OramaCore vs Stork
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | OramaCore | Stork |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 61 · Good | 18 · At risk |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 261 | ★ 2,760 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Algolia, Elasticsearch | Algolia |
What are OramaCore and Stork?
OramaCore
OramaCore is an open-source search and answer engine that combines full-text, vector and hybrid search with built-in LLM-powered answers. It is self-hosted as a single runtime.
- Hybrid full-text and vector
- Built-in answer engine
- REST API
- Self-hostable
Stork
Stork is an open-source tool that builds a search index from your content and serves instant search on static sites using WebAssembly. It is small, fast, and requires no server-side component.
- WebAssembly search
- Static index files
- No backend
- Accessible UI
OramaCore vs Stork: key differences
Both projects are written in Rust. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for OramaCore versus Apache-2.0 for Stork. Stork is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for OramaCore. Stork is the more established project (first released 2019), while OramaCore arrived in 2024. Stork has the considerably larger community, at 2,760 GitHub stars versus 261. OramaCore lists first-class Docker deployment; Stork does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OramaCore if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
Choose Stork if…
- Instant client-side results
- Easy integration
Watch out for
- Best for smaller sites
- Manual index builds
Frequently asked questions
Is OramaCore or Stork better?
Stork is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OramaCore if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OramaCore and Stork free and open-source?
Yes. OramaCore is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Stork under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OramaCore and Stork with Docker?
OramaCore: yes. Stork: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, OramaCore or Stork?
Stork has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for OramaCore. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.