Stract vs ZincSearch
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?
Stract
Open-source web search engine you can self-host
VS
ZincSearch
Lightweight search engine alternative to Elasticsearch
| Feature | Stract | ZincSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,376 | ★ 17,884 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Search, Bing | Elasticsearch, Algolia |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Stract or ZincSearch better?
ZincSearch is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Stract if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Stract and ZincSearch free and open-source?
Yes. Stract is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ZincSearch under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Stract and ZincSearch with Docker?
Stract: yes. ZincSearch: yes.