Lunr.js vs Perplexica
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?
Lunr.js
Small full-text search library for the browser
VS
Perplexica
Open-source AI-powered search engine
| Feature | Lunr.js | Perplexica |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,202 | ★ 36,045 |
| First released | 2013 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Algolia, Elasticsearch | Google Search |
Why pick each one
Choose Lunr.js if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 9.2k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Lunr.js or Perplexica better?
Neither is universally better. Perplexica has the larger community, while Lunr.js is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Lunr.js and Perplexica free and open-source?
Yes. Lunr.js is licensed under MIT and Perplexica under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lunr.js and Perplexica with Docker?
Lunr.js: check the project docs for container support. Perplexica: yes.