OpenWebUI Search Shootout: Tavily vs Brave vs SearXNG

OpenWebUI supports multiple search backends. SearXNG is free but breaks under load. Tavily gives 1,000 free searches/month with summarized results. Brave offers raw search data at $5/1K queries. Scavio returns multi-platform structured JSON at $0.005/query. Here is how each performs for real OpenWebUI usage in May 2026.

SearXNG: free, fragile

• Cost: free (self-hosted Docker container)
• Reliability: degrades under sustained use. Google blocks the IP within days of regular use.
• Data quality: varies by which upstream engines respond. Inconsistent schema.
• Setup: Docker compose, works on first day, problems start on day 3+
• Best for: single user, light occasional use

Tavily: summarized, easy

• Cost: 1,000 free/month, then $0.008/credit
• Reliability: hosted service, consistent uptime
• Data quality: returns AI-summarized text, not raw search results. Good for Q&A, less useful when you need specific data points.
• Setup: API key in OpenWebUI settings, one field
• Best for: general grounding, Q&A-style searches

Brave Search API: raw, balanced

• Cost: $5 free monthly credits (~1,000 queries), then $5/1K
• Reliability: hosted, consistent
• Data quality: raw search results with snippets and URLs. No summarization.
• Setup: API key configuration, straightforward
• Best for: users who want raw search data without AI interpretation

Scavio: structured, multi-platform

• Cost: 250 free/month, then $0.005/query
• Reliability: hosted, consistent
• Data quality: typed JSON with organic results, AI Overviews, PAA, knowledge panels. Covers Google, Reddit, YouTube, Amazon.
• Setup: native tool or custom function in OpenWebUI
• Best for: users who want structured data and multi-platform coverage

Configuration comparison

// SearXNG (in docker-compose alongside OpenWebUI)
// OpenWebUI Settings > Web Search > SearXNG
// URL: http://searxng:8080/

// Tavily
// OpenWebUI Settings > Web Search > Tavily
// API Key: tvly-xxxxx

// Brave
// OpenWebUI Settings > Web Search > Brave
// API Key: BSAxxxxx

// Scavio (as native tool function)
// OpenWebUI Settings > Tools > Add Function
// See custom tool code in separate blog post

Verdict

Start with Tavily's free tier for general use. Switch to SearXNG only if you need zero ongoing costs and accept the reliability tradeoff. Move to Brave or Scavio when you need raw structured data, multi- platform coverage, or higher reliability than SearXNG provides.