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Captain Dave's Search Engine List
Everyone .net
Fat Head
ZD Net
Top 50
OpenHere
GoTo
AskJeeves
Lycos
AltaVista
Search123
FindWhat
All the Web
Deja -
Google
HotBot
Infoseek
Netscape
Northern Light
Yahoo
DMOZ
AOL
Hit Box
Excite!
WebCrawler
Web Search
The Front
Page
- Hot List
-
- TOP recommended
search tools
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- Multi and Meta Search Engines
- Dataware
- A set of meta search engines that provides
user options to customize results and groups findings by topic. Includes
meta search options for general
searches, financial
searches, health/
medical and federal
government searches. Using the general use metasearch engine with its
clean layout, we found this metasearch engine easy to use, providing
highly relevant listings from the ten search engines it covers and it
organizes the findings into logical groupings. One of most useful
metasearch tools currently available. Worth a try!
Ixquick IQ
140
- This meta search engine is fast,
comprehensive and ranks findings by relevance! Searches 14 engines.
Results ranked by relevancy and includes information about which search
engine it came from. Currently one of the few meta search tools that
supports regular searches, natural language searches, and advanced boolean
searches, and knows which engines can handle which types of searches. If a
page is listed in more than one search engine, Ixquick tells you which
engines and how it was ranked. Does include some redundant listings but
overall one of the best metasearch engines. Currently the default search
engine on our browser.
- Metor
- Fast and comprehensive metasearch engine.
Metor with its easy to navigate clean layout searches the top ten search
engine databases, eliminates redundant listings providing highly relevant
listings and live listings. In addition to its general metasearch function
Metor has 24 topic specific metasearch channels. While limited in scope,
these channels may be just the place to start a topic specific search.
This metasearch engine's performance stands out above the crowd of
look-a-like metasearch engines. Worth a try!
- C4
- C4 is the improved version of the already
excellent meta search engine cyber 411. Comprehensive, but occasionally
slow searches of up to 16 search engines with one query. Present results
in groups of ten, with duplicates and irrelevant listings included. C4 is
the new version with additional search features and personalization
features.
- InfoZoid
- Easy to use meta search engine, now if
they'd just get rid of all those annoying flashing banners. Includes the
ability to control searches, and description for listings. Searches 8
engines quickly. Listings are average in relevancy, shown as one long easy
to scroll page. Does include redundant listings.
- Search.com
- CNet's specialty meta search engine.
Unlike other meta search engines, this engine does more than search just
the large databases like Lycos, or Excite. Based on your category
selection it will meta search some of the most prominent specialty
databases in that area. I.e. for Business searches, Bloomberg is one of
the databases searched.
- Specialty meta search engines are a great
idea, of course the results you get will depend on the quality, range and
scope of the databases searched. In the case of search.com these are all
top notch. Yet, yet we expected this idea to yield even more targeted and
comprehensive results. Where this engine falls short is that its core meta
search engine is limited compared and suffers in terms of relevance
compared to some of the best meta search engines such as Ixquick.
Where Search excels in the area of specialty meta searching and is
definitely worth a try.
- AskJeeves
- Provides an uncluttered, appealing
interface for the beginning searcher. A good starting point for most
searches, with redundancies eliminated. Urls for Ask Jeeves include:
aj.com, ask.com, askjeeves.com
- Brightgate
- A meta search engine that allows you to
customize the number of listings shown. Fast and comprehensive with
average relevancy for a meta search engine. Provides control over which
engines searched. Results given in one long easy to scroll list with
redundant listings. Unfortunately the home page design is cluttered,
flashing banners next, preselected links, poor quality graphics, etc.
- GoToWorld
- Competent meta search engine.
- Centrapoint
- A good cleanly designed meta search
engine. Now supposedly ranks sites according to their popularity in the
search engines. Could still use improvement in the relevancy of results.
Worth a try. review
updated!
- Karnak Library
- Register to use this meta search tool.
Queries take 8-20 minutes and the results page is emailed to you.
Regularly updates its findings and keeps the information for you at the
site. Findings are comprehensive and ranked by relevancy. In internet time
this is a slooww search tool, but its ability to dig deep over time can't
be beat. For ongoing research projects, this may be the search tool to
try.
- GoToWorld
- Competent meta search engine providing on
target listings with a minimum of redundant pages. Providing online
language translation of web pages.
- Infind
- One of the first well thought out meta
search engines. Organizes results by type of site, commercial,
educational, etc. Has since been surpassed by other meta search engines
like Redesearch in
comprehensiveness.
- IqSeek
Cluttered
homepage design to this meta search engine. Does include ability to
control which of 15 search engines are used, provides results in one
convenient long list, unfortunately with redundancies included.
