FAQ
Frequently asked questions
About Vane, cost, backups, upgrades, and security.
What is Vane?
Vane (formerly Perplexica) is an open-source, self-hosted AI answer engine. It searches the web through SearXNG and asks a model to write a cited answer.
Is this calculator official?
No. It is an independent, unofficial tool, not affiliated with Vane / Perplexica. It does not guarantee official pricing or features.
Do I need a GPU?
Not for a cloud API. For local models, a GPU is not strictly required, but it strongly affects speed. Compare local and API total cost in the calculator first.
Why do prices differ from the official site?
The calculator uses reference prices and editable defaults, not quotes. Taxes, exchange rates, plans, and promotions change the checkout price. The provider’s checkout is the source of truth.
Where does Vane send my data?
It depends on your deployment and model setup: search goes through SearXNG, and the model may be local or a cloud API. Self-hosting is not automatically anonymous; read your config and model provider terms.
Why only six pages?
This is a probe: first test whether anyone needs the calculator. The core calculator is built to full quality; more pages come only if search and usage signal appear.
How do I back up Vane?
Back up the Docker data volume (mounted at /home/vane/data in the official example), your compose/.env, and reverse-proxy config. Stop the container or take a consistent snapshot first, and actually test a restore. Back up model and search-source settings too.
How do I upgrade Vane?
Back up first, read the official release notes, then pull/rebuild the new image and restart. If the release changes the database schema, do not blindly roll back to the old image; keep the old tag and test in a staging copy first.
What should I check when it breaks?
Check the container logs and whether port 3000 is already in use; then verify the model API key/local model endpoint, SearXNG reachability, data-volume permissions, and image architecture (especially on ARM). Do not expose port 3000 directly to the internet.
What is the security boundary?
Vane is not a turnkey multi-tenant service: a public deployment needs a reverse proxy, authentication, TLS, and access control. Keep keys in environment variables/local config, not in images or Git; restrict access to the search backend and model endpoint too.