Wiby
Wiby: A free search engine for older-style and personal websites, not the whole web. Ranked #28 of 37 in General Web Search Engines by our editors (7.2/10); pricing: Free plan; best for users seeking older-style and personal web pages.
At a glance
- Editor score7.2 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forUsers seeking older-style and personal web pages
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Facts checked14 Nov 2026
Where it wins
- Searches an index focused on older-style and personal websites
- Offers page submissions, search operators, and adjustable content filters
- Provides JSON output and open-source software for self-hosting
Where it doesn't
- Its focused index is not intended to cover the entire web
- Index seeding favors user and maintainer submissions
- Support is available by email
Our verdict on Wiby
Wiby is a free web search engine for people looking for personal websites and pages with an older web aesthetic, including sites designed for vintage computers. Its search index is deliberately focused rather than intended to cover the entire web, making it a niche alternative to broad general search. Visitors can submit pages for inclusion or use “surprise me” to land on a random site. It is best suited to curiosity-driven browsing and finding corners of the web that larger search engines may not emphasize.
Search controls add practical flexibility to that focused scope. Documented operators cover exact phrases, required and excluded terms, dates, and site restrictions. Adult-content filtering is adjustable, and an HTTPS filter is available for older browsers. Applications can use Wiby’s JSON search output, while people who want to run their own search engine can use the open-source software, licensed under GPLv2. These options make Wiby useful beyond its search page, though the search index remains centered on its chosen kind of sites.
The main trade-off is coverage: Wiby is not a substitute for a broad search engine when a query needs comprehensive web results. Its project prefers to seed the index through submissions from users and maintainers, so the experience is shaped by that focused approach. The official search service is free, and support is available by email. Choose Wiby for older-style and personal pages, casual discovery, or a self-hosted search project; choose a broader engine when wide-ranging coverage is the priority.
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Wiby pricing
Wiby fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Index approach | Crawler-based |
| Region focus | Not verified |
| Language selection | Not verified |
| Region selection | Not verified |
| Safe search controls | Yes |
| Search operators | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | wiby.me |
| Facts checked | 14 Nov 2026 |
Alternatives to Wiby
- Google AI ModeA free conversational search experience with cited web links and optional Google AI upgrades.9.3
- Brave SearchAn independent search index pairs web search with cited AI answers and ranking controls.9.2
- QwantA free search engine with its own indexing, multiple search verticals and optional AI tools.9.0
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
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