Nevertheless, Perplexity offers useful search results including a summary that many may find a lot more useful than using a standard search engine, even one that bolts an AI to the top of the search results like Google’s AI Overviews.
4. Phind
https://www.phind.com/search?home=true
Phind is a self-described “answer engine for developers” but it’s also useful as an AI search engine, offering an attractive user interface with search results that are likewise a pleasure to read. It accepts natural language search queries and provides lightning fast comprehensive answers in the form of a summary and links to web sources for the provided information. A drop-down menu allows paid Pro users to select more advanced LLMs like GPT 4o, Claude Sonnet & Opus.
The Phind search results themselves are useful and the websites it links to are authoritative and useful, offering the opportunity at the bottom of the page to ask a follow-up question. But it still hallucinates when I ask it the question: “What is a Google-friendly way to build links to a website?”
It cites a 2010 Google web page as supporting documentation for advice (like commenting on blogs) that doesn’t exist on the cited web page.
Overall, Phind is a useful AI search engine although it’s more heavily text-based than the other search engines on this list, which makes it more of a chore to scroll through large amounts of text.
5. YOU AI Search Engine
https://you.com
YOU is an AI search engine that combines a large language model with up-to-date citations to websites, which makes it more than just a search engine.
You.com calls itself YouChat, a search assistant that’s in the search engine.
Another outstanding feature is that YouChat can respond to the latest news and recent events.
YouChat can write code, summarize complex topics, generate images, write code, and create content (in any language).
You.com now offers four AI Modes which enable better responses to different kinds of search queries.
These are the new AI Modes
Smart Mode
Default version of AI search
Genius Mode
Multistep reasoning, data visualization in charts and file uploads
Research Mode
Offers more citations and links
Create Mode
AI image generation
You is available at You.com, as apps for Android and iPhone and also as a Chrome extension.
You.com SERPs With Links To Websites
You.com offers a summary in response to a search query and contains small links to the sources of information.
Screenshot Of You Search Result
You.com Supported By Ads
You.com distinguishes itself from the other AI search engines on this list by showing advertising.
Screenshot Of You.com Ads
YOU is available in a free and paid versions.
The free version of You offers a limited amount of searches, while the Pro and Team plans offers more searches and costs $15 and $25.
You.com Summary
Like Phind, You.com offers an AI search experience that’s heavily textual and lacks images. Unlike the other search engines on this list, You.com shows advertising. The search results are useful but it also offers ads and other limitations, something the competition is free of.
AI Search Engine Future Is Now
AI Search is increasingly competitive, with startups like Andi Search offering remarkably useful and accurate search results. Open source LLMs play a larger role and create an opportunity for smaller search engines to compete head to head with bigger rivals like Google and Bing.
Give these search engines a try because they offer a search experience of tomorrow today.
More resources:
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Inna Kot