Self-hosting Whoogle the easy way
Yulei ChenWhoogle Search is a self-hosted, privacy-focused metasearch engine that lets you use Google search results without the tracking, ads, or data collection. Think of it as a private frontend to Google - you get the same results, but without Google knowing who you are. If you care about privacy but still want Google-quality search, Whoogle is a great option.
Sliplane makes self-hosting Whoogle simple. With one-click deployment, you can have your own private search engine running in minutes - no server setup, no reverse proxy config, no infrastructure headaches.
Prerequisites
Before deploying, ensure you have a Sliplane account (free trial available).
Quick start
Sliplane provides one-click deployment with presets.
Deploy Whoogle >- Click the deploy button above
- Select a project
- Select a server (If you just signed up you get a 48-hour free trial server)
- Click Deploy!
About the preset
The one-click deploy above uses Sliplane's Whoogle preset. Here's what's included:
- Official
benbusby/whoogle-searchDocker image - Specific version tag (
1.2.4) for stability - Port
5000configured automatically - No persistent storage needed (Whoogle is stateless by default)
Whoogle is lightweight and runs well even on small servers. It doesn't need a database or any external dependencies.
Next steps
Once Whoogle is running on Sliplane, access it using the domain Sliplane provided (e.g. whoogle-xxxx.sliplane.app). You'll see a clean search page ready to use.
Setting it as your default search engine
You can set your Whoogle instance as your browser's default search engine. Use this URL pattern as a custom search engine in your browser settings:
https://your-whoogle-domain.sliplane.app/search?q=%s
Replace your-whoogle-domain.sliplane.app with your actual Sliplane domain.
Environment variables
Whoogle supports several environment variables to customize its behavior. Here are some useful ones:
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
WHOOGLE_USER | Basic auth username | admin |
WHOOGLE_PASS | Basic auth password | yourpassword |
WHOOGLE_CSP | Content Security Policy header | default-src 'self' |
WHOOGLE_RESULTS_PER_PAGE | Number of search results per page | 20 |
WHOOGLE_MINIMAL | Remove footer and logo for a minimal UI | 1 |
WHOOGLE_TOR_STRING | Custom string to indicate Tor usage | Tor |
To add these, go to your service settings in Sliplane and add them as environment variables. If you want to restrict access, setting WHOOGLE_USER and WHOOGLE_PASS is recommended.
Logging
Whoogle logs to STDOUT by default, which works perfectly with Sliplane's built-in log viewer. For general Docker log tips, check out our post on how to use Docker logs.
Cost comparison
You can also self-host Whoogle with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:
| Provider | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Monthly Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | €9 (~$10.65) | Flat rate, 1 TB bandwidth, SSL included |
| Fly.io | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$18 | Disk and bandwidth billed separately |
| Render | 1 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$35 | 100 GB bandwidth, Disk billed separately |
| Railway | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$67 + $20 plan | Pro plan floor, usage-based, bandwidth billed separately |
Click here to see how these numbers were calculated.
(Assuming an always-on instance running 730 hrs/month)
- Sliplane: flat €9/month for the Base server. Unlimited services on the same server, 1 TB egress and SSL included.
- Fly.io:
shared-cpu-2x2 GB = $11.83/mo + 40 GB volume × $0.15/GB = $6 -> ~$17.83/mo. Egress billed separately ($0.02/GB in EU). - Render: closest match is Standard ($25, 1 vCPU / 2 GB) plus 40 GB disk × $0.25/GB = $10 -> ~$35/mo. Stepping up to Pro (2 vCPU / 4 GB) costs $85/mo + disk.
- Railway (Pro plan): CPU 2 × $0.00000772/s × 2,628,000 s = $40.57; RAM 2 × $0.00000386/s × 2,628,000 s = $20.29; volume 40 × $0.00000006/s × 2,628,000 s = $6.31 -> ~$67/mo compute, plus the $20/mo Pro plan floor and $0.05/GB egress.
Bandwidth costs can add up fast on usage-based providers. Use our bandwidth cost comparison tool to see what your egress would cost on each platform.
FAQ
What exactly does Whoogle do?
Whoogle acts as a proxy between you and Google. When you search, Whoogle fetches the results from Google on your behalf and strips out all tracking scripts, ads, and AMP links. You get clean Google results without Google knowing your IP address, browser fingerprint, or search history.
Can I customize the look and feel?
Yes. Whoogle has a built-in config page (accessible via the settings icon) where you can change the theme, language, search region, and more. You can also set WHOOGLE_MINIMAL=1 to get a stripped-down interface without the logo and footer.
How do I update Whoogle?
Change the image tag in your service settings on Sliplane and redeploy. Check Docker Hub for the latest stable version.
Are there alternatives to Whoogle?
Yes, popular privacy-focused search alternatives include SearXNG (aggregates results from multiple engines), DuckDuckGo (hosted service, not self-hostable), and LibreX (lightweight metasearch engine). Whoogle stands out because it specifically targets Google results with zero tracking.
Does Whoogle store any data?
No. Whoogle is fully stateless - it doesn't store search history, user data, or any logs beyond the standard container output. Each search is a fresh request with no cookies or session tracking.
