MindSearch 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?
MindSearch
LLM-based multi-agent framework for web search answers
VS
Perplexica
Open-source AI-powered search engine
| Feature | MindSearch | Perplexica |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,912 | ★ 36,045 |
| First released | 2024 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Perplexity AI | Google Search |
Why pick each one
Choose MindSearch if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is MindSearch 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 MindSearch and Perplexica free and open-source?
Yes. MindSearch is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Perplexica under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MindSearch and Perplexica with Docker?
MindSearch: yes. Perplexica: yes.