Self-hosted alternatives to Perplexity
Want AI answer engines with web search without handing your data to Perplexity? These 5 self-hosted apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $40/month.
About Perplexity: AI answer engine that cites web sources.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vane direct | Active | 38k | MIT | ✓ | 8 GB | $40/mo |
| LibreChat | Active | 46.8k | MIT | ✓ | 8 GB | $40/mo |
| Onyx Community Edition | Active | 33.2k | MIT | ✓ | 8 GB | $40/mo |
| Local Deep Research | Active | 9.5k | MIT | ✓ | 8 GB | $40/mo |
| Khoj | Maintained | 38k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 8 GB | $40/mo |
The options in detail
1. Vane
AI-powered search engine (alternative to Perplexity AI).
Active Last commit 2026-09-01. Latest release v1.12.2 (2026-04-10). Needs roughly 8 GB RAM. How to run it →
2. LibreChat
Enhanced ChatGPT-compatible AI chat interface supporting multiple AI providers, with multi-user auth, message search, and plugin support.
Active Last commit 2026-10-31. Latest release v0.8.9-rc1 (2026-10-26). Needs roughly 8 GB RAM. How to run it →
3. Onyx Community Edition
Chat UI that works with any LLM. It comes loaded with advanced features like agents, web search, RAG, MCP, deep research, Connectors to 40+ knowledge sources, and more.
Active Last commit 2026-11-05. Latest release helm/onyx-0.9.31 (2026-11-03). Needs roughly 8 GB RAM. How to run it →
4. Local Deep Research
AI-powered deep research tool with multi-source search (arXiv, PubMed, web), PDF text extraction, and encrypted local storage.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v1.10.7 (2026-08-28). Needs roughly 8 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. Khoj
Your AI second brain. Get answers from the web or your docs. Build custom agents, schedule automations, do deep research. Turn any online or local LLM into your personal, autonomous AI.
Maintained Last commit 2026-08-02. Latest release 2.0.0-beta.28 (2026-03-26). Needs roughly 8 GB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of Perplexity?
- Own your data — it lives on a server you control, with backups you decide on.
- Predictable cost — a small VPS often replaces per-seat pricing for a whole team or family.
- No lock-in — open-source licenses let you keep running the software even if a vendor disappears.
The trade-off: you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Pick an app marked Active (a commit in the last 90 days) and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
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Perplexity is a trademark of its owner; this site is not affiliated with it. Listings come from the community-maintained awesome-selfhosted list.