Sist2 vs SearXNG
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?
Sist2
Lightning-fast tag-based file indexing and search engine
VS
SearXNG
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine aggregating many sources
| Feature | Sist2 | SearXNG |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,279 | ★ 35,091 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Recoll | Google Search, Bing |
Why pick each one
Choose Sist2 if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Frequently asked questions
Is Sist2 or SearXNG better?
SearXNG is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Sist2 if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Sist2 and SearXNG free and open-source?
Yes. Sist2 is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SearXNG under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sist2 and SearXNG with Docker?
Sist2: yes. SearXNG: yes.