lnx vs Stork
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | lnx | Stork |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 34 · At risk | 18 · At risk |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,454 | ★ 2,760 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Elasticsearch, Algolia | Algolia |
What are lnx and Stork?
lnx
lnx is an open-source search engine server built on top of the Tantivy library that exposes a simple REST API for indexing and querying documents. It aims to be a fast, easy-to-deploy alternative for full-text search.
- Built on Tantivy
- Simple REST API
- Fast full-text search
- Typo-tolerant queries
Stork
Stork is an open-source tool that builds a search index from your content and serves instant search on static sites using WebAssembly. It is small, fast, and requires no server-side component.
- WebAssembly search
- Static index files
- No backend
- Accessible UI
lnx vs Stork: key differences
Both projects are written in Rust. Licensing differs — MIT for lnx versus Apache-2.0 for Stork. Stork is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for lnx. Stork is the more established project (first released 2019), while lnx arrived in 2021. Lnx lists first-class Docker deployment; Stork does not.
Why pick each one
Choose lnx if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Rust
Choose Stork if…
- Instant client-side results
- Easy integration
Watch out for
- Best for smaller sites
- Manual index builds
Frequently asked questions
Is lnx or Stork better?
Stork is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider lnx if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are lnx and Stork free and open-source?
Yes. lnx is licensed under MIT and Stork under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run lnx and Stork with Docker?
lnx: yes. Stork: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, lnx or Stork?
Stork has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for lnx. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.