swirl-search
SWIRL is an open-source federated search and RAG platform that queries your existing data sources live—SharePoint, Confluence, Jira, Google Drive, etc.—without copying data into a vector database. It ranks results and optionally generates answers with citations, all via a web UI or REST API.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | swirlai/swirl-search |
| Owner | swirlai |
| Primary language | Python |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 3k |
| Forks | 285 |
| Open issues | 2 |
| Latest release | v4.5.0.7 (2026-06-22) |
| Last updated | 2026-06-29 |
| Source | https://github.com/swirlai/swirl-search |
What swirl-search is
Django-based Python application supporting 100+ connectors for live federated queries across disparate sources. Features cosine similarity re-ranking (spaCy/NLTK), Processor pipeline architecture for transforming queries/responses, SQLite/Postgres result storage, OAuth2 for M365, and extensible Connector/Mixer objects. Deployable via Docker in minutes.
Get the swirl-search source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/swirlai/swirl-search.gitcd swirl-search# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Ensure all upstream data sources (SharePoint, Confluence, Jira, etc.) have stable API access and OAuth2/auth credentials ready before deployment.
- Plan connector configuration and custom Processor logic for query rewriting, response deduplication, and result ranking tuning specific to your content.
- Validate that live query latency across your sources meets user expectations; implement caching or result post-processing if federation is too slow.
- Establish governance for API key and credential management (OpenAI, M365 OAuth, connector secrets); use environment variables or a secrets manager.
- Configure SQLite (development) or Postgres (production) backend for result persistence and analytics; plan data retention and cleanup policies.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Sub-Second Latency Requirement — Live federated queries introduce latency due to upstream source response times. If real-time SLAs demand <500ms results, vector DB pre-indexing may be mandatory.
- Offline or Disconnected Operation — SWIRL requires live connectivity to all source systems. Cannot operate if sources are intermittently unavailable or your use case needs offline-first search.
- Highly Specialized Ranking Needs — Community uses basic cosine similarity ranking. If you need advanced BM25, embeddings fusion, cross-encoder re-ranking, or domain-specific scoring, Enterprise is required.
- Managed Infrastructure Requirement — Community is self-hosted only. If your org requires vendor-managed SaaS, SOC-2 compliance infrastructure, or fully managed connectors with guaranteed uptime SLAs, only Enterprise qualifies.
License & commercial use
Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing commercial use, modification, and redistribution with attribution and liability disclaimer. No copyleft obligations. Full license available in the repository.
Apache 2.0 permits commercial use without vendor approval or licensing fees. You may deploy SWIRL Community in production for internal or customer-facing purposes, modify source code, and redistribute derivatives—provided you retain Apache headers and NOTICE files. No warranty is provided. Commercial support and managed hosting are available via SWIRL Enterprise; Community relies on community support channels.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Strong |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Strong |
| Assessment confidence | High |
SWIRL enforces source-level permissions (queries run with user's own credentials against upstream systems). No data is copied or stored centrally, reducing exposure surface. Community version offers no built-in encryption, hallucination warnings, or formal security audit claims. OAuth2 M365 integration available. Plan for secure credential storage (env vars, secrets manager) for API keys and connector tokens. Network traffic between SWIRL and sources should be encrypted (HTTPS). No SOC-2 or formal security certifications in Community; Enterprise offers SOC-2 hosted option.
Alternatives to consider
Elasticsearch with custom connectors
Requires ETL and data movement but offers mature indexing, powerful search syntax, and horizontal scaling. Choose if you can tolerate centralized copies or need sub-second latency.
Pinecone / Weaviate / Milvus (Vector DBs)
Specialized for semantic search and RAG but require data ingestion and vector embedding pipelines. Choose if semantic similarity is your primary requirement and latency is acceptable.
SWIRL Enterprise
Same core federated search but adds three-pass re-ranking, canonical answers, MCP server for agents, managed connectors, and SOC-2 hosting. Choose if you outgrow basic cosine ranking or need vendor-managed infrastructure.
Build on swirl-search with DEV.co software developers
SWIRL's Apache 2.0 license and Docker deployment let you start in minutes. Evaluate on your own data with no vendor lock-in. For production scale with advanced ranking and managed connectors, explore SWIRL Enterprise.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
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Related on DEV.co
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swirl-search FAQ
Do I have to move my data to use SWIRL?
What LLM does SWIRL use for RAG?
Can I use SWIRL in production without paying?
How fast is SWIRL search?
Work with a software development agency
Need help beyond evaluating swirl-search? DEV.co is a software development agency offering software development services and web development for teams of every size. Our software developers and web developers build custom software, web applications, APIs, and rag frameworks integrations — and maintain them long-term.
Ready to Build Federated Search Into Your Stack?
SWIRL's Apache 2.0 license and Docker deployment let you start in minutes. Evaluate on your own data with no vendor lock-in. For production scale with advanced ranking and managed connectors, explore SWIRL Enterprise.