Searching the web can plant trees and help the planet thanks to Ecosia. This unique search engine uses its profits to grow forests globally.
With over 130 million users, Ecosia is making a real impact while providing a privacy-focused alternative to Google.
In this 2023 review, we’ll take an in-depth look at Ecosia to see how it stacks up to other search engines.
So, let’s get started.
How was Ecosia founded?
It was founded in 2009 by Christian Kroll and has planted over 47 million trees so far. Ecosia is based in Berlin, Germany, and has offices all around the world.
Christian Kroll found out how planting new trees could actually neutralize CO2 emissions on a big scale when he was learning about globalization and climate change. For inspiration, Christian looked to nature.
He realized that to help the environment and make it more environmentally friendly he wanted something like a search engine for planting projects which would also finance them with their profits so they don’t rely on donations alone but have sustainable growth plans over time as well. The idea of a tree planting search engine emerged in late 2009 and Ecosia.org was born with its first launch just before Christmas Day.
Features of Ecosia
Since 2017, the search results of the Ecosia search engine had come from Bing. But now, the company’s own algorithms provide even more comprehensive and reliable information to users with an enhanced experience on desktop computers as well as smartphones.
Ecosia is a search engine that is Privacy-friendly and not sold to third-party advertisers. Your searches are encrypted so they cannot be stored permanently or used for targeted advertising online.
The company’s privacy policy is clear about its intentions – they do not use external tracking tools like Google Analytics to create profiles based on your search history, nor do they have the capacity or desire for such a thing.
A recent study showed that their users conduct over 10,000 searches per minute. The Ecosia shows advertisements next to search results, which are paid by partners every time a user clicks on an ad from one of these sponsorships – usually without any warning or consent given in return.
Why does Ecosia plant trees?
Did you know that every day the average person produces 4.3lbs of CO2 emissions? That’s a lot of gas, and it’s contributing to climate change.
But what can one person do about it? Plant a tree. Trees suck up CO2 and release oxygen, so by planting trees we can help mitigate climate change. Ecosia is a social enterprise that is working to plant a billion trees.
They use 80% of their profits to fund tree-planting initiatives all over the world. So why does Ecosia plant trees? Because they are one solution to our climate crisis. You can help too- when you’re done reading this blog post, head over to ecosia.org and start planting trees.
How does Ecosia make money?
Like other popular search engines such as Google and Bing, this search engine earns money from advertisements that appear above or beside each result on the page.
Ecosia’s ads are clearly labeled as Ads and link to websites that pay for each click by users.
The advertisements come from their partner Bing who pays a share of the revenue generated through these adverts in order to promote sustainable growth on their platform while keeping prices low.
Is Ecosia legit?
Ecosia is a website that helps organizations plant trees through their efforts. However, the employees do not perform this task alone. They work with other companies who use environmentally friendly practices and offer support for those initiatives as well!
This search engine has become a certified “B Corporation” which makes it an organization that pursues profits while also working towards better social and environmental approaches. This certification was given by the non-profit B Lab, which works tirelessly to create sustainable alternatives through certifying business practices across all industries.
When a corporation is awarded this certification, it serves as an honor and proof that the company has fulfilled rigorous social requirements through transparency. Awards provide visibility into how well-rounded your business really is. The certification process for Ecosia Search Engine help ensures that the company is committed to providing a high-quality user experience.
Is Ecosia a virus or spam?
Whenever you go to download the Ecosia Extension, it will show up as a “possible virus” or “potentially unwanted program”.
The anti-malware software will only tell you that their program has detected different legitimate files than malware when downloading is complete, so rest assured because it’s all good. So downloading Ecosia is safe for your computer because it does not have any malware.
Pros and Cons of Ecosia Search Engine
Pros
- Ecosia’s mission is to plant one tree for every website visitor and maintain sustainable environmental standards.
- By simply installing the app, you can make a difference in this world and help those less fortunate.
- Its interface is very simple and easy to use.
- You can find their financials in the palm of your hand.
- The company takes a privacy-first approach to data use, never selling or sharing your information with third parties.
- With Ecosia, you can be confident that your searches are always private and secure.
- Ecosia has been quite transparent about the company’s sources of income and how it spends them.
Cons
- Sometimes, when you go to Ecosia for your search query it might not show any results.
- It uses Bing to provide you with the latest and best search results so that your browsing experience is always tailored for what matters most.
- Searching for images on this Search Engine shows only a limited number of results.
Ecosia’s merchandise
Their online store is the perfect place for anyone who wants to buy some eco-friendly clothing.
All of their items are 50% off during Mother Nature’s Day and they don’t charge any extra fees or markups, so all proceeds go towards funding reforestation projects.
Final Thought
After reviewing Ecosia, it’s clear this unique search engine makes an environmental impact while remaining a solid Google alternative. Though search results aren’t yet as comprehensive, Ecosia provides accurate responses for most queries.
The interface is streamlined for efficient searching, and special features like image and map search are handy additions.
Most importantly, Ecosia uses its profits to actively plant millions of trees worldwide. So your web searches fight climate change. With strong privacy protections and a mission that users love, Ecosia earns its place among top eco-friendly search options.
Switching takes just seconds and costs nothing. For those wanting a green search engine that does good, Ecosia plants the seeds of change with each query. While not yet at Google’s level, Ecosia delivers an ethical, nature-loving search solution.
