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Databases · head to head

Meilisearch vs Milvus

Meilisearch logo

Meilisearch

Databases

Fast open-source search engine built for typo tolerance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Milvus logo

Milvus

Machine Learning

Open-source vector database for scalable similarity search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Meilisearch not built for log analytics or aggregation-heavy workloads, which is where Elasticsearch remains the answer; Milvus vector dimensions are capped at 32,768
  • They diverge on capability: Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance, Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Meilisearch and Milvus actually diverge.

Attributes where Meilisearch and Milvus differ
AttributeMeilisearchMilvus
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separatelyfreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hostedLinux, Mac, Windows, Web
CategoryDatabasesMachine Learning
FoundedUnknown2017

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 Meilisearch

  • Typo tolerance
  • Search as you type
  • Faceted search
  • Simple API

Only in Milvus

  • Billion-scale vectors
  • Multiple index types
  • GPU acceleration
  • Hybrid search
  • Data partitioning
  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow
  • Hugging Face

What people use each for

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

Meilisearch

  • Adding product or content search to an application without running Elasticsearchnot Milvus
  • Search-as-you-type interfaces where latency is visible to the usernot Milvus
  • Replacing SQL LIKE queries that cannot handle typos or rankingnot Milvus

Milvus

  • Self hosting a vector database for semantic searchnot Meilisearch
  • Storing and querying embeddings for retrieval augmented generationnot Meilisearch
  • Similarity search over images, audio or text at scalenot Meilisearch

Where each one falls short

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

Meilisearch

  • Not built for log analytics or aggregation-heavy workloads, which is where Elasticsearch remains the answer
  • Scaling across many nodes is less mature than the older engines it competes with
  • Memory use grows with index size, and large datasets need real capacity planning

Milvus

  • Vector dimensions are capped at 32,768
  • A collection is limited to 64 fields, 1,024 partitions and 16 shards
  • Only 1 index is allowed per field
  • Search returns at most 16,384 vectors as top-k, and nq is capped at 16,384
  • Input and output per RPC is capped at 64 MB for insert, search and query
  • VARCHAR values are limited to 65,535 characters
  • Data loaded into query nodes cannot exceed 90% of available memory
  • An instance supports at most 65,536 collections

Pricing, plan by plan

Meilisearch

Free
  • MeilisearchFree
    • Full functionality
    • Self-hosted
    • No usage limits

Milvus

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full features
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • Zilliz CloudFree
    • Managed service
    • Free tier available

Which should you pick?

Choose Meilisearch if

  • You need typo tolerance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want search as you type.
Meilisearch review

Choose Milvus if

  • You need billion-scale vectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web.
  • You also want multiple index types.
Milvus review

Questions people ask

Is Meilisearch or Milvus better?
Neither clearly leads. Meilisearch starts at Free and Milvus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Meilisearch or Milvus?
Meilisearch starts at Free and Milvus at Free.
Does Meilisearch or Milvus run on more platforms?
Meilisearch runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted. Milvus runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web.
Can I use Meilisearch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Meilisearch best used for?
Meilisearch is most often used for adding product or content search to an application without running elasticsearch, search-as-you-type interfaces where latency is visible to the user, replacing sql like queries that cannot handle typos or ranking. Of those, adding product or content search to an application without running elasticsearch and search-as-you-type interfaces where latency is visible to the user are not what Milvus is typically brought in for.
What can Meilisearch do that Milvus cannot?
Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance, Search as you type, Faceted search, Simple API. Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors, Multiple index types, GPU acceleration, Hybrid search.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Meilisearch: Is Meilisearch free?

The engine is open source and free to self-host. Meilisearch Cloud is a paid managed service.

Milvus: How much does Milvus cost?

Milvus is open-source and free to use and modify. The self-hosted version has no licensing cost. Zilliz Cloud (the managed SaaS version) does not publish pricing on the website.

Source
Meilisearch: Meilisearch or Elasticsearch?

Meilisearch is far simpler for application search and works well by default. Elasticsearch is the choice when you also need log analytics and heavy aggregations.

Milvus: Is there a free or open-source version of Milvus?

Yes, Milvus is fully open-source and available for free. Milvus Lite is a lightweight option for learning and prototyping that can be installed via pip.

Source
Meilisearch: Does it handle typos automatically?

Yes. Typo tolerance is on by default rather than something you configure.

Milvus: Does Milvus offer a managed cloud service?

Yes, Zilliz Cloud is a fully managed Milvus cloud offering with serverless and dedicated cluster options. Pricing must be requested from the company as it is not listed on the public website.

Source
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