ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini (among others) have successfully made AI chatbots mainstream, serving as viable alternatives to traditional search engines. In turn, traditional search engines are continuing to introduce convenient, time-saving AI features. We've been testing AI services since the beginning, so you can trust that the AI search engines we highlight here are actually worth using. Google's AI Mode and Perplexity are currently our favorite ways to search the web with AI, thanks to their ease of use and excellent response quality, but you should still check out all our top picks below, followed by everything you need to know about the rapidly shifting world of AI search engines.

What Is an AI Search Engine?

The distinction between AI chatbots, AI search engines, and traditional search engines is nebulous. However, in the context of this list, we seek search engines with substantial AI functionality, as opposed to AI chatbots that primarily focus on areas other than search. That said, you can search the web with AI chatbots, too.

How Do AI Search Engines Work?

AI search engines rely on large language models (LLMs). Think of these as complex equations that you can plug questions into and get responses from. With an AI search engine, the underlying LLM searches the internet to find information relevant to your prompt and then condenses it into a concrete answer. So, instead of Googling "Is raw chicken safe to cook after three days in the fridge?" and clicking through to an article you have to read to find the answer, you can prompt an AI search engine with the same question and get an answer that sources that same article. (The answer is probably not.)

Are AI Search Engines Better Than Traditional Search Engines?

Depending on the prompt, an AI search engine might work better for you, but not always. In many ways, AI search engines work with the same fundamental information as traditional search engines: AI search engines just leverage an LLM to do the traditional searching for you and provide answers directly. So, don't expect an AI search engine to give you answers that a traditional one can't find.

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Is Google an AI Search Engine?

If you go to Google and search for something, you're using Google's traditional search engine. However, Google puts AI Overviews at the top of results pages. Google calls its AI Overviews "snapshot[s] of key information about a topic or question with links so you can easily explore more on the web" and not necessarily answers to questions. On the other hand, if you click through to the AI Mode tab within Google Search, that's Google's full-featured AI search engine. AI Mode lets you prompt a LLM (Google's Gemini in this case) for answers.

Is Deep Research AI Search?

Deep research is usually a feature of AI chatbots, but it's a type of AI search. Whereas an AI search engine might take a few seconds to answer a question in a paragraph or two and cite a couple of sources, a deep research feature can take upwards of 10 minutes to generate a report spanning dozens of pages and citing over fifty sources. Put simply, deep research is a more detailed and in-depth version of AI search.

Are AI Search Engines Free?

In most cases, AI search engines are free. However, some AI search engines have premium plans. Our favorite free AI search engine is Komi, thanks to its straightforward design and reliable results. Our favorite overall favorite AI search engine, Google's AI Mode, is also free to use, albeit with some limits. In general, most people won't need to pay for a premium AI search engine.