head to head · open source
SearXNG vs OpenSearch
SearXNG has 39,138 GitHub stars, 3,572 forks, 215 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenSearch has 13,951 stars, 3,117 forks, 3,167 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SearXNG leads on adoption by 181% (39,138 vs 13,951 stars). SearXNG is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; OpenSearch is written in Java under Apache-2.0. SearXNG has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, OpenSearch 22%. OpenSearch 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 | OpenSearch | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 14K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.6K | ⑂ 3.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SearXNG if
- You weight community size — 39K 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 OpenSearch if
- You want the OpenSearch feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and OpenSearch fits your workflow better
About SearXNG
.. SPDX License Identifier: AGPL 3.0 or later .. metasearch engine: .. Installation guide: .. Configuration guide: .. CONTRIBUTING: .. LICENSE: .. figure:: :target: :alt: SearXNG :width: 512px SearXNG is a metasearch engine . Users are neither tracked nor profiled. .. image:: :target: :alt: Organization .. image:: :target: :alt: Documentation .. image:: :target: :alt: License .. image:: :target: :alt: Commits .. image:: :target: :alt: Translated Setup ===== To install SearXNG, see Installation guide . To fine tune SearXNG, see Configuration guide . Further information on how to can be found here . Connect…
read the full SearXNG overview →
About OpenSearch
Welcome! Project Resources Code of Conduct Security License Copyright Trademark Welcome! OpenSearch is an open source, enterprise grade search and observability suite that brings order to unstructured data at scale. Project Resources Project Website Downloads Documentation Need help? Try Forums or Slack Contributing to OpenSearch Maintainer Responsibilities Release Management Admin Responsibilities Testing Security Code of Conduct The project's Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for all participants in our community, based on the OpenSearch Code of Conduct. Please contact conduct@opensearch.foundation…
read the full OpenSearch overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SearXNG or OpenSearch more popular?
SearXNG has 39,138 GitHub stars and OpenSearch has 13,951. SearXNG has the larger community by that measure.
Are SearXNG and OpenSearch free?
Both are open source. SearXNG is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and OpenSearch under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between SearXNG and OpenSearch?
SearXNG is written in Python and OpenSearch in Java. 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 OpenSearch?
Choose SearXNG if you want the larger community (39,138 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose OpenSearch if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.