Qwant review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Qwant suits readers who want a private search engine with no cost attached, since a free plan is included. It is the fit for people who put no stored search history above open source code, while the typical starting price in the site's private-search field is €6.93.
Key facts
- Best for
- A private search engine with a free account tier, no stored search history, and apps for web, phone and browser extensions.
- Free plan
- Yes↗
- Free plan limits
- Free and unlimited once you create a Qwant account↗
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, Edge extension, Firefox extension, Safari extension↗
- Logging policy
- By default does not store search history or personal data; no advertising trackers or pixels↗
- Jurisdiction
- FR↗
- Open source
- No↗
- Privacy tool type
- Search↗
- Legal entity
- QWANT, SAS (RCS Paris B 532 867 256)↗
- Headquarters
- France↗
- Founded
- 2011↗
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre, Community↗
- Pricing model
- Free
- Official website
- qwant.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 4 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free plan is included, and Free and unlimited once you create a Qwant account.
- Search history and personal data are not stored by default, and no advertising trackers or pixels are run.
- It runs on web, iOS and Android and support covers email, phone and help centre.
Cons
- Open source: no, so the code behind the engine is not published for outside review.
- The unlimited free tier depends on signing up: Free and unlimited once you create a Qwant account.
Who it suits
- Readers who want a search engine that keeps no search history or personal data by default.
- People in the Apple ecosystem, who can pair a Qwant account with Apple Hide My Email for aliasing.
- Anyone who wants one account across web, iOS and Android.
Who should look elsewhere
- EasyOptOuts, for readers whose main task is opting out of data brokers rather than searching; it has no free plan.
- Apple Hide My Email, for email aliases: its aliases are free with an Apple Account, which is a different job from private search.
Core features
The free account is the center of the offer: Free and unlimited once you create a Qwant account. That covers the search itself, with one account working across web, iOS and Android. Coverage is wide for a search engine, spanning phones and the major browsers through extensions, so readers comparing private search options can keep the same account across devices.
The company behind it
The operator is QWANT, SAS (RCS Paris B 532 867 256), based in France and running since 2011. Support covers email, phone and help centre, so a phone line and a help center sit alongside email and the community forum. Readers who weigh jurisdiction can see the entity and its home country named plainly.
How Qwant compares
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Qwant vs Opera9.3 vs 9.2
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Frequently asked questions
Is Qwant really free?+
Yes. A free plan is included and Free and unlimited once you create a Qwant account, so the search stays free once an account exists. The only model listed is free, so there is no paid tier priced against it.
What does Qwant cost, and what happens at renewal?+
Qwant's free plan covers the search, and Free and unlimited once you create a Qwant account. There is no introductory deal to time and no renewal step for a paid plan, since free is the only model listed. For scale, the typical yearly price across tools on the site is €65.76.
Does Qwant store what I search for?+
Its logging policy says search history and personal data are not stored by default, and it runs no advertising trackers or pixels. The privacy type listed is search, so this is a search engine profile rather than a VPN or ad blocker.
Is Qwant open source?+
No. Open source is listed as no, so the code behind the engine is not published for outside review. That is a limit for readers who want to audit a privacy tool, and closed engines are common here, with 52.5% of the private-browser-search tools also closed.
Where can I use Qwant?+
It runs on web, iOS and Android, so you can search in a browser, on a phone, or from a Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari extension. The company is registered in France, so the service is offered from France.
Who can I contact for help?+
Support runs through email, phone and help centre: email, phone, a help center and a community forum. Phone support is the notable part, since the private-browser-search ranking shows phone support in 18.2% of the tools there.
Is Qwant any good for someone who wants email aliases?+
Not for that job. Qwant is a search engine, and its privacy type is search. For aliases, Apple Hide My Email gives free aliases with an Apple Account, though changing the forwarding address needs iCloud+.
Who is behind Qwant?+
The operator is QWANT, SAS (RCS Paris B 532 867 256), based in France and running since 2011. Its jurisdiction is listed as FR, so anyone who needs to know which legal system applies can find it in one line.
Sources
- about.qwant.com/en checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan limits, Logging policy, Platforms, Privacy tool type
“It's free and unlimited as soon as you create a Qwant account!”
- about.qwant.com/en/legal/mentions-legales checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Support channels
“Company name of publisher: QWANT ... Societe par actions simplifiee ... RCS: Paris n B 532 867 256”
- about.qwant.com/en/legal/qwant-search checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan, Jurisdiction, Pricing model
“QWANT's main activity is to provide a free-to-use, dynamic, updated search engine”
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qwant checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Open source
“Qwant was created on May 25, 2011 in Nice”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Price from.
Related by the facts
Qwant
A private search engine with a free account tier, no stored search history, and apps for web, phone and browser extensions.