PeARS 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?
PeARS
Lightweight distributed web search you can host yourself
VS
Websurfx
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine written in Rust
| Feature | PeARS | Websurfx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | HTML | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 38 | ★ 1,171 |
| First released | 2017 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Search | 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 PeARS or Websurfx better?
Websurfx is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider PeARS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are PeARS and Websurfx free and open-source?
Yes. PeARS is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Websurfx under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PeARS and Websurfx with Docker?
PeARS: yes. Websurfx: yes.