DuckDuckGo vs Cursor
Based on our analysis, DuckDuckGo is the more privacy-respecting choice overall.
BACK →| Category | DuckDuckGo | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | B+ · 84/100 | C+ · 58/100 |
| What they collect | Positive (91) | Concern (45) |
| Who they share it with | Positive (80) | Mixed (52) |
| What you can do | Positive (85) | Mixed (62) |
| What they promise | Positive (78) | Positive (72) |
DuckDuckGo genuinely doesn't build a profile of your searches or browsing — the policy is short because the collection is genuinely minimal — but it's a US company, ad clicks are routed through Microsoft's network, and optional features like Email Protection require you to hand over personal data under a separate policy.
View full analysis →Cursor collects account data (name, email, payment), device and usage data, and — critically — "Inputs" (code snippets, prompts) and "Suggestions" (AI responses). In Privacy Mode ON, code and prompts are processed in memory only and never persisted; they have zero data retention agreements with OpenAI and Anthropic. In Privacy Mode OFF (default on Free/Pro), this data is stored and may be used to evaluate and improve AI. Cursor does not sell your data or use it for targeted advertising. Business plans default to Privacy Mode on.
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