Ecosia Reviews
Ecosia is a company who states that their aim is to take the basic function of web browsing and turn it into a way to plant trees while users search the web.
How Does Ecosia Work?
Their website says that the way their web browser extension works is very simple. You download their browser extension, use it to search the web, and the ads that are generated while you search will pay for this company to plant trees in different areas around the world.
Ecosia.org says that they choose to plant trees for so many reasons. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, so they help fight climate change, and they protect the soil from erosion while helping keep the land fertile.
They also clean the air by absorbing pollutant gases and filtering out particulates, and forests regulate water cycles and help food and ecosystem diversity.
Their website says that the funds generated by Ecosia has helped them to plant an average of one tree every 30 seconds. When you perform your Ecosia search they will display a personalized tree counter for you, which will help you understand how many trees you have already helped to plant.
This counter does not intend to show you how many trees you have personally planted all on your own, but rather how many trees that you have financially contributed toward planting.
Cost/Price Plans
As an optional browser extension, this company does not charge their customers any fees to download their product or to use it when they are performing searches.
Instead, the charitable fees paid to this company all come from the advertisements that you will be exposed to on this search platform, as opposed to traditional search engines who are described as keeping advertising profits for themselves.
See Also: Is Corporate Philanthropy Real or Are "Socially Conscious" Companies a Scam?
Refund Policy
Because this company does not charge their customers any money to download their browser extension nor do they charge any fees to perform searches with their extension, so they do not offer their customers a Refund Policy.
Customer Service Contact Info
Customers who would like to contact Customer Service with any questions, concerns, or complaints can do so by email at [email protected]
Ecosia Reputation
As a free web browser extension, this product doesn’t seem to drive a lot of reviews. However, there are people online complaining that they are unsure of whether or not this company actually fulfills their promises to users.
Ecosia.org does say that they are a certified B Corporation, which is a special certification given to for-profit organizations that also work to “meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”
Competitors and Alternatives?
There are many different options for people looking to work with for-profit companies that still work to benefit society and the environment, though they may not be in the area of internet searches.
Some of the most famous socially conscious companies include Toms, who donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased, and Warby Parker, who donates glasses to children in need.
If you have any experience with Ecosia or their services, please leave your reviews below.
See Also: Is Corporate Philanthropy Real or Are "Socially Conscious" Companies a Scam?
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Ecosia Customer Reviews
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They do what they say they do!
I have used Ecosia since nearly their inception. I love how smoothly it works, how open they are about what they do, and the fact that they DO what they claim to do. I recommend it to everyone who will listen, in fact! I talk about it on YouTube, on Twitter, on FB, Instagram, Pinterest, and any and all comment sections I run across whenever searching in general, or "Google it," specifically, comes up.
I will be very happy if just a tenth of those I direct to the site use it. Of course, I'd be tickled pink if they all use it, but I know how lazy humans are (yes, that includes me!), and how resistant to change most humans are, too.
Please, please, please - USE Ecosia! The planet's rainforest ecosystem will assuredly thank you.
#TeamTrees
No ability to filter results in a sensible way
I have never, EVER seen more than a couple of advertisements on any of my literally thousands of searches over the years. I think you must be mistaken - very, very mistaken. As for how it actually works, it is exactly like Google in all respects except for where their money goes.
Terrific Idea, needs work on the Search engine
The only browser plugin that plants trees with your help! That alone should be enough reason to use it instead of the default search engines in your browser.
Unfortunately, in our daily use for most of this year, the results are clearly not at the level of Google, but a more mixed bag of good/bad/ugly results similar to Microsoft Bing. Also, the first and second page of results paradoxically often repeats when you continue looking through the search results, which is really frustrating.
I would love to give Ecosia 10 stars (out of 5 stars), but their search algorithm is just not there yet.
Ecosia is pretty up-front about their use of the Microsoft Bing search engine. I would love to see Ecosia adopt Google search as their default search engine or perhaps a combo of the two (not sure how technically that would be accomplished).I miss the results that I got using Google. Sometimes, I'll just switch over to Google because I need better results. Most of the time I find the results I get from Ecosia are sufficient. In the long run, for me, it comes down to using Ecosia because I'd like to pay, with my search time, for trees to be planted.The one thing I'd like to see Ecosia change is their silly trees planted counter. It's pretty easy to see that it's just a second counter. Are there really the exact same number of sets of 45 searches done every second? A more realistic (faster or slower is fine) counter would help make them seem more legitimate.
Ecosia is the best
This is an amazing way to put climate change on everyone's minds, it may not be the fastest or have all the resources google does, but seeing the little tree counter go up is so gratifying. thumbs up!
good fast free browser
This is a perfect browser and is healthy toward the environment. The earth is dying so please help and download Ecosia right now and save your planet!
it won't let me remove it.
I agree if you want to use privacy though I would recommend qwant or Startpage Startpage uses google's search results so it's practically the same and I would use Mozilla too I think ecosia is a bit dodgy but you decide about what you want to do I've done some research on it and it seems a bit dodgy and non-safe for privacy but it's your choice.
Its wow just wow
Ecosia
I agree if you want to use privacy though I would recommend qwant or Startpage Startpage uses google's search results so it's practically the same and I would use Mozilla too I think ecosia is a bit dodgy but you decide about what you want to do I've done some research on it and it seems a bit dodgy and non-safe for privacy but it's your choice
Innovative Idea, Great Execution
Ecosia is something simple at first, a search engine. When you actually use it, however, it uses the funds from your searches to plant trees. This is a innovative idea that is sure to make an impact, considering technology usually creates a negative impact on the inviroment.
It may not be right for some people, in extent it isn't the most private search engine avaliable (check out DuckDuckGo for privacy) but they don't collect your data and sell it to the highest bidder unlike Google.
Make sure to try it out. It is fast, reliable, and creative. The search results may not be as good as Google, but it is worth it for the impact you will overall create.
Great!
This SUCK
EVERY TIME IS HIT THE RESET BUTTON, THE TREES PLANTED GOES BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL NUMBER
DON'T USE THIS!
If you've read their FAQ, you'd know that the counter uses cookies, and your browser might have settings to delete those cookies every time it is reset. Ecosia is working to make their counters sync, but as of now there is no way to do this. It doesn't 'suck', and the resetting doesn't make it deserve a 1-star rating. The number may go back to one, but the money you make from searching will still go to them, so you're still planting. Note that approximatel every 45 searches you do , they plant a tree. Search using Ecosia 45 times a day, and you'll be planting a tree daily
Ecosia doesn't spy on you and track everything about you as much as google. They keep search results, but note more than that. Whether it resets or not, you are protecting both your information, and the animals that are relying on trees for shelter and food.
Ani Goel good answer!
maybe because u keep clearing ur browser history
ecosia
Love it
best browser
The browser is great because you get to search through the web and plant trees and planting trees is good so i congratulate you guys to make this web browser
Not a scam.
Very good
I planted like 16 trees
I planted 1 tree
Nice
Ecosia and if it is good
Yes! Yes Ecosia helps plant trees. They have partner organizations on the ground who help them connect with local communities. Check out their channel on You Tube for video evidence of their tree planting and interviews with local organizations from Africa to Brazil
thats cool :)
Yes, they plant trees.
YES, They plant trees.
THEY DO, YOU CAN CHECK THE VIDEOS.
Love company's like this
They put their money where their mouth is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgAWckDF918
A video of the people who plant the trees!
It takes 45 searches to plant a tree.
Love it.