4get vs Araa Search
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | 4get | Araa Search |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 800 | ★ 334 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Search, Bing | Google Search |
What are 4get and Araa Search?
4get
4get is a free and open-source metasearch engine that proxies results from many providers with a focus on privacy and a clean, minimal interface. It requires no JavaScript and stores no user data.
- JavaScript-free metasearch
- Image, video and news search
- No tracking or logging
- Clean minimal interface
Araa Search
Araa Search is a privacy-respecting, ad-free, self-hosted Google metasearch engine with full API support. It uses Qwant for images and DuckDuckGo for autocomplete, and runs as a small container.
- Privacy metasearch
- No ads or tracking
- Full API support
- Self-hostable
4get vs Araa Search: key differences
4get is written in PHP, while Araa Search is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for 4get versus GPL-3.0 for Araa Search. 4get is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Araa Search. 4get has the considerably larger community, at 800 GitHub stars versus 334.
Why pick each one
Choose 4get if…
- Very lightweight
- No JavaScript needed
Watch out for
- Less known, fewer public instances
Choose Araa Search if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is 4get or Araa Search better?
Neither is universally better. 4get has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are 4get and Araa Search free and open-source?
Yes. 4get is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Araa Search under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 4get and Araa Search with Docker?
4get: yes. Araa Search: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, 4get or Araa Search?
4get has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Araa Search. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.