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Databases · head to head

Knack vs Zilliz

Knack logo

Knack

Databases

Hosted no-code database and web app builder priced by stored records and storage, with unlimited user accounts on every plan.

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zilliz logo

Zilliz

Databases

Managed vector database and vector lakebase for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zilliz has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Knack plans are capped by stored records, so an application that logs events or keeps history rather than current state climbs tiers on data volume alone, and archiving old records becomes a permanent maintenance chore rather than a one-off.; Zilliz pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • They diverge on capability: Knack covers Visual database builder, Zilliz covers Vector indexing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Knack and Zilliz actually diverge.

Attributes where Knack and Zilliz differ
AttributeKnackZilliz
Starting price$59/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptioncontact-sales
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebCloud, Self-hosted
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: 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 Knack

  • Visual database builder
  • User logins and roles
  • Page builder
  • Unlimited users
  • E-commerce
  • Automation flows
  • Scheduled tasks
  • REST API and webhooks

Only in Zilliz

  • Vector indexing
  • Distributed architecture
  • SQL interface
  • Tensor support
  • Real-time search
  • Cloud-native
  • Open-source compatible

What people use each for

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

Knack

  • A member or client portal where thousands of external people need their own login and see only their own recordsnot Zilliz
  • Replacing a shared spreadsheet used by a team that has outgrown it but cannot justify a developer to build a bespoke internal toolnot Zilliz
  • Inventory, asset or case tracking for a small operations team that needs roles, forms and a record of who changed whatnot Zilliz
  • A registration or booking application for an association, school or non-profit where the user count is large and the record count stays modestnot Zilliz

Zilliz

  • Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systemsnot Knack
  • Implement semantic search over documentsnot Knack
  • Create multimodal search with text and imagesnot Knack
  • Power recommendation engines with vector similaritynot Knack
  • Enable similarity search on user embeddingsnot Knack

Where each one falls short

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

Knack

  • Plans are capped by stored records, so an application that logs events or keeps history rather than current state climbs tiers on data volume alone, and archiving old records becomes a permanent maintenance chore rather than a one-off.
  • API access is capped per day, at 1,000 calls on the entry plan and 10,000 at the Corporate tier, so a scheduled sync or a busy automation can exhaust the day's quota before the working day ends and integrations then fail silently.
  • The application itself cannot be exported or self-hosted; records can be downloaded but the pages, roles, flows and business logic exist only inside Knack, so outgrowing the platform means rebuilding the app rather than moving it.
  • Customisation beyond the builder is limited to injected CSS and JavaScript that Knack's support does not cover, so any non-standard interface behaviour becomes yours to maintain against a DOM the vendor can change without warning.
  • Compliance capabilities that regulated buyers assume are baseline, HIPAA and GovCloud options, advanced SSO, IP restrictions and private environments, are gated to the Corporate and Enterprise tiers, so a small regulated pilot cannot legitimately start on an entry plan.

Zilliz

  • Pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • Operational complexity for self-hosted Milvus deployments
  • Learning curve for those unfamiliar with vector databases
  • Limited built-in analytics compared to some alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

Knack

$59/month
  • Starter$59/month
    • 20,000 database records
    • Unlimited users, tables, fields
    • 25 AI credits
  • Pro$130/month
    • 50,000 database records
    • Remove Knack branding
    • E-commerce payments
  • Corporate$300/month
    • 125,000-2.5M database records
    • App restore functionality
    • Advanced SSO
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • HIPAA/GovCloud-based options
    • Custom pricing

Zilliz

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zilliz review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Knack if

  • You need visual database builder.
  • You also want user logins and roles.
Knack review

Choose Zilliz if

  • You need vector indexing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want distributed architecture.
Zilliz review

Questions people ask

Is Knack or Zilliz better?
Neither clearly leads. Knack starts at $59/month and Zilliz at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Knack or Zilliz?
Zilliz has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $59/month for Knack and Free for Zilliz.
Does Knack or Zilliz run on more platforms?
Knack runs on Web. Zilliz runs on Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use Zilliz for free?
Yes. Zilliz has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Knack starts at $59/month.
What is Knack best used for?
Knack is most often used for a member or client portal where thousands of external people need their own login and see only their own records, replacing a shared spreadsheet used by a team that has outgrown it but cannot justify a developer to build a bespoke internal tool, inventory, asset or case tracking for a small operations team that needs roles, forms and a record of who changed what, a registration or booking application for an association, school or non-profit where the user count is large and the record count stays modest. Of those, a member or client portal where thousands of external people need their own login and see only their own records and replacing a shared spreadsheet used by a team that has outgrown it but cannot justify a developer to build a bespoke internal tool are not what Zilliz is typically brought in for.
What can Knack do that Zilliz cannot?
Knack covers Visual database builder, User logins and roles, Page builder, Unlimited users. Zilliz covers Vector indexing, Distributed architecture, SQL interface, Tensor support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Knack: Is Knack charged per user?

No. User accounts are unlimited on all plans. Plans are bounded by stored record count, file storage, API calls per day and automation transactions.

Zilliz: What is the difference between Milvus and Zilliz Cloud?

Milvus is the open-source vector database that you can self-host. Zilliz Cloud is the fully managed service built on Milvus that removes operational overhead and handles scaling automatically.

Source
Knack: What happens when I exceed the record limit?

You move to a higher tier or reduce stored records. Because the limit is on data rather than people, apps that accumulate history hit it while apps that track a fixed set of entities generally do not.

Zilliz: How many vectors can Zilliz handle?

Milvus and Zilliz Cloud can store and search billions of vectors through their distributed architecture that separates storage and compute layers.

Source
Knack: Can I export my application or self-host it?

You can export record data. The application itself, its pages, roles, permissions and flows, is not exportable and cannot be self-hosted, so leaving means rebuilding elsewhere.

Zilliz: Is Milvus open-source?

Yes, Milvus is open-source under the Apache License 2.0 and is part of the LF AI & Data Foundation.

Source
Knack: Is it suitable for public-facing portals?

That is its strongest case, because logins are unlimited and role-based permissions are built in. The constraint is record volume and API throughput, not audience size.

Zilliz: What pricing does Zilliz Cloud offer?

Zilliz Cloud pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting their team to discuss your specific scale and use case requirements.

Source
Knack: Can I use it for regulated data?

HIPAA-aligned and government cloud options exist but only on the Enterprise tier, along with private server environments. Lower tiers should not be used for regulated workloads.

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