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Databases · head to head

Apache Doris vs Qdrant

Apache Doris logo

Apache Doris

Databases

MPP analytical database with a MySQL wire protocol and sub-second aggregation on wide tables

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Qdrant logo

Qdrant

Databases

High-performance vector database for similarity search and embedding-based retrieval

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Doris two competing commercial vendors, VeloDB and SelectDB, were founded by overlapping core contributors, which makes the long-term governance and roadmap of the project harder to predict than a single-sponsor project.; Qdrant free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Doris and Qdrant actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Doris and Qdrant differ
AttributeApache DorisQdrant
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming)

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apache Doris

  • MySQL wire protocol
  • Aggregate and unique key models
  • Materialised views
  • Multi-catalogue federation
  • Routine load from Kafka
  • Compute storage separation
  • Inverted indexes
  • Workload groups

Only in Qdrant

Nothing recorded that Apache Doris does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apache Doris

  • A team whose MySQL read replica can no longer serve reporting queries and wants an OLAP engine its existing drivers already speaknot Qdrant
  • A real-time dashboard backend needing sub-second aggregation over billions of rows with hundreds of concurrent usersnot Qdrant
  • An ad or ecommerce platform that needs updates and deletes on analytical tables, which append-only OLAP engines handle badlynot Qdrant
  • A data team that wants one SQL endpoint over both internal tables and existing Hive or Iceberg tables in the lakenot Qdrant

Qdrant

  • Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) backends for LLM applicationsnot Apache Doris
  • Semantic search across large document corporanot Apache Doris
  • Multimodal retrieval (text, images, video) for recommendation systemsnot Apache Doris
  • Similarity-based product or content recommendationsnot Apache Doris
  • Real-time vector indexing for streaming embedding datanot Apache Doris

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apache Doris

  • Two competing commercial vendors, VeloDB and SelectDB, were founded by overlapping core contributors, which makes the long-term governance and roadmap of the project harder to predict than a single-sponsor project.
  • A large share of design discussion, issue reports and documentation detail originates in Chinese, so teams that do not read it get a thinner picture of known problems and workarounds.
  • Operating a cluster means managing frontend and backend node roles, tablet balancing and compaction tuning, and compaction backlogs under heavy upsert load are a recurring production complaint.
  • The MySQL protocol compatibility is at the wire level, not full MySQL semantics, so queries and functions still need porting and the familiarity can mislead.
  • Managed cloud availability outside China and major clouds is limited compared with ClickHouse or Snowflake, so many Western adopters end up self-hosting whether they wanted to or not.

Qdrant

  • Free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments
  • Standard and Premium pricing usage-based; specific costs not published; requires calculator or quote
  • Requires understanding of embeddings and vector search concepts; not suitable for SQL-only teams
  • Early-stage serverless offering (coming soon) suggests maturity gaps in that deployment model

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Doris

Free
  • Apache DorisFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence with no usage restrictions
    • All engine features included
    • Community support via mailing list and Slack

Qdrant

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Single-node cluster
    • 0.5 vCPU
    • 1GB RAM
  • Standard$undefined/usage-based
    • Dedicated resources
    • Flexible scaling
    • High availability
  • Premium$undefined/minimum spend
    • SSO and SAML
    • Private VPC links
    • 99.9% uptime SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Doris if

  • You need mysql wire protocol.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want aggregate and unique key models.
Apache Doris review

Choose Qdrant if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming).
Qdrant review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Doris or Qdrant better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Doris starts at Free and Qdrant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Doris or Qdrant?
Apache Doris starts at Free and Qdrant at Free.
Does Apache Doris or Qdrant run on more platforms?
Apache Doris runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Qdrant runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming).
Can I use Apache Doris for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Doris best used for?
Apache Doris is most often used for a team whose mysql read replica can no longer serve reporting queries and wants an olap engine its existing drivers already speak, a real-time dashboard backend needing sub-second aggregation over billions of rows with hundreds of concurrent users, an ad or ecommerce platform that needs updates and deletes on analytical tables, which append-only olap engines handle badly, a data team that wants one sql endpoint over both internal tables and existing hive or iceberg tables in the lake. Of those, a team whose mysql read replica can no longer serve reporting queries and wants an olap engine its existing drivers already speak and a real-time dashboard backend needing sub-second aggregation over billions of rows with hundreds of concurrent users are not what Qdrant is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Doris do that Qdrant cannot?
Apache Doris covers MySQL wire protocol, Aggregate and unique key models, Materialised views, Multi-catalogue federation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Doris: Is Apache Doris really free?

Yes, it is Apache 2.0 with no usage restrictions. The commercial products are managed services from VeloDB and SelectDB.

Qdrant: Can I use Qdrant for free?

Yes, Qdrant offers a free tier that provides a single node cluster with 0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 4GB disk space. It includes free cloud inference with selected models and is described as free forever for testing and prototypes.

Source
Apache Doris: Can I use my MySQL tools with it?

Yes, it implements the MySQL wire protocol, so clients and BI connectors attach without a new driver, though SQL semantics differ.

Qdrant: How is Qdrant Cloud billing calculated?

Billing is calculated based on actual resource usage during each billing period. You are charged hourly for compute (vCPU), memory (GB), storage (GB), backups, and any paid inference tokens used.

Source
Apache Doris: How does it compare with ClickHouse?

Doris handles updates and high concurrency more comfortably; ClickHouse is generally faster on raw single-query scan throughput and has far wider Western support.

Qdrant: What happens if I scale beyond the free tier?

The Standard Tier uses the same usage-based billing model as the free tier but adds features like dedicated resources with flexible scaling, highly available setups with backup and disaster recovery, and a 99.5% uptime SLA.

Source
Apache Doris: Who maintains it?

The Apache Software Foundation project, with most committers employed by VeloDB or SelectDB.

Qdrant: What SLA does Qdrant offer?

The Standard Tier provides 99.5% uptime SLA. The Premium Tier, which requires a minimum spend for enterprises, offers 99.9% uptime SLA along with single sign-on and private VPC links.

Source
Qdrant: Are there dedicated cloud infrastructure options?

Yes, Qdrant offers Hybrid Cloud (runs on your infrastructure) and Private Cloud (complete isolation) options, both with custom pricing that requires contacting the sales team.

Source
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