Vane
A self-hosted answer engine that searches the live web and shows its receipts; it researches better than it manages content.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-14
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- MIT
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Run the official Docker image with one command; it bundles Vane and SearXNG
- Operational Setup
- Requires Docker, a persistent volume and either Ollama with a downloaded model or at least one cloud-model API key
- Where Your Data Lives
- Search history and uploads are stored in the mounted local Docker volume; prompts leave the host only when a cloud model is selected
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It can research the live web with citations, but it stops before Content at Scale's keyword workflow, optimization scoring, editorial controls, and publishing pipeline.
Replaces 4 paid apps
up to $49/mo ($588/yr) in subscriptions
Vane FAQ
Common questions
Is Vane free and open source?+
Vane is an open-source tool licensed under MIT that runs on self-host. A self-hosted answer engine that searches the live web and shows its receipts; it researches better than it manages content.
What paid software does Vane replace?+
Vane serves as a free replacement for 4 paid SaaS applications: Content at Scale, KoalaWriter, Perplexity, Writesonic, saving up to $49/month ($588/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Vane?+
Installation: Run the official Docker image with one command; it bundles Vane and SearXNG. Setup notes: Requires Docker, a persistent volume and either Ollama with a downloaded model or at least one cloud-model API key
What is the catch or trade-off with Vane?+
It can research the live web with citations, but it stops before Content at Scale's keyword workflow, optimization scoring, editorial controls, and publishing pipeline.