Customize Search Engine vs AI Off
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Customize Search Engine
This Safari extension allows you to customize your search engine experience. You can set preferred search engines, hide AI overviews, and change language settings. It also offers quick search shortcuts for specific sites and emoji searches.
- Customize default search engine
- Use preferred search engines
- Hide AI Overviews
- Quick search shortcuts
- Emoji search on Emojipedia
- Switch search engines by shortcuts
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Safari Extension to customize your search engine. This extension allows you to use your preferred search engines, such as non-default search engines or AI assistants. You can also use it to change search engine settings, for example, by hiding AI Overviews or changing language settings. ### Features ### --- Customize your Search Engine Change Safari's default search engine. --- CSE for Private Browse Switch search engines in Private Browse. --- Quick Search Enter the keyword to switch search engines. Example: - Search "br something" to search in Brave Search - Search "wiki Safari" to find Safari on Wikipedia - Search "yt Me at the zoo" to find the oldest videos on YouTube - Search "wbm example.com" to see past versions of the website --- Emoji Search If you enter only one emoji, you can search it on Emojipedia.org. --- Switch Search Engines by Shortcuts and Focus You can use a different custom search engine or disable CSE while at work, school, etc.
AI Off
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AI Off is a Safari extension that hides AI features added to the websites you use. Keep the page. Put the prompts, sidebars, and summaries out of the way. It is free. There is no account and no trial timer. Choose from four levels: 1. Hide AI features. Remove supported AI answers in search, writing prompts, sidebars, and other AI controls inside web pages. 2. Quiet the AI conversation. Also collapse posts, headlines, videos, and ads that match the AI word list into a gray bar. Tap Show to read one. 3. Hide AI-made content. Also hide images that declare AI generation, known AI content farms, and posts the platform labels as AI-made. This uses labels and lists. It cannot identify every piece of AI content. 4. Blackout. Also block listed AI services in Safari, including chatbots and generators. Choose this level deliberately. Levels 1 to 3 leave chatbots alone. Every decision comes from a readable rule, word list, selector, domain list, or label. AI Off contains no AI. It does not detect, judge, or learn. Pause on a site, pause for 15 minutes, or flip the switch back. There is no telemetry and no data collection. Signed rules update without an app update. Level 3 may also fetch lists and image files to read labels. Every request is listed on the privacy page. To turn it on: open Settings, Apps, Safari, Extensions, AI Off, and allow it. Safari asks which websites AI Off may work on; it can only hide AI on sites you allow. AI Off works inside Safari. It does not change other apps or the AI features built into the device. Rules can miss targets. Pause AI Off on a site if a page looks wrong. The code and rules are open source under the MIT license.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Customize Search Engine at 4 against AI Off's 2. On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Customize Search Engine | AI Off |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (69 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 69 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cizzuk Shihu | Joseph Newfield |
Bugs and requests
Customize Search Engine
Reported bugs
8 issues- 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
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- Block page sometimes stuck or slow
- Doesn't work on iOS
- Doesn't work at all
Requested features
4 requests- Add Ecosia as an option
- Support full-width space in quick search
- Sync settings between devices
- Improve redirect screen simplicity
AI Off
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Customize Search Engine
No in-app purchases
AI Off
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Customize Search Engine free?
Is AI Off free?
Do Customize Search Engine or AI Off have ads?
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