9 Companies Like Ecosia: Sustainable Search Engines & Products for Environmental Impact (2025)

Ecosia has revolutionized how we think about search engines by using ad revenue to fund environmental initiatives, primarily planting trees around the world. But what if you're looking for similar products with different environmental focuses or features?

Whether you're searching for alternative search engines like Ecosia or complementary products that share similar eco-values, this guide highlights 9 companies similar to Ecosia making sustainability their core mission in 2025, each with their unique approach to environmental action.

Search Engines and Digital Tools Like Ecosia

1. OceanHero: Cleaning Up the Oceans

How it compares to Ecosia: While Ecosia focuses on planting trees, OceanHero directs its efforts toward combating ocean plastic pollution. Like Ecosia, it functions as a search engine that generates revenue from ads.

Environmental impact: For every five searches, OceanHero funds the recovery of one plastic bottle from the ocean, working with organizations like Plastic Bank to ensure traceable and impactful plastic waste collection.

User experience: OceanHero provides search results with a clean interface focused on ocean conservation imagery. Users can track their personal impact through a dashboard showing bottles recovered.

Website: oceanhero.today

2. Too Good To Go: Reducing Food Waste

How it compares to Ecosia: Unlike Ecosia's focus on reforestation, Too Good To Go tackles food waste, another critical environmental issue. While not a search engine, it shares Ecosia's mission of environmental impact through everyday activities.

Environmental impact: By connecting users with restaurants and grocery stores offering surplus food at discounted rates, Too Good To Go helps reduce carbon emissions associated with food disposal and waste.

User experience: The app provides an intuitive interface for finding, paying for, and collecting surplus food from local businesses, making sustainable choices convenient.

Website: toogoodtogo.com

3. IdleForest: Passive Tree Planting

How it compares to Ecosia: Both IdleForest and Ecosia contribute to reforestation, but through different methods. While Ecosia converts search activity to trees, IdleForest turns idle phone time into environmental impact.

Environmental impact: Users earn "seeds" simply by keeping the app open while idle or charging their phones. These seeds are then used to plant real trees, making it effortless to contribute to reforestation.

User experience: Minimalist design that runs in the background without disrupting normal phone usage, with progress tracking features.

Website: idleforest.com

4. TreeClicks: Shopping for Reforestation

How it compares to Ecosia: TreeClicks shares Ecosia's tree-planting mission but focuses on online shopping rather than searches. It's complementary to Ecosia for users wanting to expand their environmental impact.

Environmental impact: This browser extension plants trees when users shop online through partnered retailers, using a portion of its affiliate revenue to fund tree-planting initiatives.

User experience: Simple browser extension that works automatically in the background when shopping at partner stores, with no additional cost to users.

Website: treeclicks.com

5. Lilo: User-Driven Search Engine for Causes

How it compares to Ecosia: Like Ecosia, Lilo is a search engine that generates revenue from ads. However, Lilo allows users to choose from various environmental and social causes, not just tree planting.

Environmental impact: Lilo allows users to direct ad revenue from their searches to projects of their choice, including environmental initiatives like reforestation and clean water projects.

User experience: Similar to traditional search engines with added features for tracking your impact and selecting preferred projects.

Website: lilo.org

Environmental Technology and Initiatives

6. The Ocean Cleanup: Large-Scale Plastic Removal

How it compares to Ecosia: While not a digital product like Ecosia, The Ocean Cleanup represents another innovative approach to environmental action, focusing on technological solutions for ocean pollution.

Environmental impact: This organization focuses on removing plastic from oceans and rivers using advanced technologies. It targets areas like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and develops systems to prevent plastic from entering oceans.

User experience: While not a consumer product, supporters can track cleanup progress, donate, and learn about ocean plastic pollution through their website and social media.

Website: theoceancleanup.com

7. Tab For a Cause: Browsing for Impact

How it compares to Ecosia: Similar to Ecosia, Tab For a Cause monetizes a common online activity—in this case, opening new browser tabs instead of searches—to fund charitable causes.

Environmental impact: This browser extension donates ad revenue generated from new tabs to charitable causes, including environmental conservation efforts like tree planting.

