Rank 1: Vane
Best for a self-hosted answer engine with cited sources
License: Open source
- Web
- Self-hosted
Status: Active
MIT licensed. The project is now named Vane. Runs in Docker and needs a language model, either local or an API key you pay for.
Free alternatives to Perplexity
Top pick: Vane. Switching saves about $240 USD a year.
About Perplexity
- Perplexity, Perplexity Pro, monthly
$240 USDa year
≈$342.17 CAD (converted from USD)
Every pick below has a free version.
- Runs on
- Windows
- macOS
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Key file formats
- Not listed
Filter alternatives
2 alternatives
Top pick
1 toolThe editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Situational
1 toolRight for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Rank 2: SearXNG
Best for private web search without AI answers
License: Open source- Web
- Self-hosted
Status: ActiveAGPL-3.0-or-later. A metasearch engine, not an answer engine. Use a public instance or run your own; pair it with an AI front end for answers.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
Feature parity
How each alternative covers what people use Perplexity for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Vane | SearXNG |
|---|---|---|
| Search | ||
| Web search across many sources | YesNote 1Searches through a bundled SearXNG instance | YesNote 2Aggregates results from many search engines without tracking |
| Answers | ||
| AI-written answers with citations | YesNote 3Answers come with cited sources | NoNote 4Returns result lists only; no AI-written answers |
| Multi-step deep research | PartialNote 5Quality mode researches deeper; results depend on the model you connect | NoNote 6No AI features |
| Models | ||
| Choice of AI models | YesNote 7Local models through Ollama or cloud APIs you pay for | NoNote 8No AI models |
| Input | ||
| Upload files and images for questions | YesNote 9Upload documents and images and ask about them | NoNote 10Search only |
| Platforms | ||
| Phone and desktop apps | NoNote 11Self-hosted web app; no native apps | NoNote 12Web interface; no native apps |
| Parity score | 75% | 17% |
- Vane, Web search across many sources: Searches through a bundled SearXNG instance
- SearXNG, Web search across many sources: Aggregates results from many search engines without tracking
- Vane, AI-written answers with citations: Answers come with cited sources
- SearXNG, AI-written answers with citations: Returns result lists only; no AI-written answers
- Vane, Multi-step deep research: Quality mode researches deeper; results depend on the model you connect
- SearXNG, Multi-step deep research: No AI features
- Vane, Choice of AI models: Local models through Ollama or cloud APIs you pay for
- SearXNG, Choice of AI models: No AI models
- Vane, Upload files and images for questions: Upload documents and images and ask about them
- SearXNG, Upload files and images for questions: Search only
- Vane, Phone and desktop apps: Self-hosted web app; no native apps
- SearXNG, Phone and desktop apps: Web interface; no native apps
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Multi-step deep research, Phone and desktop apps. See all feature gaps
What switching saves
Switching saves about $240 USD / ≈$342 CAD (estimated from the USD price) a year. Prices checked ; ≈ means converted from USD.
Based on Perplexity Pro, monthly. Price source. USD to CAD at 1.4257 as of Oct 7, 2026.
About this page
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
Something wrong or out of date? Report outdated info.
Perplexity is a product of Perplexity, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Perplexity: Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.