MetaGervs
Qwant
Both score similarly on sovereignty (88 vs 88). The right choice depends on the details below – open source, self-hosting, pricing and focus.
Score comparison
| MetaGer | Qwant | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty | 88 | 88 |
| Privacy | 92 | 90 |
| Open Source | 85 | 10 |
| Business fit | 62 | 72 |
| Migration ease | 45 | 45 |
| Pricing transparency | 80 | 84 |
| Enterprise readiness | 56 | 66 |
Features & facts
| MetaGer | Qwant | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Germany | France |
| Open Source | Yes | No |
| Self-Hosting | No | No |
| Cloud/SaaS | Yes | Yes |
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| DPA / AV-Vertrag | unknown | unknown |
| ISO 27001 | unknown | unknown |
| Data location | Germany (servers exclusively in DE) | EU (France); own European index |
| From | on request | on request |
| Founded | 1996 | 2013 |
MetaGer
Germany
Non-profit German metasearch engine (SUMA-EV) – open source, no IP storage, servers only in Germany.
Strengths
- Non-profit (SUMA-EV), open source (AGPLv3)
- No IP storage, anonymising proxy
- Servers exclusively in Germany, renewable energy
- Independent, without commercial interests
Weaknesses
- Metasearch without its own index (uses external engines)
- Small non-profit operation, fewer convenience features
- Full feature set partly tied to membership
Qwant
France
French privacy-friendly search engine with its own European index – no tracking or user profiles, EU-hosted.
Strengths
- Own European search index (independence from US backends)
- No tracking, no user profiles, EU-hosted
- GDPR/CNIL-compliant, not subject to the US CLOUD Act
- Publicly backed (incl. European Investment Bank)
Weaknesses
- Not open source, no self-hosting
- Result quality for niche searches sometimes weaker than Google
- Smaller ad/shopping ecosystem
Choose MetaGer if…
- Maximally privacy-conscious users
- People who prefer open source and non-profit
- Research without a filter bubble or tracking
Choose Qwant if…
- Privacy-conscious users and organisations
- Public sector and education with sovereignty requirements
- Anyone wanting a European Google alternative with its own index
Scores are editorial orientation, not legal advice. Details are based on public provider information and are not independently verified.