Mwmbl vs Websurfx
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?
Mwmbl
Free, open-source and non-profit web search engine
VS
Websurfx
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine written in Rust
| Feature | Mwmbl | Websurfx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,833 | ★ 1,171 |
| First released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Search, Bing | Google Search |
Why pick each one
Choose Websurfx if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Mwmbl or Websurfx better?
Neither is universally better. Mwmbl has the larger community, while Websurfx is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mwmbl and Websurfx free and open-source?
Yes. Mwmbl is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Websurfx under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mwmbl and Websurfx with Docker?
Mwmbl: yes. Websurfx: yes.