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Hound

Free#10 of 42 in Code Search ToolsCode Clone Detection Tools

Hound: A focused, open-source code search engine for mixed repository environments. Ranked #10 of 42 in Code Search Tools by our editors (8.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for self-hosted regex search across mixed repositories.

8.3/10Editor score

Visit Hound

Hound8.3 Visit Hound

At a glance

Editor score
8.3 / 10
Pricing
Free plan
Best for
Self-hosted regex search across mixed repositories
Free plan
Yes
Paid from
Free
Deployment
Self_hosted
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Indexes repositories and automatically polls for re-indexing
- Supports Git, Mercurial, SVN, Bazaar, and local repositories
- Offers Docker deployment, an API, and editor plugins
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires managing the service and repositories
- Windows is not supported
- The search API is intentionally minimal

Our verdict on Hound

Hound is an open-source, self-hosted source-code search engine for developers and engineering teams. It maintains a repository-level index, provides regular-expression search through a React web interface, and exposes a minimal search API backed by a Go server. Its repository support spans Git, Mercurial, SVN, Bazaar, and local repositories, making it suited to teams working across mixed version-control environments. Private repositories can be indexed through local paths, file URLs, or SSH URLs.

The main appeal is focused search depth rather than a broad collaboration suite. Hound automatically polls configured repositories and re-indexes them, keeping search results aligned with repository changes. Docker deployment is available, and editor plugins extend search into Sublime Text, Vim, Emacs, and Visual Studio Code. The web, macOS, Linux, and API platforms cover the core service and supported development workflows, while the self-hosted model gives teams control over where repositories are indexed.

Hound is a strong fit for teams that want free, open-source code search across repositories they can host and manage themselves. It is less suitable for organizations seeking a hosted service, a large integration ecosystem, or a more extensive search API. Windows is not supported, and the project is tested on macOS and CentOS. Choose Hound when repository indexing, regex search, automatic re-indexing, and editor access are the priorities; consider an alternative when managed deployment or broader platform coverage matters more.

Your product? Our editors can test Hound in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Hound pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on github.com

Hound fact sheet

Free plan	Yes
Paid from	Free
Indexing scope	Repositories
Deployment	Self_hosted
Supported languages	Not verified
Regex search	Yes
Code navigation	Not verified
IDE extensions	Yes
Deployment	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, macOS, Linux
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Integrations	4 integrations: Sublime Text, Vim, Emacs, Visual Studio Code
Pricing	Free plan
Website	github.com
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Hound integrations

Hound lists 4 integrations on its own site.

Sublime Text
Vim
Emacs
Visual Studio Code

Alternatives to Hound

See all Hound alternatives →

Also Ranked In

Hound is ranked in 2 of our directories.

#14Code Clone Detection Tools23 tools ranked

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Featured on iTechGuides

Hound is listed in our Code Search Tools directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/hound-code-search-tool/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/hound-code-search-tool.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update