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.
Not the right match-up?
MetaGer
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine you can host
VS
Websurfx
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine written in Rust
| Feature | MetaGer | Websurfx |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 1,171 |
| First released | 1996 | 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 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.