- Mamma
- Searches over ten engines and directories.
Results presented in groups of 10. No control over the search apparent.
Relevancy is average, and identical listings from redundant sites
included. Partner site SearchBug
uses mama's meta search function with similar results.
- MonsterCrawler
- This metasearch engine searches 4 of the
top search engines plus 4 pay-for-placement engines. Now offers a clean
and simple look and personalization options. Results were average in
relevancy for a metasearch engine.
- RedeSearch
- Fast comprehensive search of ten popular
search engines. Provides one long list of listings, organized by search
engine. Clean easy to use layout. The
new Google of meta search engines. Attempts to find 10-25 listings from
each engine.
- Provides users with control of engines
searched. Still lacking in customization of searches, relevancy of
listings, personalization of home page and comprehensiveness as compared
to some meta search engines that cover 14 search engines. Groups listings
by search engine resulting in redundant listings.
- Sherlockhound
- Searches 9 of the top search engines.
Lists the results by search engine on one long page. Easy to scan results
but could be improved by integrating the results and ranking by relevancy.
A good basic meta search engine. review
updated!
- SkWorm
- Category based directory of search tools.
Click on a category and it gives you a choice of approximately six
appropriate search and specialty search engines.
- SurfWax
- Unique format that you'll love or hate.
Run a search on the 12 search engines and get up to 400 listings back, in
the left column. Click on the green button to get an instant overview of
the listing in the right hand column of your browser. This engine is fast,
comprehensive and provides the all to common redundant listings associated
with most meta search engines. Its worth a try and you may love it
depending on how you like your results dished up. review
updated!
- 2TROM
- This meta search engine has an easy to
read layout with just the right level of information including category
links to news feeds, weather and TV listings. Performance as good as many
meta search engines.
Web
Search Wizard IQ
125
- Helps you pick the best search tool for
the task. Set up as a decision tree spread over a couple of web pages,
just click on the type of information you're after and this tool provides
with a set of recommended search engines best suited to your particular
search task. A great idea, now it just needs to be expanded so its
comprehensive and the decision tree needs to be refined so it works from
one page, instead of multiple pages.
- ZWorks
- This attractive and easy to use meta
search engine is better than average in performance, returning far to many
pages from each individual site resulting in only a few sites being
featured on each results page. Elimination of redundant listings would be
a step in the right direction.
- Baldey
- Meta search engine with competent
performance. Is comprehensive and searches the largest databases but
neglects to sift out similar listings from the same url.
- DataHit
- A fairly clean and easy to use meta search
engine with average comprehensiveness and relevancy. Missing user search
controls. Results layout is awkward and hard to read. Only 20 listings per
page.
- Meta
IQ IQ
120
- Previously SearchEnginesGalore. Search 12
of the top search engines at one time, or individually (automatically
selects 5 to start). Given the range of types of search engines (from
popularity to general use) MetaIQ uses it should provide more relevant
results. Includes a small "subject directory" of of search
engines and selected sites. Does provide the ability to control search
engines searched and results are provided in one long easy to read list.
Now includes "Ask an Expert" for those questions you can't find
an answer to on your own. Uses volunteer "experts" to respond to
questions emailed in for many topic areas. We didn't test this feature but
like the notion of tapping the knowledge of individuals.
- RealLinks
- Multi-engine search. Despite its drab
homepage this is a competent meta search engine providing results of
average relevancy in an easy to read format. Includes information about
which search engine was used to find each listing.
- Searchbug
- A meta search engine using the same
database as Mamma.com
()
with similar results above average
results.
- zInternet
- Powered by Mamma (see review above).
- Findspot
- A directory of search engines and search
engine tools.
- Simpli
- New technology quasi meta search engine.
Starting with a clean homepage design this search engine provides the
ubiquitous query box. After entering your keywords and hitting the return
key this engine does a preliminary sort and comes up with one or more core
categories to search in the scrollable menu below the query box. If the
category is appropriate (e.g. if you enter trimaran, it will suggest
"sailboat"), the next step is to click on the search button for
the actual search.
- We like the effort to narrow the search
via a preliminary search but does it improve the relevancy of the
following search? In our tests we found only average relevancy of
suggested listings. This could be due to the limited number of databases
searched (only 3, DirectHit, Inktomi, Excite) and the lack of any
filtering system to sort the results based on cumulative relevancy.
Another annoying problem was the lack of a search box on the results page.
I.e. you need to hit to return to the home page to start a search. Unlike
some search engines which sit stagnant after their initial development we
have high hopes for Simpli as they continue to work on the quality of this
search tool. (read
their press release)
- Black
Widow IQ
110
- Meta search engine and links to core
categories from the Open
Directory Project. If meta search engines are a good tool and
directories are another than putting the two together should create a
killer search tool. Right? Given the mediocre performance of this meta
search engine, low relevancy of listings, you're better off using a high
quality meta search engine, one that searches the Open Project Directory
such as: ZWorks.
