SearX vs MetaGer
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | SearX | MetaGer |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,553 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2014 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Google Search, Bing | Google Search, Bing |
What are SearX and MetaGer?
SearX
SearX is the original open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple search engines while protecting user privacy. It paved the way for the modern SearXNG fork.
- Privacy-respecting metasearch
- No tracking of queries
- Configurable engine list
- JSON API output
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
SearX vs MetaGer: key differences
SearX is written in Python, while MetaGer is built with PHP. SearX is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for MetaGer. MetaGer is the more established project (first released 1996), while SearX arrived in 2014. SearX has the considerably larger community, at 13,553 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose SearX if…
- Lightweight
- Foundational privacy search
Watch out for
- Largely superseded by SearXNG
Choose MetaGer if…
- Strong privacy stance
- Long-running project
Watch out for
- Heavier than minimal metasearch
- PHP stack
Frequently asked questions
Is SearX or MetaGer better?
SearX 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 SearX and MetaGer free and open-source?
Yes. SearX is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and MetaGer under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SearX and MetaGer with Docker?
SearX: yes. MetaGer: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, SearX or MetaGer?
SearX has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for MetaGer. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.