serp.fast
Directory/Independent Web Indexes/Stract

Stract

Open-source, non-profit search engine building its own index with a focus on user-customizable ranking and transparency.

Independent web indexes maintain their own crawl of the web, separate from Google or Bing. This independence is valuable for AI applications that need unbiased search results, want to avoid rate limits on commercial search engines, or need specialized coverage. Several of these indexes are open source, allowing full transparency into how results are ranked.

Visit Stract →

Features

—JS Rendering
✓Structured Output
✓Open Source
✓Self-Hosted Option
Pricing:Free

Editorial assessment

The fully open-source search engine vision — user-configurable ranking signals, transparent algorithms, and a growing independent index. Philosophically aligned with how search should work. Extremely early-stage with a small index. Not viable as a primary search source for production applications. More of a research project and ideological statement than a production tool today.

How Stract compares

Mojeek

Mojeek has a more mature independent index if you want privacy-first search that actually works today.

SearXNG

SearXNG provides broader coverage through metasearch aggregation, also fully open-source.

Common Crawl

Common Crawl offers raw web data at massive scale if you want to build your own search.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stract?

Open-source, non-profit search engine building its own index with a focus on user-customizable ranking and transparency. It falls under the Independent Web Indexes category in our directory. Stract is open source, meaning you can inspect the code and self-host it.

How much does Stract cost?

Stract uses a free pricing model. It is completely free to use.

What are the best alternatives to Stract?

The top alternatives to Stract include Mojeek, SearXNG, Common Crawl. Each offers a different approach to independent web indexes — see our comparison section above for detailed analysis.

Does Stract support JavaScript rendering?

No, Stract does not include built-in JavaScript rendering. For dynamic websites, you may need to pair it with a headless browser or choose a tool that includes JS rendering.

Does Stract provide structured output?

Yes, Stract returns structured output (typically JSON), making it straightforward to integrate into AI pipelines, RAG systems, and data processing workflows.

Can I self-host Stract?

Yes, Stract offers a self-hosted option, giving you full control over the infrastructure, data privacy, and deployment environment.

Weekly briefing — tool launches, legal shifts, market data.