Same experience. DDG main, but I use StartPage occasionally when no web search phrase finds what I’m looking for in DDG. Maybe once a month? Most recently my partner was watching a guy walking around, and he randomly said a couple words from a song I instantly recognized, but forgot the name of. I tried every iteration of terms in DDG and it did not succeed. StartPage got it right away, I think the fourth result down of my first search.

Definitely uncommon for me too, but I can back you up for sure.