To access the internet you need a browser.

It’s effectively a doorway into the World Wide Web.

You can type an address into your browser and be taken straight to the relevant website. 

Or, as most people do, you simply type in your search and the browser searches the web and presents you with a list of sites which match your search requirements. 

The most common browser and search engine is Google.

It controls most of the search market with an impressive 92.47% share. 

However, it isn’t the only option and plenty of people use other sites, such as DuckDuckGo. 

As you’ll see from the number of DuckDuckGo searches per day, this is an increasingly popular search engine, potentially one for Google to watch in the future. 

Key Statistics

• DuckDuckGo averaged 93.8 million searches per day in June 2022
• In January 2022 DuckDuckGo hit a peak of 106 million searches per day
• In 2020 DuckDuckGo handled 23.65 billion searches
• DuckDuckGo has a 0.63% market share
• It has a 0.88% of the desktop search engine market
• DuckDuckGo has a 0.48% share of the mobile market
• In the US DuckDuckGo has a 2.45% market share
• The DuckDuckGo app has been downloaded over 10 million times
• The DuckDuckGo chrome extension is used by over 5 million people
• The Company is valued at $74.8 million
• There are 124 DuckDuckGo employees

Introducing DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo was started by Gabriel Weinberg in February 2008.

The aim wasn’t to rival Google but to offer a more private approach to browsing. 

Weinberg had seen how much data was collected by Google and other search engines.

The data was sold to third parties as well as being used to improve marketing.

Of course, this increases the risk of personal data falling into the wrong hands and being misused. 

Weinberg made sure that DuckDuckGo offered a private search engine, the ability to block sites from tracking users: both via apps and the browser, and email protection. 

It helps people stay anonymous online and helps to ensure privacy.

It’s this dedication to privacy that separates DuckDuckGo from other browsers. 

At the start, Weinberg financed DuckDuckGo himself.

By 2011 the browser was attracting more interest and in 2009 it gained the backing of Union Square Ventures and several angel investors. 

DuckDuckGo creates a revenue stream via adverts and affiliate programs.

It has proved to be of interest to many people.

In 2012, there were 1.5 million searches per day and that number has grown since. 

Equally, revenue in 2011 was $115,000 and has grown since.

This is one search engine to watch as it is able to break the mold and do things that big search engines, such as Google, would be afraid to do.

In essence, it has the ability to upset Googler’s dominance without even trying. 

Let’s take a look at the number of searches DuckDuckGo performs today and other important facts. 

How Many DuckDuckGo Searches Per Day in 2024?

1. DuckDuckGo Averaged 93.8 Million Searches Per Day In June 2022

The number of searches performed on DuckDuckGo has steadily increased until 2022 when they have seen a decline in searches.

In January 2011 there were 170 thousand daily searches. 

By January 2012, this had increased to 630 thousand, and in January 2013, it surpassed one million, the number of searches totaled 1.64 million.

That was just the start! By January 2014 there were an impressive 4.38 million searches.

This almost doubled to 7.14 million by January 2015.

The rate of growth has continued to be impressive.

January 2016 saw 10.6 million searches, while January 2017 reached 13.47 million. 

The figure has been nearly doubling every year.

In 2018 it was 21.13 million, 2019 saw 34.37 million searches, and 2020 saw an impressive 51.96 million. 

By 2021 the figure had increased again.

In February 2021 there was an average 98.79 million searches performed daily.

And in January 2022 they hit a peak of 106 million searches per day.

However, by June 2022 this had declined to 93.8 million searches per day.

(DuckDuckGo, Search Engine Land)

2. In 2020 DuckDuckGo Handled 23.65 Billion Searches

The latest statistics suggest that Google performs over 1.2 trillion searches across the globe per year.

DuckDuckGo isn’t quite at that level yet. It currently, as of 2020, handles 23.65 billion searches for the year. 

That may sound insignificant compared to Google.

However, DuckDuckGo has seen a dramatic increase in search numbers. 

In fact, it’s estimated that search volume in 2020 was 56.8% higher than in 2019.

2020 was such a good year that DuckDuckGo did 41.26% more searches in the one year than it did between 2010 and 2017 combined!

To help put this in context, in 2010 there were just 16.41 million.

By 2011 it had increased to just under 100 million and in 2013 it finally broke the billion. 

Since then, the growth has been steady.

1.97 billion in 2014 became 3.13 billion in 2015, and 4.09 billion in 2016.

The real increases have been in the last few years. In 2017 it was 5.91 billion and then, in 2018 it jumped to 9.2 billion.

By 2019 it had reached 15.08 billion and then 23.65 billion searches were completed in 2020. 

Who knows how many billions it will be doing in 2025?

(DuckDuckGo)

3. DuckDuckGo Has A 0.63% Market Share

As already established, Google is the dominant force in the search engine market.

In contrast to its 92.47% share, DuckDuckGo has just a 0.63% share of the market. 

However, what is significant is the way that this share has been growing.

It may be a long time before DuckDuckGo can challenge Google’s dominance.

But, its share has been steadily increasing. 

In 2012 DuckDuckGo had a 0.01% share of the market.

This stayed the same in 2013, then started to grow.

By 2015 it was a 0.11% share. In 2018 this had become a 0.29% share.

By 2021, DuckDuckGo had a 0.63% share, more than double what it was in 2018.

It’s predicted to move past 1% of the market by 2024. 

It should be noted that DuckDuckGo isn’t the only search engine challenging Google.

There are several others which could cause disruption for Google in the future. 

The current statistics show that Google is the dominant force, but its market share has dropped by 4% in the last 4-5 years.

The picture in 2030 could be very different. 

(Statcounter)

4. It Has A 0.88% Of The Desktop Search Engine Market

Since 2016 more searches have been conducted via mobile devices than using desktop computers.

