Araa Search vs MetaGer
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Araa Search | MetaGer |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 334 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2023 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Google Search | Google Search, Bing |
What are Araa Search and MetaGer?
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
MetaGer
MetaGer is an open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple sources while protecting user privacy. Its core software can be deployed to run a self-hosted private search portal.
- Aggregated metasearch
- Privacy protection
- Result anonymization
- Configurable sources
Araa Search vs MetaGer: key differences
Araa Search is written in Python, while MetaGer is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Araa Search versus AGPL-3.0 for MetaGer. Araa Search is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for MetaGer. MetaGer is the more established project (first released 1996), while Araa Search arrived in 2023.
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 MetaGer if…
- Strong privacy stance
- Long-running project
Watch out for
- Heavier than minimal metasearch
- PHP stack
Frequently asked questions
Is Araa Search or MetaGer better?
Araa Search is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MetaGer if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Araa Search and MetaGer free and open-source?
Yes. Araa Search is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MetaGer under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Araa Search and MetaGer with Docker?
Araa Search: yes. MetaGer: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Araa Search or MetaGer?
Araa Search has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for MetaGer. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.