Araa Search vs Marginalia Search
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Araa Search
Privacy-respecting self-hosted Google metasearch engine
VS
Marginalia Search
Independent search engine focused on the non-commercial web
| Feature | Araa Search | Marginalia Search |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 331 | ★ 1,892 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Search | Google Search |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Marginalia Search if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Araa Search or Marginalia Search better?
Neither is universally better. Marginalia Search has the larger community, while Araa Search is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Araa Search and Marginalia Search free and open-source?
Yes. Araa Search is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Marginalia Search under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Araa Search and Marginalia Search with Docker?
Araa Search: yes. Marginalia Search: yes.