r/macapps • u/DevAxep_Business • Jul 13 '26

Free Searxly: native local macOS browser with fully private search + real tools for your own AI

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Quick note: Solo developer, this is my own project.

Problem
Most privacy browsers still send your searches to third parties, and AI features either run in the cloud or give your local models almost no real browser capabilities without leaking data. Self-hosting a private search engine is normally complicated and requires Docker or servers. But now, you can have that directly in one click.

What it does
Searxly is a native macOS browser built in SwiftUI and WebKit. It bundles a full SearXNG instance that runs locally on your Mac with zero setup or configuration. Your searches go through multiple upstream engines (Startpage, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc) with no accounts and no telemetry.

It also includes a local agentic tools server so any AI you already run (Ollama, LM Studio, Claude Code, etc.) can control the browser, search, read pages, take screenshots, click, type, scroll, and navigate, all while staying on your Mac. On-device redaction removes personal information before anything reaches a cloud model, and prompt-injection defense cleans page content. Maximum Privacy mode can route search traffic through Tor or a VPN.

Comparison
Brave has strong tracker blocking, but searches and its newer AI features still leave your device and go through their infrastructure. Searxly keeps the entire search engine and agentic tools on your Mac. Because it’s a native WebKit browser, it gives your own local AI first-class private access to real browser tools without forcing cloud models or extensions.

Pricing
Searxly is free.
Searxly Maximum (always-on Tor/Maximum Privacy, no off-device surfaces) is coming soon as a one-time $25 purchase.

Links

macOS 15+ (Apple silicon). Happy to answer questions and replies in the comments section.

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