How does OldSchool keep search private?

OldSchool runs a self-hosted metasearch layer (SearXNG) plus its own local full-text index (Bleve). Your query is answered without storing it against an identity, there are no third-party trackers or ad scripts, and a strict Content-Security-Policy blocks outside code.

Is a private search engine as good as Google?

For most everyday searches, yes. Private engines that aggregate multiple sources return comparable results without the tracking. You trade hyper-personalised ranking for neutral, unprofiled results — which many people prefer.

What Is a Private Search Engine?

Q: What is a private search engine?

A private search engine returns web results without logging who you are, profiling your interests, or building an advertising identity from your queries. It shows the same results to everyone for the same search, rather than personalising a filter bubble.

Q: Is OldSchool free?

Yes. OldSchool Search is free forever. The wider OldSchool Suite of privacy tools has paid tiers in private beta, but no payment is taken today.

Plain English: what "private search" really means, how it works under the hood, and how the main options compare.

A private search engine answers your query without logging who you are, profiling your interests, or turning your searches into an advertising identity. Two people searching the same words get the same results — no personalised filter bubble, no record quietly attached to your name.

The short version: normal search engines are free because you are the product — your queries train an ad profile. A private search engine breaks that deal: you get results, they don't get you.

What makes a search engine "private"

No query logging tied to identity — your searches aren't stored against a profile.
No behavioural profiling — results aren't shaped by a dossier of your past activity.
No third-party trackers or ad scripts — nothing phones home to advertisers as you browse.
No filter bubble — neutral results, not a personalised echo chamber.

How OldSchool works under the hood

OldSchool combines two things. A self-hosted metasearch layer (SearXNG) aggregates results from many public sources on your behalf, so the underlying engines never see you — they see our server. On top of that sits our own local full-text index (Bleve) of tens of thousands of documents for fast, direct results.

There are no third-party resources anywhere on the site — no Google Fonts, no analytics, no CDN scripts — and a strict Content-Security-Policy enforces that in the browser. The privacy stance is technical, not just a promise.

OldSchool vs other private search engines

Engine	How it sources results	Business model	Trackers / ads
OldSchool	Self-hosted metasearch (SearXNG) + own local index	Free search; optional paid Suite (beta)	None — CSP-enforced
DuckDuckGo	Bing + own crawler	Contextual ads on the results page	Ads on-page
Brave Search	Own independent index	Free tier + paid ad-free API	Optional ads
Startpage	Proxies Google results privately	Contextual ads	Ads on-page
Google	Own index	Behavioural advertising	Extensive tracking

All of the above are meaningfully more private than mainstream tracking search. OldSchool's distinction is that it ships zero third-party code and self-hosts the metasearch layer, so nothing about a search leaves the box unprofiled.

Is private search as good as Google?

For the vast majority of everyday searches, yes. Aggregated metasearch returns comparable results without the surveillance. What you give up is hyper-personalised ranking — and for most people, neutral results are a feature, not a loss.

Frequently asked

Is OldSchool free?

Yes — OldSchool Search is free forever. The wider OldSchool Suite of privacy tools has paid tiers in private beta, but no payment is taken today.

Do I need an account?

No. You can search without signing in or being identified in any way.

Try a private search →