SearXNG — A free, open-source, self-hostable metasearch engine that aggregates results from up to 269 search services without tracking or profiling users, run either on public community instances or a self-hosted Docker deployment.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
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SearXNG in 20 seconds
Best for: privacy-conscious users and self-hosters who want a no-tracking metasearch engine aggregating multiple search services
Pricing: Free and open source (AGPL-3.0); no paid tier exists. Self-hosting only costs the user's own server hosting.
- SearXNG aggregates results from up to 269 external search services without tracking users.
- SearXNG is licensed AGPL-3.0 and is entirely free, with no paid tier.
- SearXNG supports 58 languages and is accessible over Tor.
- SearXNG can be self-hosted via Docker or accessed through roughly 70 public community instances listed at searx.space.
- SearXNG was forked from the searx project in mid-2021 and is maintained by an open community.
Limitations: Result quality depends on which upstream engines an instance queries, and those engines can rate-limit or block aggregated traffic.; Public instances vary in speed, reliability, and engine coverage.; Self-hosting requires ongoing server maintenance, unlike a fully hosted search engine.; No official mobile app; web interface only.
Top alternatives: DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Mojeek, Kagi — full list
What is SearXNG?
SearXNG is a free, open-source metasearch engine: rather than indexing the web itself, it queries up to 269 other search services and aggregates the results into one page, so users get the reach of multiple search engines without any single one tracking their queries. SearXNG was forked from the earlier searx project in mid-2021 and is maintained by an open community of contributors, translators, and testers. It supports 58 languages, works with JavaScript and cookies disabled for users who want minimal browser footprint, and is reachable over Tor for anonymous access. Because it aggregates rather than indexes, result quality depends on which upstream engines an instance is configured to query, and public instances vary in speed and engine selection. SearXNG is licensed AGPL-3.0 and is entirely self-hostable: the project publishes Docker images and installation scripts, so anyone can run a private instance instead of relying on a public one. There is no commercial entity behind it and no paid tier of any kind; it is supported by infrastructure donations from sponsors like Docker, Tuta, and BrowserStack rather than by user subscriptions.
SearXNG is a free, open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from up to 269 external search services and presents them without tracking or profiling the user, positioning itself as a privacy-first alternative to Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. It is aimed at privacy-conscious users and self-hosters who want control over which upstream engines are queried, and it is available in 58 languages with Tor compatibility for anonymous access. SearXNG is licensed AGPL-3.0 and entirely free: there is no vendor, no paid tier, and no company behind it, only a maintained open-source project that anyone can run on roughly 70 public instances listed at searx.space or self-host via Docker.
Standout feature: Aggregates results from up to 269 external search engines into one privacy-respecting interface, with no tracking, no ads, and full self-hosting via Docker.
Biggest weakness: Result quality is entirely dependent on which upstream engines an instance is configured to query, so public instances can be inconsistent, slower than a direct search engine, or occasionally blocked by upstream providers for automated-looking traffic; self-hosting requires ongoing server maintenance that a hosted product like DuckDuckGo does not.
Pros
- No tracking or profiling of users, and no ads.
- Aggregates results from up to 269 external search engines in one query.
- Fully open source (AGPL-3.0) and self-hostable via Docker for complete control.
- Supports 58 languages and works over Tor for anonymous access.
Cons
- Result quality depends entirely on upstream engines, which can rate-limit or block metasearch traffic.
- Public instances vary widely in speed, uptime, and which engines they query.
- Self-hosting requires ongoing server maintenance and updates, unlike a fully hosted search engine.
- No official mobile app; it is a web-only interface.
SearXNG pricing
Free · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free / self-hosted | Free | Fully free and open source under AGPL-3.0. Usable via roughly 70 public community instances (searx.space) or self-hosted via Docker at no license cost; self-hosting only incurs the user's own server/hosting expense. |
What reviewers say
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