For a long time, MevaSearch existed as a passion project for free. However, as of April 2026, we have transitioned to a subscription-funded model.
This wasn't a decision made lightly, but it was a necessary one to ensure that our mission of privacy remains untainted. Here is the story of why the "free" era ended and how we are building a more resilient future.
1. The Death of the "Free Ride"
In early 2026, Google announced the termination of its free Programmable Search Engine (GSE) services. This move effectively pulled the rug out from under many independent projects. For MevaSearch, it was a wake-up call: relying on Big Tech’s "generosity" was a liability, not a feature.
2. Strategic Independence with WebOrbiton
On March 30, 2026, MevaSearch officially became part of the WebOrbiton Team. Under the leadership of WebOrbiton, we decided to cut ties with Google’s infrastructure entirely. Independence, however, requires resources. To build a search engine that doesn't answer to Silicon Valley, we needed a way to fund high-performance servers and API costs without compromising our ethics.
3. The Move to High-Quality Data Sources
We didn't just want to replace Google; we wanted to provide better results. We shifted to the Brave Search API as our primary source, supplemented by our own proprietary WebAtlas index.
The New Model
Most "free" search engines are actually data-harvesting operations. If you aren't paying for the product, you are the product. MevaSearch has inverted this logic.
