Comparison

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai vs SBrowser

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai

This app offers a private search engine and browser that blocks trackers and cookies by default. It includes AI chat features and optional tools like a VPN and email protection to safeguard your online activity and personal information.

Highlights
  • Private search engine
  • Tracker and cookie blocking
  • Private AI chat
  • Optional VPN
  • Email protection
  • Encryption enforcement
  • Fingerprinting escape
Features
Read full description

At DuckDuckGo, we believe the best way to protect your personal information from hackers, scammers, and privacy-invasive companies is to stop it from being collected at all. That's why millions of people choose DuckDuckGo over Chrome and other browsers to search and browse online. Our built-in search engine is like Google but never tracks your searches. Our browser blocks YouTube ads, invasive web ads, and cookie pop-ups, reducing distractions and helping to stop other companies from collecting your data. While our optional integrated AI features, Search Assist and Duck.ai, are private and never use your data to train AI. Oh, and our browser is free. We make money from privacy-respecting search ads, not by exploiting your data. Take back control of your personal information with the browser designed for data protection, not data collection. FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS Protect Your Searches by Default: DuckDuckGo Search comes built-in, so you can easily search online without being tracked.  Shield Your Browsing History: Our 3rd-Party Tracker Loading Protection blocks most trackers before they load, greatly exceeding what most popular browsers offer by default.  Chat Privately With AI: Duck.ai lets you have private conversations with 3rd-party AI models, anonymized by us and never used to train AI. Secure Your Email (Optional): Use Email Protection to block most email trackers and hide your existing email address with @duck.com addresses.   Block Ads: Our browser blocks YouTube Ads, and stops invasive trackers from loading on sites, effectively eliminating targeted ads. Automatically Enforce Encryption: Shield your data from network and Wi-Fi snoopers by forcing many sites to use an HTTPS connection.  Escape Fingerprinting: Make it harder for companies to create a unique identifier for you by blocking attempts to combine info about your browser and device.  Sync and Back Up Securely (Optional): Sync encrypted bookmarks and passwords across your devices. Clear your tabs and browsing data in a flash with the Fire Button. Banish cookie pop-ups and automatically set your preferences to minimize cookies and maximize privacy. And many more protections not available on most browsers, even in private browsing mode, including protection from link tracking, Global Privacy Control (GPC), and more. DUCKDUCKGO SUBSCRIPTION Subscribers get • Our VPN: Secure your connection on up to 5 devices.     • Access to advanced AI Models in Duck.ai: Chat privately with AI models built for complex tasks. • Personal Information Removal: Find and remove personal info from sites that store and sell it.   • Identity Theft Restoration: If your identity is stolen, we’ll help restore it.   DuckDuckGo Subscription Pricing & Terms   Payment will be charged automatically to your Apple Account until you cancel, which you can do in app settings. You have the option to provide an email address to activate your subscription on other devices, and we will only use that email address to verify your subscription. For terms of service and privacy policy, visit https://duckduckgo.com/pro/privacy-terms Read more about our free Tracking Protections at https://help.duckduckgo.com/privacy/web-tracking-protections Privacy Policy: https://duckduckgo.com/privacy/  Terms of Service: https://duckduckgo.com/terms Note about 3rd-Party Tracker Protection and Search Ads: while there are some limitations following search ad clicks, viewing ads on DuckDuckGo search is anonymous. Learn more here https://help.duckduckgo.com/privacy/web-tracking-protections Privacy. Simplified. ™

About

SBrowser

Browse the internet privately and securely with an ad-free experience. This app reduces data usage, extends battery life, and protects your privacy with advanced measures. Enjoy a customizable start page and secure browsing history.

Highlights
  • Night mode for websites
  • Adblock smart filters
  • Reduced data usage
  • Tracking protection
  • Secure browsing history
  • Customizable search engines
Read full description

Enjoy fast and secure internet surfing without distractions with Secure Browser. FEATURING: - Night mode for websites that matches system preference - Adblock smart filters remove popups, banners and ad pre-rolls on websites - Greatly reduced data usage (which leads to extended battery life) - Tracking protection and modern privacy measures - Start page with your favourite bookmarks - Secure browsing history with in-app lock screen - Customisable search engines - Tabs and many more! App requires zero configuration, everything just works.

Screenshots

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai4 screens
SBrowser2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SBrowser at none against DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai's 7. DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SBrowser asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai has 2.4M ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai's written reviews are positive against 53% of SBrowser's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai ships an update weekly, SBrowser every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai versus SBrowser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuckDuckGo, optional Duck.aiSBrowser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.4M ratings) — better4.5 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews65.5% of reviews — better52.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4M — better1.2K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#14 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size240 MB13 MB
Age rating+1717+
DeveloperDuckDuckGo, Inc.MITONOPTIMAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED

Customer experience

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai

All ratings2,399,972 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews3,315 reviews
Positive65.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative26.6%

SBrowser

All ratings1,166 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral3.9%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive52.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative45.2%

User reviews

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai

From 2.4M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 🔒 Excellent privacy protection
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
  • 🔥 Effective ad and tracker blocking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
  • 🔍 Slower page load times compared to other browsers
  • 🔍 Inconsistent search quality compared to Google

SBrowser

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 🔒 Decent privacy features
  • 👍 Great for music and offline listening
  • 👍 Clean and user-friendly interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
  • 🔥 Lost downloaded files and data
  • 🚫 Removal of key features like downloads
  • ⚠️ Unreliable search engine and YouTube integration

Bugs and requests

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inability to set DuckDuckGo as default browser on iOS
  • Refresh button hidden in menu instead of standalone

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for voice search
  • Improve tab management and history navigation
  • Introduce customizable font and theme options

SBrowser

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Documents and downloads disappearing after updates
  • YouTube video downloads not working
  • Search engine not functioning as expected
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add download option for videos and songs
  • Implement playlist and favorites management
  • Provide HD download quality options
  • Add support for iPad and tablet devices

In-app purchases

7 purchases

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai

Subscriptions7
  • DuckDuckGo (Plus, Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • DuckDuckGo monthly$9.991 Month
  • DuckDuckGo (Pro, Monthly)$19.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • DuckDuckGo (Pro, Monthly)7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • DuckDuckGo (Plus, Yearly)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • DuckDuckGo annual$99.991 Year
  • DuckDuckGo (Pro, Yearly)7 Days trial$199.991 Year
None

SBrowser

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai free?
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SBrowser free?
SBrowser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai or SBrowser?
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai is rated higher. DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.4M ratings, while SBrowser averages 4.5 from 1.2K ratings.
Do DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai or SBrowser have ads?
SBrowser shows ads; DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai does not.
Which is updated more often, DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai or SBrowser?
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai ships an update weekly, and SBrowser every 2 months. Most recently, DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai was updated on September 25, 2026 and SBrowser on September 24, 2026.

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