Searchbase

Searchbase is an open source and self-hostable web access tool that provides search and fetch capabilities for AI agents.

Searchbase gives AI agents independent web access through a straightforward interface. It features two main capabilities: searching the web for relevant pages with titles, links, and descriptions, and reading web pages by turning them into readable Markdown. Users can connect via a documented REST API or an MCP client using a single key. It is designed for developers building AI agents who want to choose their own models and search providers. The platform is open source and self-hostable with Docker or Kubernetes, and also offers a managed Searchbase Cloud option hosted in Europe.

Searchbase at a glance

Best for: Software engineer
Runs on: Web, API, self-hosted
Pricing: Prepaid credits starting from €5; no subscription; only successful operations charged
Released: October 2026
Category: AI search engine
Website: searchbase.md

Key features

Search the web for relevant pages
Turn web pages into readable Markdown
Connect through REST API or MCP
Deploy with Docker or Kubernetes
Choose supported search providers
Use managed Searchbase Cloud hosted in Europe

Use it for

Give AI agents access to web search results
Convert web pages into Markdown for AI agents
Self-host web access infrastructure for AI
Connect AI agents to the web via REST or MCP

Companions

Tools that articles about Searchbase recommend using with it, each with its job.

n8n — Self-hostable automation with code allowed in any step
Claude Code — Terminal-first agent that handles multi-hour refactors and migrations
Cursor — Same MCP server, registered with one command.
Qdrant — Self-hostable index for crawled docs.

Alternatives to Searchbase

Firecrawl — Provides direct web data access for AI agents with open source flexibility.
seekdb — Unifies relational, vector, and text data for production-grade AI agents.
Exa — Provides high-accuracy web search and deep research endpoints for AI agents.
Statebase — Store JSON data and execute server-side rules with scoped permissions.
SearchCLI — Provides a stable, reviewable CLI for managing Volcengine AI search workflows.
XERJ — It answers agent questions from an index instead of wasting tokens on context windows.
Singlebase — It combines a document database, vector database, and AI tools in one platform.
Search2o — Builds model-neutral agents with strict spend limits and role-based access.
Meilisearch — It returns answers in less than 50 milliseconds with out-of-the-box relevancy.
OpenViking — Unifies agent memory, knowledge RAG, and skills into a single directory structure.
Gsearch — Runs a real browser over MCP to fetch genuine Google results with zero API keys.
Web Search API — Grounds AI responses in live data using Ceramic.ai, Exa, and Linkup.

All Searchbase alternatives