User experience: Replaces the default new tab page with a customizable page featuring beautiful backgrounds, productivity tools, and an ad that generates revenue for causes.

Website: tabforacause.org

8. Tentree: Fashion That Plants Trees

How it compares to Ecosia: Tentree shifts the environmental impact model to physical products, connecting sustainable fashion with tree planting, making it complementary to digital solutions like Ecosia.

Environmental impact: Tentree sells sustainable clothing and plants ten trees for every product sold. The company has already planted over 100 million trees globally and aims to reach one billion by 2030.

User experience: Each product comes with a unique code that allows customers to track where their trees are being planted.

Website: tentree.com

9. Forest: Productivity Meets Reforestation

How it compares to Ecosia: Forest gamifies productivity rather than search, but shares Ecosia's model of converting digital activities into real-world tree planting.

Environmental impact: This app encourages focus by letting users grow virtual trees while they work or study. These virtual trees can be converted into real-world tree planting through partnerships with reforestation organizations.

User experience: Engaging, game-like interface that helps users combat phone addiction while contributing to environmental causes.

Website: forestapp.cc

How These Ecosia Alternatives Compare

Why These Environmental Tech Companies Matter

These businesses exemplify how profitability can coexist with environmental stewardship. They address critical issues such as deforestation, ocean pollution, food waste, and carbon emissions while empowering consumers to make eco-friendly choices through their everyday digital activities.

Unlike traditional businesses that treat sustainability as an afterthought, these companies have built their entire business models around environmental impact, proving that technology and conservation can work hand in hand to create meaningful change.

By supporting these platforms or adopting similar practices in your daily life, you can contribute meaningfully to global sustainability efforts without significantly changing your routine.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ecosia Alternatives

What are the best alternatives to Ecosia?

The best Ecosia alternatives depend on your priorities. If you want another search engine that supports environmental causes, OceanHero and Lilo are excellent choices. For ocean plastic cleanup focus, OceanHero stands out. For passive tree planting while browsing, IdleForest offers a unique approach. For shopping-related impact, TreeClicks provides similar benefits to Ecosia but through different online activities.

How do companies like Ecosia make money?

Most companies similar to Ecosia generate revenue through advertising, affiliate marketing, or app purchases. Search engines like OceanHero and Lilo earn from search ads, similar to Ecosia. Shopping extensions like TreeClicks earn commission from partner retailers. All these companies then direct a significant portion of profits toward environmental initiatives rather than shareholder returns.

Which Ecosia alternative has the biggest environmental impact?

Each platform measures impact differently, making direct comparisons challenging. While Ecosia leads in tree planting numbers among search engines, OceanHero focuses on plastic bottle recovery, and Too Good To Go measures impact in CO2 and food waste reduction. The "biggest" impact depends on which environmental issue you prioritize.

Can I use multiple Ecosia-like services together?

Absolutely! These services complement each other since they focus on different activities. You could use Ecosia for web searches, OceanHero for ocean-focused searches, IdleForest whenever you browse, TreeClicks when shopping online, and Too Good To Go for reducing food waste. Combining these services maximizes your positive environmental impact across various daily activities.

Are these Ecosia alternatives available worldwide?

Availability varies by platform. Search engines like Ecosia, OceanHero, and Lilo are generally available globally, while services like Too Good To Go may be limited to specific countries or cities. Check each service's website for current availability in your region.

Start Your Sustainability Journey Today

Now that you've discovered these 9 amazing companies like Ecosia, you're ready to make a positive environmental impact through your daily online activities. Whether you're concerned about forests, oceans, waste reduction, or a combination of environmental issues, there's a sustainable tech solution that fits your lifestyle.

By incorporating several of these platforms into your digital routine, you can maximize your environmental impact without additional cost or significant changes to your behavior. Start small by choosing one or two alternatives that align with your values and gradually expand your sustainable tech ecosystem.

Remember, the collective impact of millions of users makes these platforms powerful forces for environmental change. Your individual contribution, combined with others, helps drive meaningful progress toward a more sustainable future.