What SearXNG offers
SearXNG aggregates results from hundreds of engines across web, news, images, video, and maps without accounts or profiling. It works without mandatory JavaScript or cookies and can run over Tor.
Alternatives / Google Search
1 open-source alternative
1 Best Open Source Google Search Alternatives in 2026
Looking for an open source Google Search alternative? Only one project we verified fits: SearXNG, an AGPL-3.0 metasearch engine you can self-host. It queries other engines for you, including Google, without profiling you.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
Best Google Search alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| SearXNG | Self-hostable metasearch without tracking | AGPL-3.0 |
How we chose these Google Search alternatives
We looked for open-source search front ends that protect privacy. We verified SearXNG's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Important: instances and results
A public instance sees your queries, so self-hosting gives the strongest privacy. Results depend on upstream engines, which may block or rate-limit a server.
License details
SearXNG is AGPL-3.0.
Maintenance status
SearXNG had commits within days of this update and has about 38,700 stars.
Why look for a Google Search alternative?
Google Search is a proprietary service that profiles users to personalize results and ads. SearXNG's code is open and can run on your own server, so queries are not tied to a Google account, though it still depends on upstream engines for results.
docs.searxng.org
SearXNG is an AGPL-3.0 metasearch engine that aggregates results from many search engines without tracking or profiling users. It needs no account, works without mandatory JavaScript or cookies, and works over Tor. Self-hosting gives the strongest privacy, since public instances see your queries.
38.7K3.5KAGPL-3.0Self-hosted
Pricing: Free and open source.
- No tracking or profiling
- Aggregates many engines
- Works over Tor
- Results depend on upstream engines
- Public instances see your queries
Compare Google Search alternatives
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SearXNG | Metasearch engine | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Private search |
Which one should you choose?
Want private search you control
SearXNG aggregates many engines without accounts and can be self-hosted or run over Tor.