Websurfx vs Whoogle Search
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?
Websurfx
Privacy-respecting metasearch engine written in Rust
VS
Whoogle Search
Self-hosted, ad-free, privacy-respecting Google search proxy
| Feature | Websurfx | Whoogle Search |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,171 | ★ 11,595 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| 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 Websurfx or Whoogle Search better?
Neither is universally better. Whoogle Search has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Websurfx and Whoogle Search free and open-source?
Yes. Websurfx is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Whoogle Search under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Websurfx and Whoogle Search with Docker?
Websurfx: yes. Whoogle Search: yes.