Finding an ethical web browser. Ethical and environmental rankings of 15 web browsers with recommended brands and what to avoid.
In this guide we look at the ethics of Big Tech browser companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple, as well as smaller brands doing things differently in the web browser world, particularly in the area of digital privacy.
Read more →
- You are in:
- Home
- Technology
- How ethical is the search engine Ecosia?
How ethical is the search engine Ecosia?
Share this page:
Known as the ‘search engine that plants trees’, Ecosia has gained popularity among eco-conscious internet users since its launch in 2009.
Here we consider whether Ecosia is a good choice in comparison to industry leaders like Google and we raise questions about its relationship with big tech.
Ecosia, which bills itself as 'the search engine that plants trees'.
The original article was written in 2021. Since then things have changed and we have just published an in-depth guide to search engines and a separate one on web browsers, comparing Ecosia with other brands.
We have edited this article in June 2026 to remove out-dated information and will be updating it shortly.
When you search Ecosia you’re using the indexes created by the Big Tech companies, like Google and Bing, like many search engines do.
Ad revenues
Ecosia’s revenue largely comes from advertisements. The adverts are generated by Bing (Microsoft), and when you click on one Ecosia receives a share of the revenue generated by the click (and the rest of the revenue generated from the click goes to Bing).
The only way that Ecosia raises money is through clicks on advertisements. Therefore if you use the search engine but don’t click on ads, Ecosia won’t make any money and therefore won't be planting any additional trees. It is the ad revenue that enables them to plant trees.
Does Ecosia really plant trees when you search?
Ecosia’s website says “Plant trees while you search the web”.
The total money spent on planting trees is listed every month on its website. Ecosia pays partners across the globe to plant trees and bring forests back to life, through activities like firefighting and regeneration. Partner names are made public, as is the amount of funding sent to them.
It’s estimated to take about 45 searches for Ecosia to generate the revenue for a tree to be planted. As mentioned before though, if you don’t click on ads you’re not making Ecosia money, so you’re not helping to plant trees. (And random ad clicking doesn’t work, according to the Ecosia website!)
How does Ecosia score on our ethical ranking system?
See how Ecosia scores in our new full guide to search engines, along with other brands.
Ecosia is also rated in our web browser guide.
A positive approach to finances
Ecosia is a certified B Corporation, which we believe shows the company has made a commitment to ethical behaviour.
What’s more, Ecosia is a non-profit. Ecosia says that it was built on the premise that profits wouldn’t be taken out of the company. In 2018 this commitment was made legally binding when the company sold a 1% share to The Purpose Foundation, entering into a ‘steward-ownership’ relationship.
The Purpose Foundation's steward-ownership of Ecosia legally binds Ecosia in the following ways:
- Shares can't be sold at a profit or owned by people outside of the company and
- No profits can be taken out of the company.
Ecosia and renewable energy
Ecosia has its own solar energy plant, and its servers use 100% renewable energy. It claims to produce twice as much solar power than is needed to power all Ecosia searches. Excess energy is fed back into the grid, and Ecosia views this as helping the transition to a renewable future.
We ethically screen our advertisers against our ethical ratings criteria before accepting advertising
Is Ecosia more ethical than Google?
In both
Ecosia has a more ethical company ethos because it’s essentially a non-profit, with funds going directly into the battle against climate change.
In contrast, Google fails to score any points in either the search engine or web browsers guides. It has a very poor record for digital privacy and links to military software.
Should consumers switch to Ecosia?
If you're happy to click on adverts, some revenue generated by your clicks will go towards tree planting.
Overall using Ecosia will have more of a positive impact on the planet than clicks on the Google or Microsoft Bing search engines.
Subscribe to Ethical Consumer
All the information and inspiration you need to join thousands of others and revolutionise the way you shop, save and live. Full online access to our unique shopping guides, ethical rankings and company profiles. The essential ethical print magazine.
- 6 issues of Ethical Consumer Magazine in print and/or digital format
- 12 months full access to all Shopping Guides and Company Profiles
- Special discount offers from selected Best Buy companies.
- Digital versions of our entire catalogue of back issues.
Share this page:
We always check the ethics of our advertisers
Also of interest
-
-
Find an ethical search engine that is an alternative to Google. Ethical and environmental rankings of 12 search engines with recommended companies and what to avoid. The guide looks at issues of digital privacy, adverts and algorithms, and how search engine companies make money out of your data.Read more →
-
A growing number of people are not only shifting away from big tech, but also re-thinking their relationship with tech itself. In this article Alyson Tyler explores how to cut down and be more intentional in the use of tech.Read more →
-
Find an ethical and eco-friendly email provider. Ratings for 13 free and paid-for email providers, with Best Buy recommendations. Many people rely on emails for a variety of activities including work, family, leisure and campaigning. But, some of the biggest email providers scan our emails, store our information and even sell our data to third party companies.Read more →
-
Buying refurbished or second hand is a good way to help reduce waste generated by the fast upgrade cycle for new products. There are plenty of refurbished tech products on the market, but identifying a functioning device with a decent battery life, sold through a secure site can seem like a surprising struggle. Here we show you how to navigate the market for second hand and refurbished tech and why it's important to not buy new if you can, to reduce carbon emissions.Read more →
-
AI generated summaries of web search engine results, such as Google’s “AI Overviews”, were rolled out across the world throughout 2024, and are now the norm on most major search engines. But these features have been beset by controversy, with criticism focusing both on the accuracy of the summaries and on the ethical and business implications for online publishers. In this article we explore the problems such as misinformation, and what you can do when searching for information online.Read more →
Free Issue
Sign up now to our email newsletter for a free digital copy of Ethical Consumer magazine.