Aleph

Self-Hosted

Open-source full-text search engine for modern applications

Overview

Aleph is an open-source full-text search engine built for speed, scalability, and seamless integration with web/mobile apps. It supports real-time indexing of structured/unstructured data (text, JSON, binaries) and offers fuzzy search, filtering, sorting, and aggregations. Deployable via Docker or direct server setup, it scales from small projects to enterprise workloads. Its RESTful API and SDKs (Python, JS) simplify integration into data pipelines or user-facing search features, making it ideal for self-hosted teams wanting control over their search infrastructure.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  aleph:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: aleph
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Fast full-text search with fuzzy matching
Real-time data indexing and updates
RESTful API & multi-language SDKs
Scalable distributed architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Aleph hard to install?

Basic Aleph setups are straightforward with Docker images for quick deployment. Production-grade installations (scaling nodes, data persistence) require server admin knowledge to configure clusters and optimize performance.

? Is it a good alternative to Algolia?

Aleph is a strong open-source alternative to Algolia for teams prioritizing data control and cost savings. It offers core features like real-time search and fuzzy matching but lacks Algolia’s managed hosting and pre-built UI tools. It’s ideal if you want to self-host and avoid vendor lock-in.

? Is it completely free?

Yes—Aleph is licensed under MIT, so it’s 100% free to use, modify, and distribute. The only costs are associated with hosting your own servers or cloud infrastructure for deployment.

Top Alternatives

Algolia Search Google

Amazon CloudSearch Search Google

Azure Cognitive Search Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Search Engines

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Privacy-focused (self-hosted data control)
⊕ No subscription fees or vendor lock-in
⊕ Flexible deployment (Docker/raw server)
⊕ Open-source (customizable to specific needs)

Cons

⊖ Requires server administration for production scaling
⊖ Limited pre-built UI components compared to SaaS tools
⊖ Steeper learning curve for advanced configurations