By LaunchVault editorial · Official sources checked
Vane (formerly Perplexica) is a free, open-source, privacy-focused AI answer engine that runs on your own hardware. It combines cited web search through SearXNG with your choice of local Ollama models or cloud model providers. Self-hosting the app does not make cloud model calls or web searches offline.
This documentation-based review helps you decide if Vane is right for you. We have not independently benchmarked or security-audited the application. The latest GitHub release checked on October 23, 2026 was v1.12.2; confirm the current version and image before installation.
What Is Vane? (Formerly Perplexica)
Vane is the current name of the Perplexica project: the former official GitHub repository redirects to ItzCrazyKns/Vane. The project is written primarily in TypeScript and released under MIT. It runs the answer interface on infrastructure you control, with SearXNG retrieving web results and a selected model producing an answer with cited sources.
The official repository showed 37,640 stars and 4,191 forks when checked on October 23, 2026. These are snapshots, not live counts or a measure of answer quality. The project is community maintained; inspect recent releases and issues before relying on a particular integration.
Sources: Vane README (reviewed revision) · Former Perplexica repository redirect · Vane MIT license · Vane GitHub releases · Live repository statistics
Key Features
Search modes trade latency for depth: Speed aims for quick answers, Balanced is the everyday option, and Quality is intended for deeper research. You can choose web, discussion or academic sources, narrow searches to a domain, and see cited results. Vane also offers image and video search alongside text results.
The model selector supports local Ollama and cloud providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini and Groq; you can mix providers for different tasks. SearXNG supplies the web-search layer. Contextual widgets cover weather, calculations and stocks. File uploads accept PDFs, text and images for question answering. Discover surfaces articles, while search history is stored locally by the instance.
Sources: Vane README (reviewed revision)
How to Self-Host Vane with Docker
The official bundled image includes Vane and SearXNG. Run the command below, then open http://localhost:3000 to choose models and configure any API keys. The named Docker volume persists Vane data. Docker is required; a free MIT license does not cover your hosting or optional cloud-model charges.
If you already operate SearXNG, use the official slim-latest image and set SEARXNG_API_URL to your instance. That SearXNG instance must allow JSON results and enable Wolfram Alpha. A third route is to clone the repository, run docker build -t vane ., and launch your locally built image using the README's volume and port flags. Check the repository before exposing the service beyond your own machine.
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| Option | When to use it | Setup detail |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled image | First local install | itzcrazykns1337/vane:latest includes SearXNG |
| Slim image | Existing SearXNG instance | Use itzcrazykns1337/vane:slim-latest with SEARXNG_API_URL; enable JSON and Wolfram Alpha |
| Source build | Inspect or customize the image | Clone ItzCrazyKns/Vane, build with docker build -t vane ., then run the image |
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -v vane-data:/home/vane/data --name vane itzcrazykns1337/vane:latestSources: Vane README (reviewed revision)
Which LLMs Does Vane Support?
Vane documents Ollama for local models and OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and Groq for hosted models. Choose the provider in setup; a cloud provider generally needs its own API key and may bill separately. With Ollama, the model can run locally, but a web-backed answer still needs network access for search results.
If Vane runs in Docker and cannot connect to Ollama on macOS or Windows, the README recommends http://host.docker.internal:11434. On Linux, use a reachable host address; the official troubleshooting instructions set OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0:11434 in the Ollama service and restart it. Binding Ollama to all interfaces can expose it on your network, so restrict access before using that setting.
Sources: Vane README (reviewed revision)
Vane vs Perplexity
Scroll sideways to compare with Perplexity
| Compare | Vane | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free MIT app; hosting and cloud API costs may apply | Hosted free and paid plans |
| Privacy | Instance and local history under your control; external providers still receive data when selected | Search and models run through a hosted service |
| Models | Ollama or supported cloud providers | Models available through Perplexity's plans |
| Sources | Cited results retrieved through SearXNG | Cited web answers |
| Operation | You deploy, update and troubleshoot it | Perplexity operates the service |
Perplexity is a hosted search product with free and paid plans. Vane gives you control over the app and model choice, at the cost of running and maintaining your own instance. Both can produce answers with sources; neither makes every answer correct. Perplexity is the easier choice if you want a managed service. Vane is worth considering when self-hosting or local models are requirements.
Sources: Vane README (reviewed revision) · Perplexity subscription plans
Use Vane as Your Browser Search Engine
Open your browser's search-engine settings, add a site search, and use http://localhost:3000/?q=%s as the search URL. Give it a name or shortcut, then try a query from the browser address bar. Replace localhost and the port if your Vane instance runs elsewhere; only use a remotely accessible endpoint you trust.
Sources: Vane README (reviewed revision)
Vane's API
Vane documents a search API for applications that want to submit queries and receive generated answers. Its official API documentation is the source for current endpoints, request fields and model selection. Check the documentation for the deployed version before writing a client; this review does not promise a stable API contract.
Sources: Vane search API documentation · Vane README (reviewed revision)