Investigate SearXNG MCP as privacy-focused search alternative

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Overview

Investigate SearXNG MCP as a privacy-focused alternative to Brave Search for the /research skill.

What it is: MCP server that connects to self-hosted SearXNG instances for web search.

SearXNG Background

SearXNG is a privacy-respecting metasearch engine:

• Self-hosted (runs on your infrastructure)
• Aggregates results from multiple search engines
• No tracking, no ads, no data collection
• Open source
• FREE (no API keys, no usage limits)

Key Differences from Brave Search

Feature	Brave Search MCP	SearXNG MCP
Hosting	Cloud API (Brave)	Self-hosted
Privacy	Sends queries to Brave	Queries stay on your infrastructure
Cost	Free tier, then paid	Completely free
API Key	Required	Not required (self-hosted)
Setup	Easy (just API key)	Complex (self-host SearXNG)
Aggregation	Brave index only	Multiple search engines

MCP Features

From the repo:

• Web search with pagination
• Time filtering (day, month, year)
• Language selection
• Safe search control
• URL content reading with markdown conversion
• Intelligent caching (TTL-based)
• Multiple deployment options (npx, Docker, HTTP)

Use Cases

Perfect for:

• Privacy-conscious developers/teams
• Organizations with compliance requirements (data residency)
• Self-hosted infrastructure preference
• Avoiding external API dependencies
• Unlimited usage (no API quotas)

Not ideal for:

• Users wanting zero-config setup
• Those without self-hosting capability
• Quick install preferences

Integration Strategy

Option A: Alternative to Brave Search

Offer choice during install:

Which search provider for /research skill?

  [ ] Brave Search - Cloud API (free tier, easy setup)
      Requires: Brave API key (free)
      
  [ ] SearXNG - Self-hosted (privacy-focused, unlimited)
      Requires: Self-hosted SearXNG instance
      Better for: Privacy, compliance, unlimited usage

Option B: Both Available

Support both, user configures which they prefer:

// ~/.claude/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {...},  // Easy option
    "searxng": {...}         // Privacy option
  }
}

/research skill detects which is available and uses it.

Option C: Advanced Layer

Keep SearXNG in Advanced layer for self-hosting enthusiasts:

• Core: Use Brave Search (easy)
• Advanced: Use SearXNG (privacy/control)

Setup Requirements

Prerequisites:

1. Self-hosted SearXNG instance

   • Docker: docker run -d -p 8080:8080 searxng/searxng
   • Or: Follow SearXNG docs

2. Enable JSON format in SearXNG settings.yml:

   search:
     formats:
       - html
       - json

3. Add MCP server pointing to your instance:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "searxng": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": ["-y", "mcp-searxng"],
         "env": {
           "SEARXNG_URL": "http://localhost:8080"
         }
       }
     }
   }

Quality Assessment

Pros:

• Well-documented
• Multiple deployment options
• Active maintenance
• Docker support (easy self-hosting)
• No API costs
• Privacy-respecting

Cons:

• Requires self-hosting (setup barrier)
• Need to maintain SearXNG instance
• More complex than API-based solutions

Recommendation

Placement: Advanced layer or offered as "Privacy Option" during install

Rationale:

• Valuable for privacy-conscious users
• Self-hosting requirement = setup complexity
• Perfect alternative to cloud APIs
• Matches Advanced pattern (opt-in for specific needs)

Implementation:

1. Add to docs/mcp-servers.md under "Privacy & Self-Hosted" section
2. Add to seed/mcp.sample.json with SearXNG setup instructions
3. Offer during install:

   Search provider for /research:
     [x] Brave Search - Easy setup (API key)
     [ ] SearXNG - Privacy-focused (self-hosted)
   

4. Update /research skill to detect which search MCP is available

Comparison Matrix

MCP	Ease	Privacy	Cost	Best For
Brave Search	★★★	★★☆	Free tier	Quick setup
SearXNG	★☆☆	★★★	Free	Privacy, compliance
NotebookLM (#50)	★★☆	★★☆	Free?	Research synthesis

Investigation Tasks

• Test SearXNG setup (Docker quickstart)
• Verify search quality vs Brave
• Test with /research skill
• Document setup process
• Decide on offering during install
• Add to mcp-servers.md

Related

• Investigate NotebookLM MCP for enhanced research workflows #50 - NotebookLM MCP (research synthesis)
• Brave Search (currently in samples)

All research-related MCPs for v0.2.0 planning.