It’s simply the way of the future. 

However, that doesn’t mean desktops are no longer used.

Most people who have mobile devices also have a desktop and use it when needed. 

DuckDuckGo’s search engine works as effectively on a desktop as it does on any mobile device.

Part of DuckDuckGo’s market growth is connected to desktop usage. 

In 2012 DuckDuckGo had a 0.01% share of the desktop market share.

At this point, the majority of searches were completed on desktop computers. 

By 2014 the share had increased to 0.05% and in 2015 it hit 0.13%.

In 2016 it was 0.315% and, by 2017, despite the increase in mobile searches, it increased again, to 0.3%.

Usage of DuckDuckGo on desktops has continued to increase.

By 2019 it had secured a 0.5% share of the market, and in 2021 it was recorded as 0.88%.

In short, DuckDuckGo is still seeing rises in desktop market share despite the reduction of searches originating from desktops. 

(Statcounter)

5. DuckDuckGo Has A 0.48% Share Of The Mobile Market

Unsurprisingly, it’s not just the desktop market that has grown.

The same is true of the mobile market. 

However, while DuckDuckGo’s market share has increased, this market has proved harder to crack. 

In 2014 its share of the mobile market was 0.03%.

It grew to 0.06% by 2016, and then to 0.19% by 2018.

In the following three years, the rate more than doubled, taking it to 0.48% by 2021. 

Although this is just over half of the market share compared to DuckDuckGo’s desktop success, it’s still a significant growth which bodes well for the future. 

(Statcounter)

6. In The US DuckDuckGo Has A 2.45% Market Share

DuckDuckGo has proved to be extremely popular in the US.

Its global market share is 0.63% but, in the US, it has a 2.45% share of the market. 

The US is the most targeted country by cybercriminals,; potentially making people more cautious and aware of data threats.

That would make a search engine dedicated to privacy more appealing. 

This percentage means that DuckDuckGo is the fourth most popular search engine in the US, behind Google, Bing, and Yahoo!

It should be noted that while Yahoo is potentially better known, its market share is 2.99%, only a little more than DuckDuckGo. 

What is perhaps most significant is that DuckDuckGo has seen its market share grow by 4.71 times between 2017 to 2021.

That’s taken it from 0.52% in 2017 to 2.45% in 2021. 

That’s a significant improvement from 2012 when it had just a 0.02% share of the market.

It should be noted that, in the US, DuckDuckGo enjoys a 2.41% share of the desktop search engine market and a 2.42% share of the mobile search engine market. 

(Statcounter)

7. The DuckDuckGo App Has Been Downloaded Over 10 Million Times

DuckDuckGo can be downloaded from both the Google Play store and the Apple App store.

It’s compatible with Android systems and iOS.

That’s extremely useful when tackling the US market where iPhones are so popular. 

According to the statistics, in February 2021, DuckDuckGo was downloaded 400,000 times from the Apple App Store. 

Impressively, it was downloaded 800,000 times in the same period from the Google Play store for Android phones.

The total app downloads since DuckDuckGo was launched and the end of 2021 is over 10 million. 

Feedback on both these app stores is frequently used by other potential customers.

DuckDuckGo scores well, averaging 4.85 out of 5 across the two stores.

That’s good enough to convince most people to try it. 

(DuckDuckGo/Sensor Tower)

8. The DuckDuckGo Chrome Extension Is Used By Over 5 Million People

While Google may not like competition, it appreciates this helps to keep the field competitive.

DuckDuckGo can be downloaded as a Google Chrome extension. 

As an extension it will block hidden trackers and can even check the privacy grade of any website, helping to keep your data safe. 

As of the end of 2021, the Chrome Web Store revealed that the DuckDuckGo extension has been downloaded, installed, and used by over 5 million people. 

That’s impressive, especially considering it’s an extension on a rival search engine. 

(Chrome Web Store)

9. The Company Is Valued At $74.8 Million

DuckDuckGo was started using Weinberg’s funds.

Investors didn’t join the scene for a few years.

Of course, the company needs to continually seek out new funds. Its latest round of funding was completed in August 2018 and raised $10 million. 

Before this, the business raised $3 million in 2011.

It’s worth noting that seven investors created the first round of funding, and one additional one created the second round. 

Thanks to the funding and its growing success in the marketplace, the company is currently valued at $74.8 million.

That’s significantly more than the funding acquired. 

Its value has grown tremendously between 2011 and 2018.

In 2011 DuckDuckGo was said to be worth $19.82 million, now it’s over $74 million. 

That certainly bodes well for the future. 

(CB Insights)

10. There Are 124 DuckDuckGo Employees

According to Google, it employs around 160,000 employees.

In contrast, as of March 2021, DuckDuckGo has 124 employees. 

That’s nearly triple what it had in March 2018 when there were just 45 employees.

The number has been steadily growing as DuckDuckGo has become more popular in recent years. 

In March 2019 it was 59, and in March 2020 it reached 83.

Current estimates for 2022 suggest there are 200 employees and it’s likely to have grown significantly more by 2024. 

Interestingly, 71% of DuckDuckGo employees are women and just 29% are men.

Approximately 57% of all its employees are white

(DuckDuckGo)

Summing Up

It’s clear that the number of DuckDuckGo searches per day has grown dramatically since the company’s inception. 

While it still has a minority share of the search market, its percentage is gradually growing and Google’s is shrinking. 

As people become more aware and concerned about privacy online it’s likely that an increasing number will look at what DuckDuckGo has to offer.

This, and the positive reviews from existing customers could lead to a sudden exodus and a dramatic increase in DuckDuckGo’s market share. 

As these statistics show, anything is possible.

Sources