Duck.ai is DuckDuckGo's free, private way to chat with AI models from several companies without an account. It is worth using for questions you do not want stored or tied to you, but it is lighter on features than ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, and its usage limits are not published.
What Duck.ai is
Duck.ai is an AI chat service from DuckDuckGo, the privacy focused search company. Instead of building its own model, it gives you a private front end to models from other companies Duck.ai privacy ↗ Duck.ai models ↗. You can use it at duck.ai in any browser or inside the DuckDuckGo browser, and TechRadar notes that no account is required Duck.ai models ↗ TechRadar ↗.
The free models currently include Anthropic's Claude Haiku, Mistral Small, OpenAI's GPT nano and mini models, and open models such as gpt-oss-120b and Gemma hosted by a company called Tinfoil Duck.ai models ↗. Paid DuckDuckGo subscribers get access to larger models from OpenAI and Anthropic Duck.ai models ↗.
Switching models takes a click on the model name in the chat box Duck.ai models ↗. Hands on testing is in progress; we will update this review with results.
What it does well
Privacy is the whole point, and the promises are strong. DuckDuckGo says Duck.ai does not record or store chats by default, and chats are not used to train models by DuckDuckGo or the model makers Duck.ai privacy ↗. Your IP address and other identifying metadata are removed before a prompt reaches the provider, so providers see the request as coming from DuckDuckGo Duck.ai privacy ↗.
The providers also agree to Zero Data Retention, which means they delete prompts and replies right after answering Duck.ai privacy ↗. Some models hosted by Tinfoil run in a secure hardware environment and are labeled zero provider visibility, meaning the provider cannot see your chats Duck.ai privacy ↗. TechRadar adds that recent chat history is stored on your own device, not on DuckDuckGo's servers TechRadar ↗.
It is quick to start. There is no sign up, and the interface is clean and simple, which TechRadar praised TechRadar ↗. Zapier names Duck.ai its pick for data privacy and highlights that you can switch between models from several companies in one place Zapier ↗.
You get more than one viewpoint for free. Because several model families sit side by side, you can ask the same question to two models and compare answers Duck.ai models ↗. Voice chat launched in February 2026 over an encrypted relay, per TechRadar TechRadar ↗.
Where it falls short
It has fewer features than the big chatbots. Zapier lists its main weakness as lacking advanced features Zapier ↗. There are no projects, connectors to other apps or an API like you get with ChatGPT or Claude, and TechRadar notes there is no API at all TechRadar ↗.
The free models are mid tier. TechRadar describes them that way, and the strongest models are reserved for paying subscribers Duck.ai models ↗ TechRadar ↗.
Limits are vague. DuckDuckGo gives no message counts for any plan, only that Pro has twice the limits of Plus Duck.ai models ↗. TechRadar calls the limits vague TechRadar ↗.
The privacy promises have a few exceptions. DuckDuckGo says OpenAI and Anthropic may hold prompts in short term memory for up to an hour for caching, and Anthropic may keep chats where the law requires or to fight abuse Duck.ai privacy ↗. Uploaded files are scanned for illegal content by a moderation provider Duck.ai privacy ↗. DuckDuckGo also does not filter model replies, so answers may be wrong or offensive Duck.ai models ↗.
There is no AI only plan. Paid tiers bundle a VPN and identity services, so you may pay for things you do not need TechRadar ↗.
Pricing and plans
Duck.ai is free to use with no account. Free use covers text chat, voice chat and image generation within daily limits that DuckDuckGo does not publish DuckDuckGo blog ↗.
The DuckDuckGo Plus subscription costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year DuckDuckGo blog ↗. It adds larger AI models and higher limits, plus a VPN, Personal Information Removal and Identity Theft Restoration DuckDuckGo blog ↗.
The Pro subscription costs $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year DuckDuckGo blog ↗. It includes everything in Plus, twice the Duck.ai usage limits of Plus, access to Anthropic's Opus model and the highest reasoning level on Duck.ai Duck.ai models ↗ DuckDuckGo blog ↗. Subscriptions are offered in the US, Canada, the EU and the UK DuckDuckGo blog ↗. We did not find a free trial for the paid plans.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: people asking sensitive health, legal, money or business questions they do not want stored.
- Good fit: anyone who wants to try several AI models free without making an account.
- Good fit: people who already want a VPN, since Plus bundles one with better AI models.
- Skip it if: you want projects, memory, app connectors or long document work.
- Skip it if: you need known, published usage limits.
- Skip it if: you only want a paid AI plan without a VPN and identity services.
Alternatives worth a look
- ChatGPT: the widest set of free features, including uploads, image creation and voice, though the free plan may show ads ChatGPT pricing ↗.
- Google Gemini: a capable free assistant with image tools, best if you use Gmail and Google Drive Google AI plans ↗.
- Claude: free plan with projects, memory and connectors, strong for writing; training is opt out Claude pricing ↗.
Where it appears
Best for privacyThe Best Free AI ChatbotWhat’s good
- Strong privacy promises
- Several models
- Free
What to know
- Fewer features than big chatbots
- Limits not published
Key features
- Chats not recorded or stored, per DuckDuckGo
- Chats not used for model training
- IP address and metadata removed before prompts go to providers
- Models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta Llama 3.3 and Mixtral
Questions people ask
Is Duck.ai free?
Yes. Duck.ai is free with no account, within daily limits that are not published. Paid DuckDuckGo plans add larger models and higher limits DuckDuckGo blog ↗.
Is Duck.ai private?
DuckDuckGo says chats are not stored by default, are not used for training, and have your IP address removed before they reach the model provider Duck.ai privacy ↗.
Which AI models does Duck.ai use?
Free models include Claude Haiku, Mistral Small, GPT nano and mini models, gpt-oss-120b and Gemma. Plus and Pro add larger OpenAI and Anthropic models Duck.ai models ↗.
How much does DuckDuckGo's paid plan cost?
Plus is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, and Pro is $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year DuckDuckGo blog ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
01