Lunr.js vs tinysearch
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Lunr.js | tinysearch |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 29 · At risk | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,203 | ★ 2,972 |
| First released | 2013 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Algolia, Elasticsearch | Algolia |
What are Lunr.js and tinysearch?
Lunr.js
Lunr.js is a small, full-text search library for use in the browser that provides a simple search index without needing a backend service. It is commonly used to add offline search to static sites and documentation.
- Browser-based search
- No backend needed
- Prebuilt index support
- Tiny library size
tinysearch
tinysearch is a lightweight full-text search engine that compiles a static site's content into a small WebAssembly module for client-side search. It is designed for blogs and documentation where a search server would be overkill.
- WebAssembly search module
- No backend required
- Tiny index size
- Client-side full-text search
Lunr.js vs tinysearch: key differences
Lunr.js is written in JavaScript, while tinysearch is built with Rust. Lunr.js is the more established project (first released 2013), while tinysearch arrived in 2019. Lunr.js has the considerably larger community, at 9,203 GitHub stars versus 2,972.
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
Choose tinysearch if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Lunr.js or tinysearch better?
Lunr.js is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider tinysearch if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Lunr.js and tinysearch free and open-source?
Yes. Lunr.js is licensed under MIT and tinysearch under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lunr.js and tinysearch with Docker?
Lunr.js: check the project docs for container support. tinysearch: check the project docs for container support.