YaCy (pronounced “ya see”) is a free distributed search engine built on the principles of peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, created by Michael Christen in 2003. The engine is written in Java and distributed on several hundred "YaCy-peer" computers, as of September 2006.
Each YaCy-peer independently crawls through the Internet, analyzes and indexes found web pages, and stores indexing results in a common database which is shared with other YaCy-peers using principles of peer-to-peer. This decentralized approach ensures privacy and eliminates the need for a central server.
Compared to semi-distributed search engines, the YaCy network has a distributed architecture. All YaCy-peers are equal and no central server exists. It can be run either in a crawling mode or as a local proxy server, indexing web pages visited by the person running YaCy on their computer. Several mechanisms are provided to protect the user's privacy. Search functions are accessed by a locally run web server which provides a search box to enter search terms, and returns search results in a format similar to popular search engines.
What is YaCy?
YaCy by Michael Christen is open-source Windows software in the file managers & search category. It ranks 11th by popularity among file managers & search in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2004. It is written in Java.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE installers for Any CPU Windows. The main installer is 70.2 MB. It needs Windows 10 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 2,182 times. The source code on GitHub (yacy/yacy_search_server) has 4,073 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 16 of our languages. Similar programs include Elasticsearch, Double Commander and Open-Shell.
Project description on GitHub: “Distributed Peer-to-Peer Web Search Engine and Intranet Search Appliance”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Mature project (since 2004)
Cons
- No update for more than a year
In short: YaCy is an open-source file managers & search tool for Any CPU PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is YaCy safe to download?
- The file is served by download.yacy.net, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
208FEB068640A8DE6E98514403A09F5C3B55BD3B9C305DD3B17B75CF28F3BC67· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the yacy/yacy_search_server repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No dangerous workflows10
- Actively maintained10
- Published packages10
- Licence declared9
- No binaries in the repository5
- Code review2
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Branch protection0
- Static code analysis0
- Pinned dependencies0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.924Latest | May 22, 2021 | 70.2 MB | Any CPU EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id YaCy.YaCy -echoco install yacy -yyacy_v1.924_20201214_10042.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Michael Christen
- Category
- File managers & search
- Licence
- GNU GPL v2
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/yacy/yacy_search_server
- Written in
- Java
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- Any CPU
- Installer
- EXE
- Version
- 1.924
- Released
- May 22, 2021
- First release
- 2004
- Added to the catalogue
- May 22, 2021
- Versions listed
- 1
- Chocolatey downloads
- 2,182
- GitHub stars
- 4,073
- GitHub forks
- 503
- Website
- yacy.net
- winget ID
- YaCy.YaCy
- Chocolatey package
- yacy
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is YaCy free?
Yes. YaCy is open-source software under the GNU GPL v2 licence.
Is YaCy safe to download?
The download comes from download.yacy.net, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install YaCy with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can YaCy be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Which Windows versions does YaCy support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for Any CPU.
Does YaCy run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
The installer is architecture-neutral.
What are alternatives to YaCy?
Elasticsearch, Double Commander, Open-Shell, Files - Stable and Total Commander. The alternatives page compares them.
