Empathy.co
Gijon enterprise commerce search that documents a self-hosted AI infrastructure and a privacy-first position
Quick Overview
| Company | Empathy Systems Corporation S.L.U. |
|---|---|
| Category | Site Search Software |
| Headquarters | Gijon, Spain |
| Founded | 2012 |
| EU Presence | Yes - Spain (EU) |
| Data Location | Core AI services run on dedicated hardware at the company's own headquarters in Gijon, per its documentation |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Self-hosted AI infrastructure option, per its documentation |
| Main Features | Commerce search and merchandising, AI related tags and next queries, AI related prompts and carousels, AI Mode conversational search, spell check, insights, public documentation |
| Pricing | Pricing on request |
| Best For | Large retailers that want AI search with a say over where the models run |
| Replaces | Algolia, Coveo, Klevu |
Detailed Review
Empathy.co sells search for commerce to larger retailers, and its public documentation is unusually open about how the product works. The platform is operated by Empathy Systems Corporation S.L.U., a company registered in Asturias with its office in the Gijon science park.
The company's about page says it was founded in 2012 and describes itself as opposed to systems built around the trade of personal data, which is the pitch behind its privacy-focused search.
Keyword and AI Search on One Index
The homepage describes pairing AI search and keyword search as a unified index. The product list covers traditional search with merchandising, plus AI-generated related tags, next queries, related prompts, AI carousels and an AI Mode conversational layer.
The documentation carries dated release notes, for example a VTEX integration announced in June 2026.
Self-Hosted AI Infrastructure
A documentation page describes in-house AI infrastructure on dedicated private clouds, deployable on-premise or in commercial clouds, with core AI services running on hardware in the company's own headquarters building. The stated goal is that customers keep control over data, code and operations.
For public-sector or regulated retailers that have to say where a model runs, that is a concrete answer rather than a sub-processor list.
Enterprise Positioning
Pricing is not published and the site is organised around enterprise, medium and small retailer stories, with a request for a demo as the way in. Expect an implementation project rather than a plug-in install.
Limitations to Consider
Empathy.co publishes no prices and shows no self-service sign-up on the pages reviewed, so a small shop cannot try it in an afternoon the way it can with Doofinder. The self-hosting and private AI options are described in documentation and need a project with the vendor. The product is built around retail search, so it is a poor fit for documentation or intranet search.
Who Should Use Empathy.co
Large European retailers and marketplaces with an engineering team that need commerce search and want the option to keep AI processing on infrastructure they control.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Public documentation with dated release notes
- Self-hosted AI infrastructure option described
- Keyword and AI search on one index
- Registered Spanish company with a stated founding year
- Dedicated merchandising controls
Cons
- No published prices
- Demo-led onboarding rather than self-service
- Self-hosting is a project, not a switch
- Retail focus, not for documentation search
Alternatives to Empathy.co
Other European site search software worth comparing before you decide:
Meilisearch
France · Open-source search engine from Paris with a hosted Cloud option
Doofinder
Spain · Madrid e-commerce search with euro prices published per plan
Luigi's Box
Slovakia · Bratislava search, recommender and listing with every feature in each plan
Prefixbox
Hungary · Budapest AI search and navigation for larger online retailers
See all European site search software or compare them directly against Algolia on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Its documentation describes a self-hosted AI infrastructure that can be deployed on-premise or in commercial clouds, alongside the company's own dedicated private cloud. Arrange the scope with the vendor.
No. The pages reviewed on 23 October 2026 do not list prices; the route in is a demo or contact request.
Its privacy policy names Empathy Systems Corporation S.L.U. in the Gijon science park, Asturias, Spain, registered in the Asturias commercial register.