SearXNG
The self-hostable meta-search standard
Overview
SearXNG is the successor to Searx—an open-source meta-search engine aggregating 70+ engines (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Qwant, etc.), deduplicating and ranking results.
Self-hosting sends queries from your server to multiple engines so no single provider sees all your searches. settings.yml controls engines, timeouts, and UI themes.
Public instances (see searx.space) work too but require trusting operators. For technical users, it is one of the strongest sovereignty-plus-customization options.
Scores
Google Search — comparison
Avoids concentrating data in one company. Result quality depends on chosen engines, but privacy and customization far exceed Google. Self-hosting gives full log control.
Pros
- ✓ Fully open source and auditable
- ✓ Self-host for complete data sovereignty
- ✓ Combine many engines
- ✓ No tracking or cookies required
- ✓ Relatively easy Docker/Helm deploy
Cons & caveats
- − Self-hosting needs server skills
- − Public instances can disappear suddenly
- − Meta-search can be slower
- − Queries still relay to Google and others
Best for
- Technical users with home servers or NAS
- People who need full data sovereignty
- Open-source-only users
Not ideal for
- Beginners with no server experience
- Users who need instant high-quality search
- People who want native mobile apps
Specs
- Pricing
- Self-hosted — Software is free (AGPL-3.0). Self-hosting: roughly $5+/month VPS. Public instances are free but operator-dependent.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Data location
- Self-hosted: your server. Public instances: operator infrastructure. Queries are forwarded to upstream engines.
- Platforms
- Self-hosted · Docker · Public instances
Migration from Google Search
- 1 Try a trusted public instance from searx.space for one week
- 2 Deploy SearXNG at home or on a VPS with Docker
- 3 Enable Google/Bing engines in settings.yml as needed
- 4 Set your browser default search to your instance URL
Setup steps
- 1 Docker: docker run -d --name searxng -p 8080:8080 searxng/searxng
- 2 Configure engines and UI language (ja) in settings.yml
- 3 Put HTTPS behind a reverse proxy (Caddy/Nginx)
- 4 Register custom search URL (/search?q=%s) in the browser
Related on Amazon
Books and devices that may help your migration. Verify specs and price before buying.
- Books
Permanent Record — Edward Snowden
Essential reading on surveillance and personal privacy—the “why” behind de-Googling.
View on Amazon ↗