Marginalia Search alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Marginalia Search: not useful for shopping, news or local searches, and small index with limited coverage. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Marginalia Search, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Mojeek currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Mojeek	Free	No	Web	4 of 4	66.5
2	Mwmbl	Free	Yes	Web	3 of 3	62.6
3	Kagi	Paid	No	Web, iOS, Android	5 of 5	59.6
4	YaCy	Open source	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux +1	3 of 3	57.2

1. MojeekTop pick
Best for: People who want genuinely independent results and a different view of the web
FreeWeb
66.5
score / 100
Why switch from Marginalia Search
Independent index with broader coverage for everyday searches.
Pros
Own crawler and index, not a Bing or Google reseller
No tracking and no personalised results
Web Search API available for developers
Cons
Smaller index means thinner results on niche topics
Few rich features such as maps or shopping
Weak on very recent news
Visit Mojeek Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Mojeek a good Marginalia Search alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Index size
Over 9 billion pages
Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
Tracking
None
Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
Hosting
UK green data centre
Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
API price
From £2 per 1,000 requests
Checked Oct 25, 2026mojeek.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. Mwmbl
Best for: Open-source supporters who want to help build a community-run search index
FreeOpen sourceWeb
62.6
score / 100
Why switch from Marginalia Search
Non-profit, open-source engine with a community-curated index.
Pros
Non-profit, ad-free and open source
Community can curate results directly
Fully independent index
Cons
Very small index with limited coverage
Not practical as an everyday search engine yet
Few features beyond basic web results
Visit Mwmbl Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Mwmbl a good Marginalia Search alternative?
Verified facts
3 of 3 verified
License
AGPL-3.0
Checked Oct 25, 2026mwmbl.org(opens source in a new tab)
Organisation
Non-profit
Checked Oct 25, 2026mwmbl.org(opens source in a new tab)
Community indexing
Yes, users help build the index
Checked Oct 25, 2026mwmbl.org(opens source in a new tab)
3. Kagi
Best for: Heavy searchers willing to pay for ad-free, customisable results
PaidWeb, iOS, Android
59.6
score / 100
Why switch from Marginalia Search
Paid engine that mixes in a small-web index alongside mainstream results.
Pros
No ads and no tracking, funded only by subscriptions
Block, boost or lower any domain in your results
Lenses and AI assistant for focused research
Cons
Monthly subscription for something most engines give away
Free trial is limited to 100 searches
Local and maps results lag Google
Visit Kagi Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Kagi a good Marginalia Search alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Free trial
100 searches
Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$5/month (300 searches)
Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
Unlimited plan
$10/month (Professional)
Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
Founded
2018, Palo Alto
Checked Oct 25, 2026help.kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
Unused months
Credited automatically
Checked Oct 25, 2026kagi.com(opens source in a new tab)
4. YaCy
Best for: Tinkerers and organisations wanting their own crawler, index and intranet search
Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted
57.2
score / 100
Why switch from Marginalia Search
Run your own crawler and index with peer-to-peer search.
Pros
Runs your own crawler and index, no central provider
Works for intranet and file-share search too
No data collection or phoning home
Cons
Peer-to-peer web results are slow and patchy
Needs a machine running continuously
Interface feels dated
Visit YaCy Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.369
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is YaCy a good Marginalia Search alternative?
Verified facts
3 of 3 verified
License
GPL 2.0 or later
Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Modes
P2P network, own portal or intranet
Checked Oct 25, 2026yacy.net(opens source in a new tab)
Data collection
None, no phoning home
Checked Oct 25, 2026yacy.net(opens source in a new tab)

The best Marginalia Search alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best Marginalia Search alternative for most people

Mojeek

Independent index with broader coverage for everyday searches.

Best Marginalia Search alternative for a free option

Mwmbl

Non-profit, open-source engine with a community-curated index.