- Dogpile
- One of the first and most commonly used
meta search engines, dogpile searches 3 databases at a time and then asks
if you want to search more. Provides options allowing you to select which
databases to search Results are average in relevancy and is sequential
mode of searching is more cumbersome than many of the newer, more accurate
and comprehensive meta search engines.
- ProFusion
- Searches the most popular search engines.
Graphics and results list are clunky.
- Proteus
- An easy way to access 30 of the most
popular search engines and meta search tools.
- Searchrunner
- This meta search engine is fast, covering
up to ? 20 search engines. To use this search tool first you need to find
the query box on this poorly designed homepage. Once this engine starts,
its a sprinter, returning up to 250 results. Unfortunately it runs in
circles, returning many duplicate listings. Speed and comprehensiveness
are high, if you don't mind wading through 100s of listings unorganized
listings.
- Voyager
- Meta search engine that groups pages by
site. Use the features on the query form to customize your search.
- ZWorks
- This meta search engine is average in
performance, returning far to many pages from each individual site
resulting in only a few sites being featured on each results page.
Elimination of redundant listings would be a step in the right direction.
- AllDeal
- An unimpressive meta search engine.
Findings of average to below average relevancy.
- AskScott
- AskScott queries you as to the type of
search you are making. It uses your answers to lead you through a decision
tree to a search engine best suited to a specific type of query.
Unfortunately it doesn't appear to have been updated recently and depends
on a limited number of engines.
- BetterBrain
- Searches the top 12 search engines and
presents results organized by engine in one long easy to read scrollable
list.
- CurryGuide
- Meta search engine providing the top 3
results from FAST, Altavista and Excite. Does allow searches to be limited
by country.
- FooSearch
- Searches the top five search engines.
Provides the top ten listings from each categorized by engine.
- FreezerSearch
- A meta search engine. Searches up to 10
engines at once, depending on how many you select. Results provided in
hard to read typeface, with no information as to relevance or which search
engine found.
- MetaCrawler IQ
105
- Metacrawler simultaneously searches 12 of
the Internet's leading search engines. Has the option to sort results by
relevance, by source search engine, or by originating site. This popular
search tool suffers from low relevancy of listings and has been left in
the dust by the newer more accurate meta search engines.
- MetaSearch
- Access the top seven search engines.
- PopularSites
- Searches the top six search engines.
Results include many redundant listings.
- SavvySearch
- Searches up to 12 engines including:
Lycos, WebCrawler, Google, All The Web, Thunderstone, Infoseek, Direct
Hit, HotBot, Excite, Galaxy, AltaVista, NationalDirectory and Usenet.
- The
Search Page IQ
105
- 220+ hyperlinks for people who want to
search the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) for something but don't know
where to start.
- www37
- A meta search engine that is supposed to
search up to 37 search engines. Homepage design is cluttered and hard to
use. Ability to control search engines limited and relevancy only average.
Results pages are poorly laid out. In this case, more is not better.
- AlfaSeek
- Multiple query form for meta search and
other search engines. This search tool is based on the idea that if meta
search engines are a good idea, access to more meta search engines is even
better. How do you spell "redundant?" Searching with multiple
meta search engines is generally a waste of time. It makes far more sense
just to pick one of the top ranked meta search engines, and use it.
- AskArchie
- Claims to be a meta search engine, but our
tests found it only searched the Open
Project Directory database.
- Highway 61
- Searches limited to Yahoo, Webcrawler and
Excite. Does provide a quote to read while waiting for search results.
- Langenberg
- Awkward graphic interface and
organization.
- MyGo
- Average performing meta search engine.
Includes far to many redundant listings. Provides links at the bottom of
the page to 19 of the most popular individual search engines.
- One2Seek
- This meta search engine gets points for
its comprehensiveness and its ability to enable users to customize
searches, including a natural language query option and a family filter.
Unfortunately relevancy doesn't appear to play a role in listings
provided. review
updated!
- Search123
- Formerly SearchSpaniel (a mutt), Search123
is now an average performing meta search engine. It covers a limited
number of databases. Unlike most current meta search engines that list all
results together (and indicate which search engine they came from) this
meta search engine just groups them by search engine giving the user the
task of sifting through redundant listings.
- SearchSpot
- Provides access to multiple search engines
and a front door to 4anything.com. Includes a pop up window on the left
side of your browser for selecting which search engines to use.
Unfortunately this was not operative using Netscape or Internet Explorer
browsers operating from a Macintosh computer.
