papers into accessible conversations - try it free

This means that when you type a search query into Google that could be optimized by AI overviews (which isn't every entry), Google will automatically show you the AI insights. Since the AI insights are not as compact as Bing's and take up the top of the screen, pushing organic search results down may not be an approach that works for everyone. 

Google features: Free | New Gemini model customized for Google Search

The look and feel of You.com are similar to any other AI chatbot, with the major difference being the tool is connected to the internet to act as a search engine. 

You can enter any question or topic you'd like to learn more about and receive real-time web results, plus a conversational response. However, the output displayed does not resemble a regular search engine, so if you like to see results as a list of websites, like traditional search results, this tool may not be the best option.

Also: YouPro lets me access every popular premium AI chatbot for $20/month - but there's a catch

Instead, You.com displays a conversational response with added footnotes that users can click on to verify the source and visit the website. The tool will also add images when relevant that elevate the answers over those from a traditional AI chatbot like ChatGPT, as seen in the image at the top of the article. You.com also includes a "People also ask" section underneath its response and a "private mode", similar to Google's incognito mode.

One of the biggest standout features is that you can toggle between the most popular AI models on the market using the Custom Model Selector, including GPT-4 Turbo, Anthropic's Claude, and more. 

You.com features: Free | Option for subscription | You.com proprietary LLM in the free version

Brave Search's appeal as a search engine comes from the increased privacy and security it offers users while browsing online. Some of Brave's standout features include blocking trackers and ads on websites, which also helps improve device battery life and browsing speeds. Recently, Brave added an "Answer with AI" feature that infuses generative AI into the search engine, offering an experience nearly identical to those in the tools above while keeping the security features users enjoy. 

Also: Brave search engine adds privacy-focused AI - no Google or Bing needed

You can download the Brave browser to your computer for the full experience. However, you can also use Brave Search in any browser by visiting its site. Using Brave Search is intuitive, as all you have to do is enter a search query. Similarly to Google and Microsoft's search engine, you will get AI-generated insights at the top of the search results, as seen in the photo below. 

Even though Brave Search doesn't include footnotes in its answers, the tool does include "context" underneath the answer with links to relevant content, which can be useful for verifying the source. Another feature that sets Brave Search apart is that the company says the answers generated are based on Brave's independent search index, unlike many competitors that rely on Google's or Bing's search engines.

Brave Search features: Free | Brave's independent search index