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Databases · head to head

Apache Solr vs Convoy

Apache Solr logo

Apache Solr

Databases

Enterprise search platform built on Apache Lucene

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Convoy logo

Convoy

APIs

Open source webhooks gateway you self-host, handling both sending and receiving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Solr xML-heavy configuration and a developer experience that feels dated beside newer engines; Convoy the default deployment is self-hosted, so you operate Convoy plus Postgres and Redis and carry the on-call burden for the system that delivers your customers' events.
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Solr covers Lucene-based indexing, Convoy covers Inbound and outbound.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Solr and Convoy actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Solr and Convoy differ
AttributeApache SolrConvoy
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer month, flat rate regardless of volume
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud
CategoryDatabasesAPIs

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

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 Solr

  • Lucene-based indexing
  • Faceted search
  • SolrCloud
  • Schema control

Only in Convoy

  • Inbound and outbound
  • Broker-driven ingestion
  • Payload transformation
  • Portal links
  • Circuit breaking
  • Retry policies
  • OpenTelemetry export
  • Role-based access control

What people use each for

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

Apache Solr

  • Library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is centralnot Convoy
  • Long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over noveltynot Convoy
  • Search requiring precise, explicitly configured relevance tuningnot Convoy

Convoy

  • A fintech that cannot route customer webhook traffic through a third-party SaaS for compliance reasonsnot Apache Solr
  • A high-volume platform for which per-message webhook pricing costs more than the flat premium licencenot Apache Solr
  • A team that also receives webhooks from many providers and wants ingestion, verification and deduplication in the same gatewaynot Apache Solr
  • An engineering group that wants webhook delivery driven directly from an existing Kafka or SQS topicnot Apache Solr

Where each one falls short

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

Apache Solr

  • XML-heavy configuration and a developer experience that feels dated beside newer engines
  • SolrCloud depends on ZooKeeper, adding a component Elasticsearch removed years ago
  • Smaller mindshare now, so newer tutorials, hiring and integrations favour Elasticsearch
  • Considerably heavier than a purpose-built application search engine

Convoy

  • The default deployment is self-hosted, so you operate Convoy plus Postgres and Redis and carry the on-call burden for the system that delivers your customers' events.
  • Frain Technologies is a small startup, and putting customer-facing delivery infrastructure on it means accepting real vendor continuity risk on a component that is hard to swap out quickly.
  • The premium tier at a flat 999 US dollars a month is poor value below substantial volume, while the community edition omits the portal, transformations and RBAC that most production deployments end up wanting.
  • The hosted cloud trial is capped at one project and 100 events a day, which is too small to properly evaluate the service before committing.
  • Documentation and the third-party ecosystem are thinner than the established webhook services, so unusual configurations often mean reading the Go source.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Solr

Free
  • Apache SolrFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Convoy

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted open source gateway
    • Inbound and outbound webhooks
    • Automatic retries and message broker support
  • Premium$999/month
    • Flat rate irrespective of message volume
    • Portal links and payload transformation
    • RBAC, circuit breaking and white labelling
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • SAML SSO
    • Dedicated support with SLA
    • On-premises deployment assistance
  • Cloud$undefined/month
    • Hosted by Convoy
    • 14 day trial limited to one project and 100 events a day
    • Usage-based tiers above the trial

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Solr if

  • You need lucene-based indexing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want faceted search.
Apache Solr review

Choose Convoy if

  • You need inbound and outbound.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want broker-driven ingestion.
Convoy review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Solr or Convoy better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Solr starts at Free and Convoy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Solr or Convoy?
Apache Solr starts at Free and Convoy at Free.
Does Apache Solr or Convoy run on more platforms?
Apache Solr runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Convoy runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use Apache Solr for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Solr best used for?
Apache Solr is most often used for library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is central, long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over novelty, search requiring precise, explicitly configured relevance tuning. Of those, library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is central and long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over novelty are not what Convoy is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Solr do that Convoy cannot?
Apache Solr covers Lucene-based indexing, Faceted search, SolrCloud, Schema control. Convoy covers Inbound and outbound, Broker-driven ingestion, Payload transformation, Portal links.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Solr: Is Apache Solr free?

Yes, open source under the Apache Software Foundation.

Convoy: Is Convoy really open source?

Yes, the community edition is open source and self-hostable, covering both inbound and outbound webhooks with retries.

Apache Solr: Solr or Elasticsearch?

Both are built on Lucene. Elasticsearch has the larger ecosystem and a friendlier API; Solr is very mature and strong on faceted search, and remains common in library and catalogue systems.

Convoy: What does premium cost?

A flat 999 US dollars a month, self-hosted, regardless of message volume.

Apache Solr: Is Solr still maintained?

Yes, actively, as a top-level Apache project.

Convoy: Does it receive webhooks as well as send them?

Yes, inbound ingestion with verification and deduplication is a first-class feature, unlike most webhook services.

Convoy: Do I have to self-host?

No, there is a hosted cloud, but the trial is capped at 100 events a day and self-hosting is the primary model.

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