searchbase
Privacy-first web search and content extraction for AI agents and LLMs.
- Data: EU
- GDPR-native
- EU-owned
- Self-hostable
- Open source

SearchBase is a European, privacy-first web search and content extraction platform built specifically for AI agents, Large Language Models (LLMs), and developers. AI applications increasingly rely on proprietary, often US-based services to access information from the web. SearchBase provides an open-source, European alternative to platforms such as Tavily, Exa, and Firecrawl, giving developers more independence and control over how their applications retrieve information. Through its REST API and native Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, SearchBase enables AI agents to search the web and extract clean, token-optimized Markdown content from websites, reducing unnecessary data and context window usage. Unlike proprietary alternatives, SearchBase offers an open-source core licensed under AGPLv3 that developers can inspect, modify, and self-host on their own infrastructure. It also supports multiple search backends, allowing users to choose their preferred search provider rather than being locked into a single service. For developers who prefer a managed solution, SearchBase Cloud provides pay-as-you-go access without monthly subscriptions. The service is hosted on European infrastructure provided by Scaleway and uses a European search provider for its search backend. Developed and operated by Coolapso, an independent Swedish software company, SearchBase aims to make web access for AI applications more private, transparent, efficient, and independent.
SearchBase is a European, privacy-first web search and content extraction platform built specifically for AI agents, Large Language Models (LLMs), and developers. It provides an open-source, independent alternative to proprietary services like Tavily and Firecrawl, offering both self-hosted and managed cloud solutions. The platform enables AI agents to search the web and extract clean, token-optimized Markdown content via REST API and MCP support, with a focus on independence, control, and privacy. The managed cloud service is hosted in Europe on Scaleway infrastructure and operates on a pay-as-you-go model with no monthly subscriptions.
Highlights
- ✓Web search API
- ✓Content extraction (Markdown)
- ✓REST API
- ✓MCP support
- ✓Self-hostable (AGPLv3)
- ✓Managed cloud service
- ✓European data hosting
- ✓Pay-as-you-go pricing
- ✓Open-source core
- ✓No monthly subscriptions
- Data location
- EU
- Pricing
- Freemium
- EU-owned
- Yes
- Self-hostable
- Yes
Good for
- AI agent development
- LLM augmentation
- Web research automation
- Content scraping for AI applications
- Independent web access for developers
A European alternative to
Frequently asked questions
- Is searchbase EU-owned and GDPR-native?
- searchbase — European-owned: Yes; GDPR-native: Yes; self-hostable: Yes; data stored in: EU.
- How much does searchbase cost?
- Pricing model: Freemium. Check searchbase's own site for current plans and numbers.
- What are European alternatives to searchbase?
- Compare GDPR-native European alternatives to searchbase — where each one is built, owned and hosted. European alternatives to: firecrawl, tavily, exa.
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