Meme Search 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?
| Feature | Meme Search | Perplexica |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 712 | ★ 36,045 |
| First released | 2026 | 2024 |
| Replaces | — | Google Search |
Why pick each one
Choose Meme Search if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Ruby
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Meme Search or Perplexica better?
Neither is universally better. Perplexica has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Meme Search and Perplexica free and open-source?
Yes. Meme Search is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Perplexica under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Meme Search and Perplexica with Docker?
Meme Search: yes. Perplexica: yes.