Brave Search

Private search engine with its own index and AI answers that summarise results.

FreeAI Search & Research#10 in Search & Researchby Brave Software

What is Brave Search?

Brave Search is an independent search engine from the makers of the Brave browser. It runs on its own web index, does not profile users and can show AI-written answers with source links above the results. It works in any browser and also offers a search API for developers.

Best for: Anyone who wants a privacy-friendly alternative to mainstream search with AI summaries.

What you can do with Brave Search

Get a quick answer with links to check
Search without being tracked
Use the API to add search to an app

Key features

Independent web index
AI answers with cited sources
No user tracking or profiling
Search API for developers

Brave Search pros and cons

Pros

Free and private
Works in any browser

Cons

Results can differ from what you are used to in bigger engines

Brave Search pricing

Free

Brave Search is free to use. Plans change often, so check the official site for current prices.

How to get started

Open search.brave.com and create a free account.
Try one real task first: get a quick answer with links to check.
Compare the result with Perplexity or NotebookLM, then keep the one that fits how you work.

Compare Brave Search

Side-by-side comparisons of features, pricing, pros and cons.

Brave Search alternatives

Other tools that do a similar job, ranked by our editors.

Perplexity
Free + PaidEditor's pick
An answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.
AI Search & ResearchVisit
NotebookLM
Free + PaidEditor's pick
Upload your sources and ask questions grounded only in them.
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Consensus
Free + Paid
Search what scientific research says about a question.
AI Search & ResearchVisit
Elicit
Free + Paid
An AI research assistant for finding and analysing papers.
AI Search & ResearchVisit
Scite
Free trial
Shows how research papers are cited, including whether later work supports or disputes them.
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Exa
Free + Paid
Search engine and API built for AI apps, returning clean web results and page content.
AI Search & ResearchVisit

Top AI research tools

How Brave Search compares with the best in AI Search & Research.

1. Perplexity
Free + Paid
An answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.
2. NotebookLM
Free + Paid
Upload your sources and ask questions grounded only in them.
3. Consensus
Free + Paid
Search what scientific research says about a question.
4. Elicit
Free + Paid
An AI research assistant for finding and analysing papers.
5. You.com
Free + Paid
An AI search and research assistant with several models to choose from.

See all 16 AI research tools

Brave Search FAQ

What is Brave Search?

Is Brave Search free?

Brave Search is free to use. Check the official site for current limits and prices.

What can you do with Brave Search?

With Brave Search you can get a quick answer with links to check; search without being tracked; use the API to add search to an app.

Who is Brave Search best for?

Anyone who wants a privacy-friendly alternative to mainstream search with AI summaries.

Does Brave Search have an app?

Yes. Besides the web version, Brave Search has apps for iPhone & iPad and Android.

Who makes Brave Search?

Brave Search is made by Brave Software.

What are the best alternatives to Brave Search?

Popular alternatives include Perplexity, NotebookLM, Consensus and Elicit. See the full ranking on our AI Search & Research page.

AltFTool is not affiliated with Brave Search. This summary was written by our editors from the tool's public information. Browse all 451 AI tools