head to head · open source
SearXNG vs Manticore Search
SearXNG has 37,253 GitHub stars, 3,396 forks, 215 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Manticore Search has 12,015 stars, 642 forks, 651 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SearXNG leads on adoption by 210% (37,253 vs 12,015 stars). SearXNG is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; Manticore Search is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. SearXNG has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Manticore Search 5%. Manticore Search was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (search, search-engine), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| SearXNG | Manticore Search | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 12K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.4K | ⑂ 642 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SearXNG if
- You weight community size — 37K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Manticore Search if
- You want the Manticore Search feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and Manticore Search fits your workflow better
About SearXNG
SearXNG is a free, self hostable metasearch engine that aggregates results from more than 270 search services and databases, and it is meant for people and organizations that want web search without being tracked or profiled.
read the full SearXNG overview →
About Manticore Search
Manticore Search is an open source C++ search database for full text, vector, and hybrid search with real time indexing and SQL. It lives in the search engine and database ecosystem, and the README presents it as an alternative to Elasticsearch.
read the full Manticore Search overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SearXNG or Manticore Search more popular?
SearXNG has 37,253 GitHub stars and Manticore Search has 12,015. SearXNG has the larger community by that measure.
Are SearXNG and Manticore Search free?
Both are open source. SearXNG is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Manticore Search under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between SearXNG and Manticore Search?
SearXNG is written in Python and Manticore Search in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, SearXNG or Manticore Search?
Choose SearXNG if you want the larger community (37,253 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Manticore Search if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.