Farfalle vs SearXNG
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SearXNG
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine aggregating many sources
| Feature | Farfalle | SearXNG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 24 · At risk | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,543 | ★ 37,570 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Search | Google Search, Bing |
What are Farfalle and SearXNG?
Farfalle
Farfalle is an open-source AI-powered search engine that can run with local language models. It provides conversational, sourced answers while keeping queries on your own infrastructure.
- Run with local or cloud LLMs
- Cited conversational answers
- Self-hostable search pipeline
- Expert agent modes
SearXNG
SearXNG is a free, open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from more than 70 search services without tracking or profiling users. It is the actively maintained fork of the original SearX project.
- Aggregates 70+ search engines
- No tracking or user profiling
- Customizable engines and categories
- Optional result proxying
Farfalle vs SearXNG: key differences
Farfalle is written in TypeScript, while SearXNG is built with Python. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Farfalle versus AGPL-3.0 for SearXNG. SearXNG is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Farfalle. SearXNG is the more established project (first released 2021), while Farfalle arrived in 2024. SearXNG has the considerably larger community, at 37,570 GitHub stars versus 3,543.
Why pick each one
Choose Farfalle if…
- Supports fully local operation
- Clean UI
Watch out for
- Newer project with rough edges
Choose SearXNG if…
- Strong privacy guarantees
- Highly configurable
Watch out for
- Public instances can be rate limited
Frequently asked questions
Is Farfalle or SearXNG better?
SearXNG is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Farfalle if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Farfalle and SearXNG free and open-source?
Yes. Farfalle is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SearXNG under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Farfalle and SearXNG with Docker?
Farfalle: yes. SearXNG: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Farfalle or SearXNG?
SearXNG has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Farfalle. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.