# Ecosia: Search to plant trees — Plant trees as you browse.

> Search engine that plants trees with ad revenue profits. (iPhone/iPad app by Ecosia GmbH.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecosia-search-to-plant-trees/id670881887 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ecosia GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/670881970)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 9,275 App Store ratings · 1,199 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 323 MB
- Languages: Canadian English, Abkhazian, Afrikaans, Albanian, Angika, Arabic, Aragonese, Armenian, Asturian, Azerbaijani and 84 more
- Released: 2013-08-12
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecosia-search-to-plant-trees/id670881887/reviews.md

## What is Ecosia?

Search the web. Plant trees. Power the planet.

Ecosia is more than just a search engine — it’s a simple way to take climate action every day. Just by browsing the internet, you can help plant trees in biodiversity hotspots, support local communities, and combat climate change.

Search with purpose: Like other search engines, Ecosia earns money from ads. But unlike them, we use 100% of our profits to fund climate action. Over 230 million trees have already been planted across 35+ countries, restoring landscapes and saving wildlife.

Your data stays yours: We only collect what's needed to deliver search results, and your searches are always encrypted. — We want trees, not your data.

Powered by the Sun: Ecosia runs on renewable energy. In fact, our solar plants generate twice the electricity we need to power your searches — pushing out  fossil fuels from the electricity grid.

Climate positive & transparent: As a not-for-profit, steward-owned company, we publish monthly financial reports that show you exactly where your clicks go — toward real, measurable climate impact.

Download Ecosia and join a global community of millions taking meaningful action for the planet, one search at a time.

## Key features

- Plant trees with every search
- Fund climate action
- Support local communities
- Restore landscapes and wildlife
- Private and encrypted searches
- Powered by renewable energy
- Transparent financial reporting

## What do users think of Ecosia?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🌳 Helps plant trees
- 👍 Smooth and fluid browsing experience
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 🔍 Better search results than Google
- 🌍 Eco-friendly alternative to big tech
- 💨 Fast and efficient

**Cons**

- 🐛 Glitchy and freezes frequently
- 🔍 Search results not always relevant
- 🕰️ Slower than other browsers
- 🔍 Missing some advanced search features
- 🌐 Incompatible with certain websites and links

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Tabs and browsing history disappearing
- Captcha issues preventing searches
- Ads causing viruses or malware
- Autocomplete not working as expected

**Most requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Implement password syncing across devices
- Improve image search functionality
- Provide more transparency on tree planting progress
- Add 'find on page' feature

## Recent user reviews (10 of 1,199)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecosia-search-to-plant-trees/id670881887/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Might be broken

*2026-08-18, version 12.4.2*

Great work with the app but every time I try to open a tab it says I’m a robot and I just downloaded the app. Everytime I confirm I’m not it resets and makes me do it again.

### 5/5 — Problems on iPad App

*2026-08-18, version 12.4.2*

The search isn’t working :( and sometimes I can’t save images.

### 1/5 — Silly captcha

*2026-08-18, version 12.4.2*

Every time I try to search something it says “Our system has detected unusual traffic from your network. Please solve the challenge below to show you’re not a robot.” So I click on the cloudflare thingy but it just reloads the page and gives me the same message! 

So disappointing! I was excited to use this browser because of the positive climate impact but I guess it wasn’t meant to be 😭

### 5/5 — Cool but annoying issue

*2026-08-18, version 12.4.2*

As of recently, I can’t search anything because it will always pop up a verification to show you’re not ai, but it doesn’t go through. The only way for me to search is if I use an actual link. Though this is a problem on my ipad, it works perfectly fine on my phone

### 3/5 — No search access

*2026-08-17, version 12.4.2*

Verified I am human, but still won’t search can only access by entering url. Troubleshooting suggestions do not work. Only reporting available seems to reporting a bug that will no be looked at until the next update

### 2/5 — Not so good

*2026-08-17, version 12.4.2*

The app and what it stands for is nice but using it is a pain, it hardly has results for what you want and is very complicated. Google and safari much better.

### 5/5 — Excellent Service

*2026-08-17, version 12.4.2*

I’ve used this browser for at least 5 years. It is up to the standard of the big servers. Heartily recommend.

### 5/5 — RLH

*2026-08-17, version 12.4.2*

Love the idea and support the search engine that is giving back to our beautiful natural world.
Spread the word

### 5/5 — 🫪

*2026-08-17, version 12.4.2*

I shed actual tears using this app 5/5

### 4/5 — Okay App

*2026-08-16, version 12.4.2*

Nothing new snd I do not care about the apps cause.

## Frequently asked questions about Ecosia

### What is Ecosia?

Ecosia is a search engine that uses its advertising profits to fund tree planting projects around the world. It aims to be a simple way for users to take climate action daily by just browsing the internet.

### How does Ecosia plant trees?

Ecosia earns money from ads displayed alongside search results, similar to other search engines. It then dedicates 100% of its profits to funding tree planting initiatives in biodiversity hotspots.

### Is Ecosia free to use?

Yes, Ecosia is a free search engine. It generates revenue through ads, and these profits are then used to fund its environmental mission.

### Is my data safe with Ecosia?

Yes, Ecosia prioritizes user privacy. They only collect the minimum data necessary to deliver search results, and all searches are encrypted. They state they want trees, not your data.

### What is the climate impact of Ecosia?

Ecosia has planted over 230 million trees across more than 35 countries, contributing to landscape restoration and wildlife conservation. The company also runs on renewable energy, generating more electricity than it consumes.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 12.4.3 — 2026-08-21

We fixed some bugs and added some stability improvements.

### 12.4.2 — 2026-08-06

We fixed some bugs and added some stability improvements.

### 12.3.1 — 2026-07-09

We fixed some bugs and added some stability improvements.

### 12.3.0 — 2026-06-18

We fixed some bugs and added some stability improvements.

### 12.2.0 — 2026-06-03

We fixed some bugs and added some stability improvements.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*
