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Developer Tools · head to head

Helm vs Qdrant

H

Helm

Developer Tools

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HelmFull review
Qdrant logo

Qdrant

Databases

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit QdrantFull review

The short version

  • Helm is a Kubernetes package manager, licensed Apache 2; Qdrant is an open-source vector search engine.
  • Both are free.
  • Where Qdrant falls short: free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helm and Qdrant actually diverge.

Attributes where Helm and Qdrant differ
AttributeHelmQdrant
Pricing modelOpen-sourceFreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted, Browser extension, Serverless (coming)
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

What people use each for

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

Helm

  • Kubernetes package manager and deployment toolnot Qdrant

Qdrant

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

Where each one falls short

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

Helm

  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

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

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Qdrant

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Single-node cluster
    • 0.5 vCPU
    • 1GB RAM
  • StandardOn request
    • Dedicated resources
    • Flexible scaling
    • High availability
  • PremiumOn request
    • SSO and SAML
    • Private VPC links
    • 99.9% uptime SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Choose Qdrant if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Browser extension, Serverless (coming).
Qdrant review

Questions people ask

Is Helm or Qdrant better?
Neither clearly leads. Helm 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, Helm or Qdrant?
Helm starts at Free and Qdrant at Free.
Does Helm or Qdrant run on more platforms?
Helm runs on Web. Qdrant runs on Web, Self-hosted, Browser extension, Serverless (coming).
Can I use Helm for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Helm best used for?
Helm is most often used for kubernetes package manager and deployment tool. Of those, kubernetes package manager and deployment tool is not what Qdrant is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helm: How much does Helm cost?

Helm is free and open-source. It is a graduated project in the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) with no commercial pricing model.

Source
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
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
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
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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