18.7
Chroma is open-source data infrastructure for AI that stores embeddings and metadata and supports search and retrieval across text, images, and other modalities.
Free planOpen sourceAndroidiOSWeb
Best Search & Vector Database Platforms in 2026
Search and vector database platforms help applications index content, run keyword or vector searches, and return matching records. They can be used through hosted services, APIs, or software you run yourself. Compare pricing models, free plans and trials, licensing, and the platforms available for your setup. Check Android support directly if you need to manage data from a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO phone or tablet;…
28.4
Vespa is an AI search platform for online, data-driven applications, combining retrieval, ranking, machine-learning inference, and real-time serving.
Open sourceWebAPILinux
38.2
Algolia is an API-first search solution that combines keyword and semantic methods to return relevant results.
Free planAndroidiOSWeb
- 4
SingleStore Helios
SingleStore Helios is a cloud database-as-a-service available on AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS8.1Free plan - 5
Apache Solr
Apache Solr is a free, open-source search platform built on Apache Lucene, with full-text, vector, and geospatial search.
Free planOpen sourceWebAPILinuxmacOS7.8Free plan - 6
Pinecone
Pinecone is a fully managed vector database for AI workloads, available through web and API access.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS7.8From $20 a month - 7
Typesense
Typesense is an open-source search engine for adding search to a website or app.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS7.3Free plan - 8
Meilisearch
Meilisearch is a search engine that developers can add to a website or application, either by self-hosting or using its cloud service.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS7.2From $20 a month - 9
Weaviate
Weaviate is an open-source AI vector database for storing, indexing, and searching high-dimensional vectors.
Free planWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted7.1$45 usage-based - 10
Qdrant
Qdrant is a vector similarity search engine and API for storing, searching, and managing vectors alongside payload data.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.9Free plan - 11
Elasticsearch
Elasticsearch is an open-source distributed search and analytics engine for applications involving speed, scale and AI.
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.7From $99 a month - 12
OpenSearch
OpenSearch is a community-driven, open-source suite for ingesting, searching, visualizing, and analyzing data.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.7Free plan - 13
Redis Insight
Redis Insight is a free developer tool for working with Redis through a graphical interface and command line.
Free planWebLinuxmacOSSelf-hosted6.7Free plan - 14
Milvus
Milvus is a free, open-source vector database for GenAI applications, developed by Zilliz.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.4Free plan - 15
Zilliz Cloud
Zilliz Cloud is a managed Milvus service for deploying and scaling vector search applications.
Free planWebAPI6.4Free plan - 16
LanceDB
LanceDB is an AI-native multimodal lakehouse for developing training datasets.
Free planAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.2Free plan - 17
Vertex AI Vector Search
Vertex AI Vector Search is a vector search engine for search, recommendations, and generative AI applications.
WebAPI5.8 - 18
5.4 - 194.8
- 204.7
- 21
Azure AI Search
Microsoft
4.3
Choosing well
Compare plans and trials
Pricing models in this category include free, freemium and paid options. A free plan can help you start without a subscription, while a trial lets you assess a paid service before committing.
Check what the free plan includes and when charges begin. Published notes include paid starting prices and trial periods for selected services.
Check where it runs
Platform coverage includes web, API, Linux, self-hosted, macOS and Windows. Match those options to the systems your team uses and how you plan to connect applications.
If phone or tablet access matters, look for an Android app or mobile-friendly web access before choosing.
Review the licence
Open-source code is available from tools in this category. Read the licence and confirm that its terms fit your project, redistribution plans and hosting model.
A self-hosted option may suit teams that want to operate the service on their own Linux or Windows systems.
Match search needs
Decide whether you need keyword search, vector search or both. Then check the product documentation for the indexing and query interfaces your application requires.
API access can suit software integrations, while a web service may be more convenient for browser-based administration.
Questions people ask
Can I start without paying?
Yes. Free plans are offered by tools in this category, and pricing models include free and freemium options.
Are open-source choices available?
Yes. Open-source code is offered by tools in this category. Review the licence and hosting requirements before adopting one.
Which systems are supported?
Listed platform options include web, API, Linux, self-hosted, macOS and Windows. Confirm support for your exact setup with the product.
Can I try a paid service first?
A free trial is offered by tools in this category. Trial length and terms differ, so check the product's pricing details.