- SmartBorg
- To find the best search engine for the job
enter a word or a phrase and SmartBorg suggests a search engine to use. We
love the idea, now if it just added value to the search process. In our
tests we found its recommendations didn't always jive with what we were
looking for. Overall it directed us to competent search engines but you'd
could do just as well by starting with a good meta search engine or the
appropriate specialty search engine.
- Surfy
- Average performing meta search engine with
cute surfy images next to each listing. Not our first choice of a search
tool but not our last.
- Web-Search
- Average performing meta search engine. You
can select which engines to search. Results grouped by engine and
reflecting the relevancy of the individual engines.
- Worldlight
- An limited meta search engine covering
only 4 search engines (2 of which use the same database). Results are
average in accuracy (7 out of 10 where relevant) and include a high level
of redundancy.
- All4One
- Uses confusing 4 frame layout to present
search results from 4 popular engines.
- 1Blink
- Clumsy meta search engine that only
searches two engines at a time. Searching of additional engines available.
Includes links to the Open Project Directory for limited category
searching. A rewrite of their basic algorthim is needed to search all
search engines at once and provide an integrated results page with sites
ranked by relevance as a growing number of other meta search engines have
done. Not recommended. review
updated!
- CleverSearch
- Poor layout and slow performance are less
than clever. Metasearch results were average in relevancy. We did like the
world news summary at bottom of the page, which is refreshed every 27
seconds.
- Debriefing
- Searches the top 5 most popular search
engines. Very fast, but current page design is almost illegible.
- Digisearch
- This meta search engine has potential but
its unrealized as of yet. Provides the ability to select up to 15 search
engines. Unfortunately results are presented in confusing layout and
include redundant listings. Use of this engine is buggy and regularly it
freezes or dies while posting results pages.
- Findit-Quick
- Worse than average meta search engine with
unappealing graphics, poor relevancy and an emphasis on promoting adult
listings. Not recommended.
- ForkZ
- A version of the Open
Project Directory which provides extremely limited results of poor
relevancy.
- FrameSearch
- You select from scrollable lists the 4
engines to search. It provides the search engines results pages in 4
frames, similar to All4One.
- Freeality IQ
90
- A simple way to search multiple search
engines by category. Not a true meta search engine but provides access to
100s of search sources, many are just commercial sites with limited
listings.
- Gohip
- “A metasearch which returns results from
three (3) pay-per-click engines in sequence (followed by MSN results to
make it look a bit better): Goto, Kanoodle, and Findwhat. Serious web
searchers should be aware that this doesn't offer a fair cross-section of
major search engines and directories“ Reviewed by Andrew Goodman,
Traffick.com new
listing!
- Gogettem
- Not a meta search engine but rather a one
stop for opening search engine windows. Enter your search terms once and
watch up to 18 browser windows open at once. Another way to annoy people
rather than help them.
MatchSite
- Metasearch 9 of the major search engines
at once. Results provided in a scrollable frames wiindow. Listings were
silightly lower than average in relevancy.
- TheInfo
- Allows you to enter your query once to
search many general search engine or similarly for 11 core topic areas.
Each engine's results page returned as a separate browser window. So watch
out! Depending on how many engines you select you your query will open up
to 14 browser windows. Is this helpful? We like the notion of meta
searching specialty topic area search engines at one time.
- While this site provides access to the
search engines, unlike most meta search tools it doesn't consolidate the
information and prioritize it making the search process an excessive data
dump. And instead of loading one results page see how bogged down your
computer gets went it tries to load 4-10 results pages at once with
attendant adds. Not recommended for general use. If you can find your
subject area in the short
list of specialty search engines they are each worth a try, just don't
select more than one or two at a time.
- keyword.com IQ
90
- Use internet keywords to search 6 search
engines. Results provided in one long list with redundant listings.
Keyword registration provided if you provide personal financial
information, etc.
- MaximumEdge
- Metasearch engine that covers 14 search
engine databases, including the largest ones. Unfortunately, results
aren't analyzed for relevancy, and barely are remotely on target. Poorly
designed and confusing layout to homepage doesn’t help.
- MyProwler
- Meta search engine without the advertising
banners. While this is a nice feature this search tool only covers a
limited number of databases and provides less than average relevancy (4
out of 10).
- Pegasoweb
- Meta search engine that allows you to
search by category. Unfortunately this engine is marred by poor relevance
of findings. Not recommended.
- PrimeSearch
- Not really a meta search tool. Just
provides links to the popular search engines.
- Proteus for
Young People
- Access six search engines for youth.
- SmartEngine
- Less than smart, this hard to read
metasearch engine (light blue type is never a winner) provides findings of
lower than average relevancy.