Lunr.js vs ZincSearch
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
ZincSearch
Lightweight search engine alternative to Elasticsearch
| Feature | Lunr.js | ZincSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,202 | ★ 17,884 |
| First released | 2013 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Algolia, Elasticsearch | Elasticsearch, Algolia |
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 ZincSearch better?
Neither is universally better. ZincSearch has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lunr.js and ZincSearch free and open-source?
Yes. Lunr.js is licensed under MIT and ZincSearch under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lunr.js and ZincSearch with Docker?
Lunr.js: check the project docs for container support. ZincSearch: yes.