# Ecosia review

Free, privacy-respecting search engine and Chromium browser from Berlin that funds tree planting and climate projects with ad revenue.

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 15, 2026.

> **Ecosia** is a search engine that donates the bulk of its advertising profit to tree-planting and climate projects instead of paying it out to shareholders. Search results and ads are delivered through a revenue-sharing partnership with Bing and Microsoft Advertising, and Ecosia reports its financial results publicly rather than treating them as a trade secret.

Founded in Berlin in 2009, Ecosia restructured in 2018 so that its founders surrendered profit-taking rights to the nonprofit Purpose Foundation, meaning the company cannot be sold for shareholder profit even though it remains a for-profit GmbH. Beyond the core search engine, Ecosia ships browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, a standalone Chromium-based desktop browser launched in April 2024, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The product is entirely free with no subscription tier; Ecosia's business model depends on high-intent search-ad clicks rather than user payments or data resale.

## Facts

- Website: https://ecosia.org
- Pricing: Free
- License: Free
- Platforms: web, windows, macos, ios, android
- Best for: privacy-conscious users who want a default search engine that funds reforestation instead of paying for search
- Standout feature: Search-ad profits fund tree planting and climate projects directly, with Ecosia reporting over 230 million trees funded as of 2025 and publishing its financial results.
- Biggest weakness: Search results are delivered through a Bing/Microsoft Advertising partnership rather than an independent index, so result quality and coverage track Bing's rather than a purpose-built search index, and Ecosia does not publish a per-query breakdown of how much of any given search funds tree planting.
- Categories: [Search Engines](https://findalternative.to/categories/search-engines)

## Pricing snapshot

| Plan | Price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ecosia | $0/mo | Free search engine, browser extension, desktop browser, and mobile apps; funded through a Bing/Microsoft Advertising revenue-sharing agreement, not user payments. |

## Pros and cons

- Pro: Entirely free with no subscription tier or paywalled features.
- Pro: Ad revenue funds tree planting and climate projects rather than shareholder payouts.
- Pro: Available as a website, browser extensions, a standalone Chromium browser, and iOS/Android apps.
- Pro: Publishes its financial results and tree-planting counts publicly rather than keeping them private.
- Con: Search results are sourced through a revenue-sharing partnership with Bing rather than an independent index.
- Con: No enterprise or advanced privacy tier; the product is a single free offering for all users.
- Con: The standalone Ecosia browser is a newer 2024 product with a smaller feature set than established browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
- Con: As a for-profit GmbH, Ecosia's tree-planting funding depends on continued ad revenue, which fluctuates with search ad market conditions.

## AI summary

- Ecosia is free with no paid tier.
- Ecosia was founded in Berlin in 2009.
- Ecosia funds tree planting through a Bing/Microsoft Advertising revenue-sharing partnership.
- Ecosia reports funding over 230 million trees planted as of 2025.
- Best for: users who want a free default search engine that funds reforestation with ad revenue
- Pricing: Free, with no paid tier; funded by a Bing/Microsoft Advertising revenue-sharing partnership.
- Top alternatives: Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search
- Limitation: Search results are delivered via a Bing partnership rather than an independent index.
- Limitation: No per-query breakdown of tree-planting funding.
- Limitation: Standalone Ecosia browser (2024) has a smaller feature set than established browsers.

## Alternatives

6 vetted alternatives to Ecosia: https://findalternative.to/ecosia — top picks: Google Meet, Bing, DuckDuckGo

## Comparisons

- https://findalternative.to/compare/ecosia-vs-google-search

---

Markdown mirror of https://findalternative.to/ecosia/about — findalternative.to, honestly ranked software alternatives. AI info: https://findalternative.to/ai