# Swisscows Private Search vs Customize Search Engine

The clearest difference is monetization model: Customize Search Engine at free against Swisscows Private Search's free with in-app purchases. Customize Search Engine also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (77% vs 59%). Swisscows Private Search's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (844 vs 68). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Swisscows Private Search sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Customize Search Engine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Swisscows Private Search holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swisscows Private Search has 844 ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Swisscows Private Search's written reviews are positive against 77% of Customize Search Engine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Swisscows Private Search ships an update every 5 weeks, Customize Search Engine every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swisscows Private Search | Customize Search Engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (844 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swisscows-private-search/id1581108092/reviews)** | [4.4 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/customize-search-engine/id6445840140/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **844** | 68 |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | **77.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 41 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Swisscows AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1013972705) | [Cizzuk Shihu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674098361) |

## What reviewers say

### Swisscows Private Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swisscows-private-search/id1581108092)

This app provides a private and secure search engine that does not save user data or create personal profiles. It offers an anonymous browsing experience with its own servers located in a secure data center. Enjoy an innovative, intelligent search with a semantic map for faster results.

**Highlights:** Data-safe search engine, No user data saving, 100% anonymous searches, Own secure servers, Semantic map for interactive search, Intelligent search results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Swisscows Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Swisscows Premium Annual | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable
- 🔒 Respects user privacy
- 👍 Family-friendly content
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 🤩 Great alternative to big tech search engines

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited search functionality compared to other engines
- 🔌 Ads and videos can be disruptive
- 🚫 Censorship concerns for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Screen going blank after searches
- Inability to open certain websites
- Inconsistent search results
- Cryptic error messages

**Requested features**

- Add bookmarking functionality
- Improve multi-tab and multi-window support
- Expand search capabilities and indexing
- Provide more customization options


### Customize Search Engine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/customize-search-engine/id6445840140)

This Safari extension lets you customize your default search engine and settings. Easily switch between preferred search engines, including AI assistants, and modify options like hiding AI Overviews or changing language. It offers quick search shortcuts and emoji search functionality.

**Highlights:** Customize default search engine, Use custom search engines in Private Browse, Quick search with keywords, Emoji search on Emojipedia, Switch search engines by shortcuts

**Features:** Safari Extension

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change App icon | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Blocks Google AI overviews
- 👍 Enables custom search engines
- 👍 Works on iPhone, Mac, iPad
- 👍 Seamless integration with Safari
- 👍 Free and no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🐛 Setup can be difficult
- 🐛 Causes rapid redirects/CAPTCHAs
- 🐛 Redirect screen displayed
- 🐛 App crashes on export

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during export settings
- Inconsistent search results
- Safari freezes when using Brave Search
- Unremovable 'Open in the Google app' banner
- Rapid redirecting causing CAPTCHA issues

**Requested features**

- Add Ecosia as an option
- Support full-width space in quick search
- Sync settings between devices
- Improve redirect screen simplicity


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swisscows Private Search free?

Swisscows Private Search is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Customize Search Engine free?

Customize Search Engine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Swisscows Private Search or Customize Search Engine?

Swisscows Private Search is rated higher. Swisscows Private Search averages 4.7 out of 5 from 844 ratings, while Customize Search Engine averages 4.4 from 68 ratings.

### Do Swisscows Private Search or Customize Search Engine have ads?

Neither Swisscows Private Search nor Customize Search Engine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Swisscows Private Search or Customize Search Engine?

Swisscows Private Search ships an update every 5 weeks, and Customize Search Engine every 10 days. Most recently, Swisscows Private Search was updated on October 30, 2026 and Customize Search Engine on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*