MetaGer vs Websurfx
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MetaGer | Websurfx |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 1,200 |
| First released | 1996 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Search, Bing | Google Search |
What are MetaGer and Websurfx?
MetaGer
MetaGer is an open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple sources while protecting user privacy. Its core software can be deployed to run a self-hosted private search portal.
- Aggregated metasearch
- Privacy protection
- Result anonymization
- Configurable sources
Websurfx
Websurfx is an open-source, privacy-respecting, fast metasearch engine written in Rust that aggregates results from multiple search engines. It is self-hosted with a hot-reloadable theming engine.
- Rust metasearch engine
- Privacy-respecting
- Hot-reloadable themes
- Lightweight
MetaGer vs Websurfx: key differences
MetaGer is written in PHP, while Websurfx is built with Rust. Websurfx is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for MetaGer. MetaGer is the more established project (first released 1996), while Websurfx arrived in 2023. Websurfx has the considerably larger community, at 1,200 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose MetaGer if…
- Strong privacy stance
- Long-running project
Watch out for
- Heavier than minimal metasearch
- PHP stack
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 MetaGer or Websurfx better?
Websurfx is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MetaGer if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MetaGer and Websurfx free and open-source?
Yes. MetaGer is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Websurfx under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MetaGer and Websurfx with Docker?
MetaGer: yes. Websurfx: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MetaGer or Websurfx?
Websurfx has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for MetaGer. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.