Comparison

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai vs Desktop Browser

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

Desktop Browser

Access full desktop versions of websites on your mobile device, overcoming content limitations and enhancing productivity. Enjoy a customizable browsing experience with tabbed browsing and bookmarks, seamlessly integrated with other apps.

Highlights
  • View desktop website versions
  • Tabbed browsing
  • Bookmarks
  • Customizable settings
  • Seamless app integration
  • Enhanced productivity
Features
Read full description

Desktop Browser displays the mobile or the desktop version of a website. In their mobile version some websites hide content, display different content or event present a payable content to the user. Desktop Browser let you surf the web the way you want. Desktop Experience on Mobile: With Desktop Browser, say goodbye to limitations. Enjoy the full desktop browsing experience on your iPhone, complete with tabbed browsing and bookmarks. Whether you're researching, shopping, or simply browsing the web, you'll have all the features you need at your fingertips. Enhanced Productivity: Boost your productivity with the ability to access desktop versions of websites on your iPhone. No more struggling with mobile-optimized layouts that lack functionality. With Desktop Browser, you can work more efficiently, seamlessly switching between tabs and accessing all the tools and features you need to get things done. Customization Options: Tailor your browsing experience to suit your preferences. Desktop Browser offers customizable settings, allowing you to adjust everything from font sizes to default search engines. Make your browsing experience truly your own with personalized options that enhance usability and convenience. Seamless Integration: Desktop Browser seamlessly integrates with other apps and services on your iPhone. Whether you're sharing links with friends, saving articles for later, or accessing web-based resources within other apps, Desktop Browser ensures a smooth and cohesive user experience. Continuous Updates and Support: Rest assured that you're always getting the best experience possible. Desktop Browser is regularly updated with new features, performance enhancements, and security patches to ensure optimal performance. Plus, our dedicated support team is always available to assist you with any questions or issues you may encounter. Experience the future of mobile browsing with Desktop Browser. Download the app today and unlock a world of possibilities right from your iPhone. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai4 screens
Desktop Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai at none against Desktop Browser's shown. DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (2.4M vs 16K). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Desktop Browser sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai has 2.4M ratings behind it against 16K, 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 52% of Desktop Browser's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai ships an update weekly, Desktop Browser fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai versus Desktop Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuckDuckGo, optional Duck.aiDesktop Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.4M ratings) — better4.4 (16K ratings)
Positive reviews64.8% of reviews — better52.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4M — better16K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size263 MB18 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDuckDuckGo, Inc.Spicy Apps

Customer experience

DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai

All ratings2,414,882 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews3,531 reviews
Positive64.8%
Neutral8.1%
Negative27.1%

Desktop Browser

All ratings16,020 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative11.2%
Written reviews667 reviews
Positive52.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative44.4%

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

Desktop Browser

From 16K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Useful for desktop browsing on mobile
  • 🚀 Reliable in forcing desktop mode
  • 💡 Helpful for accessing desktop-only features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance on some websites
  • 💸 Aggressive monetization with ads and in-app purchases
  • 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many toolbars

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

Desktop Browser

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to upload images
  • Reloads pages unexpectedly when interacting with text fields
  • Fails to properly display desktop versions of certain websites

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add PDF export/download functionality
  • Improve tab management and background browsing
  • Provide more customization options

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
6 purchases

Desktop Browser

Subscriptions3
  • weekly3 Days trial$1.497 Days
  • monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • yearly3 Days trial$7.491 Year
One-time3
  • remove ads$1.99
  • browse plus$1.99
  • all features pack$2.99

Questions

Is DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai free?
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Desktop Browser free?
Desktop Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai or Desktop Browser?
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai is rated higher. DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.4M ratings, while Desktop Browser averages 4.4 from 16K ratings.
Do DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai or Desktop Browser have ads?
Desktop Browser shows ads; DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai does not.
Which is updated more often, DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai or Desktop Browser?
DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai ships an update weekly, and Desktop Browser fortnightly. Most recently, DuckDuckGo, optional Duck.ai was updated on November 1, 2026 and Desktop Browser on November 1, 2026.

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