5 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Algolia
The best open-source alternative to Algolia is ElasticSearch (AGPL-3.0, SSPL 1.0 or Elastic License 2.0 (your choice), 78,383 GitHub stars). MeiliSearch stands out for a permissive MIT license, and Typesense stands out for a published Docker image.
About Algolia: A hosted search-as-a-service API for fast site and app search.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
ElasticSearch
elastic/elasticsearch
Distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Search EnginesJavaStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
MeiliSearch
meilisearch/meilisearch
Ultra relevant, instant and typo-tolerant full-text search API.
Active · last commit Oct 23, 2026
Search EnginesRustDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license.
- Rank 3:
Typesense
typesense/typesense
Blazing fast, typo-tolerant open source search engine optimized for developer happiness and ease of use.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Search EnginesC++DockerStands out for a published Docker image.
At a glance
Algolia alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElasticSearch | the most GitHub stars | AGPL-3.0, SSPL 1.0 or Elastic License 2.0 (your choice) | 78,383 | 14,706 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| MeiliSearch | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 59,672 | 2,091 | Oct 23, 2026 | Yes |
| Typesense | a published Docker image | GPL-3.0 | 27,046 | 264 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| OpenSearch | a permissive Apache-2.0 license | Apache-2.0 | 13,906 | 1,468 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| Manticore Search | – | GPL-3.0 | 12,071 | 1,285 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 5 Algolia alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
ElasticSearch
Distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine.
Search EnginesStands out for the most GitHub stars. ElasticSearch has 78,383 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0, SSPL 1.0 or Elastic License 2.0 (your choice) license and had 14,706 commits in the last year.
- 2
MeiliSearch
Ultra relevant, instant and typo-tolerant full-text search API.
Search EnginesDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license. MeiliSearch has 59,672 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,091 commits in the last year.
- 3
Typesense
Blazing fast, typo-tolerant open source search engine optimized for developer happiness and ease of use.
Search EnginesDockerStands out for a published Docker image. Typesense has 27,046 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 264 commits in the last year.
- 4
OpenSearch
Distributed and RESTful search engine.
Search EnginesDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license. OpenSearch has 13,906 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,468 commits in the last year.
- 5
Manticore Search
Full-text search and data analytics, with fast response time for small, medium and big data (alternative to Elasticsearch).
Search EnginesDockerManticore Search has 12,071 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,285 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Algolia?
Yes. All 5 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Algolia without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to Algolia with Docker?
Yes. 4 of the 5 apps here publish a Docker image, including MeiliSearch, Typesense and OpenSearch, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Algolia alternative is the most actively developed?
ElasticSearch (AGPL-3.0, SSPL 1.0 or Elastic License 2.0 (your choice)), with 14,706 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.