# YaCy

YaCy is a decentralized, peer-to-peer search engine that maintains its own web index across participating nodes. It is open source and self-hosted, installable on Docker Hub and Unraid.

Canonical page: https://ourlocalhost.com/app/195/yacy

## Description

YaCy is a decentralized, peer-to-peer search engine that maintains its own web index across participating nodes. It lets self-hosters run a private search node that queries and contributes to the distributed network. Use it when you want an independent, self-controlled search engine without reliance on commercial search providers.

## Platform availability

Available on 1 of 9 platforms: Unraid.

## Health score

74/100 (Good), based on 4 of 4 factors.
- Maintained: 100 (last commit 31 days ago)
- Popular: 72 (4,055 GitHub stars)
- Easy to install: 35 (1 install platform, install notes, Docker image)
- Light to run: 60 (2 GB minimum RAM, runs on ARM)

## Links

- Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/yacy/yacy_search_server/
- Unraid: https://ca.unraid.net/apps/yacy-196jfg901ddhzp?q=yacy
- Official website: https://yacy.net/
- GitHub: https://github.com/yacy/yacy_search_server
- Documentation: https://yacy.net/docs/

## Common questions

### What default port and credentials should I use after first start?

The configuration page is reachable on port 8090. Default credentials are admin and yacy. Create an admin account after first start-up.

### Can I run YaCy without joining the P2P network?

Yes, in search portal mode your YaCy installation is independent from other peers. You can define your own web index and start your own web crawl.

### Where can I change advanced YaCy settings?

You can change settings in the DATA/SETTINGS/yacy.conf file. You can also change all settings in Administration > System Administration > Advanced Properties.

### How can I use a reverse proxy and Let's Encrypt with YaCy?

The Unix full installation guide covers systemd or runit, nginx, and Let's Encrypt. There is also a page for using the YaCy front end over HTTPS.

### Is YaCy reliable if individual peers go offline?

Users note it has limited redundancy because results can depend on a single node. They also describe it as not easy to use.

## Alternatives

- 4get: 4get is a lightweight, open-source proxy search engine that provides a private, ad-free search experience.
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- Openverse: Openverse is a tool that allows openly licensed and public domain works to be discovered and used by everyone.
- Qwant: Privacy-first European search engine offering multi-platform web and image search, no tracking, no personalized results, and supports 13 la…
- SearXNG: SearXNG is a privacy-respecting, self-hosted metasearch engine and maintained fork of searx that aggregates results from many search servic…
- Startpage: Privacy-focused search engine using Google results without trackers, storing no personal data, and offering Anonymous View for private brow…

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Source: Our Local Host (https://ourlocalhost.com/app/195/yacy), the self-hosted and open-source app directory.