Self-Hosted Search Engine
To run your own search, the choice depends on whether you want a private metasearch front end or a true independent index. For private, aggregated results from existing engines, SearXNG. For a private Google front end, Whoogle. For a genuinely independent, peer-to-peer index, YaCy.
Updated 2026-06-03 · by Jonathan Caruso
Top pick
SearXNG
SearXNG is the best all-rounder. It aggregates results from many search engines, strips tracking and ads, is highly configurable, and runs light. For most people who want private search, it is the answer.
The options
SearXNG
AGPL, freeA privacy-respecting metasearch engine that aggregates results from many engines with no tracking.
Visit SearXNG site- Runs on
- Docker, light.
- Pick it if
- You want private, aggregated search results from existing engines.
Whoogle
MIT, freeA lightweight, private front end for Google results with no ads or tracking.
Visit Whoogle site- Runs on
- Docker, very light.
- Pick it if
- You want Google's results without the tracking and ads.
YaCy
GPL, freeA decentralized, peer-to-peer search engine with its own crawler and index.
Visit YaCy site- Runs on
- Heavier (JVM); grows with your index.
- Pick it if
- You want a genuinely independent, self-crawled index.
How to choose
Decide what self-hosted search means to you. If you want private results aggregated from many engines, SearXNG is the standard and the best all-rounder: fast, configurable, and it does not track you. If you specifically want Google's results minus the tracking and ads, Whoogle is a tiny front end that does exactly that.
YaCy is a different beast: a peer-to-peer search engine with its own crawler that builds an independent index, rather than querying other engines. It is the answer if you want true independence from the big engines, at the cost of more resources and a smaller index. Most people who say self-hosted search engine actually want SearXNG.
The verdict
For most people, run SearXNG: it gives you private, aggregated search results from many engines with no tracking, and it is light and configurable. Choose Whoogle if you specifically want Google's results without the tracking, or YaCy if you want a genuinely independent, self-crawled index and can spare the resources.
FAQ
Can you self host a search engine?
Yes. SearXNG and Whoogle run on a Raspberry Pi-class machine and give you private search by querying existing engines without tracking. YaCy goes further with its own crawler and peer-to-peer index, at the cost of more resources.
Are there independent search engines?
Yes. Some are hosted services with their own indexes, like Mojeek and Brave Search. For self-hosting, YaCy builds a genuinely independent peer-to-peer index, while SearXNG aggregates from existing engines privately.
What is the difference between SearXNG and Whoogle?
SearXNG aggregates results from many search engines and is highly configurable. Whoogle is a minimal private front end specifically for Google's results. Both strip tracking and ads; SearXNG is broader, Whoogle is simpler and Google-only.