Searx

Searx is a free, open-source metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple search services while aiming to protect user privacy. Unlike centralized search engines, Searx does not create a personal profile for users and is designed to minimize data collection; many self-hosted or private instances do not log queries, though policies vary by operator.

The software is typically deployed on a self-hosted server or accessed via public instances. It provides a single interface to query dozens of backends, including general web search, image search, and specialized sources. The results are retrieved from the configured engines and blended by the metasearch layer, and users can enable or disable individual engines to tailor the search.

Searx is written in Python and released under the GNU Affero General Public License, which emphasizes sharing source code for modified versions. Because it relies on external backends rather than maintaining a central index, Searx does not crawl or store the web itself; it simply aggregates results from other services.

The project supports a modular architecture and has spawned forks and community-maintained variants, such as SearxNG, with additional features and backends. Public instances vary in available engines and privacy practices, so users should review the instance’s policies when using a public deployment.

Searx is commonly used as a privacy-conscious alternative to mainstream search engines, appealing to researchers, developers, and users who seek configurability and transparency in query handling.