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Databases · head to head

Meilisearch vs OpenSearch

Meilisearch logo

Meilisearch

Databases

Fast open-source search engine built for typo tolerance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenSearch logo

OpenSearch

Databases

Open-source search and analytics suite forked from Elasticsearch

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; OpenSearch diverged from Elasticsearch since 7.10, so clients, plugins and features no longer map one to one
  • They diverge on capability: Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance, OpenSearch covers Full-text search.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Meilisearch and OpenSearch actually diverge.

Attributes where Meilisearch and OpenSearch differ
AttributeMeilisearchOpenSearch
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separatelyOpen source, no licence fee; managed services billed separately
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hostedLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted

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 Meilisearch

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

Only in OpenSearch

  • Full-text search
  • OpenSearch Dashboards
  • Log analytics
  • Vector search

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 OpenSearch
  • Search-as-you-type interfaces where latency is visible to the usernot OpenSearch
  • Replacing SQL LIKE queries that cannot handle typos or rankingnot OpenSearch

OpenSearch

  • Log and observability storage where an Apache-2.0 licence is a requirementnot Meilisearch
  • Replacing Elasticsearch after the licence change without changing architecturenot Meilisearch
  • Search plus analytics on one cluster rather than two systemsnot 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

OpenSearch

  • Diverged from Elasticsearch since 7.10, so clients, plugins and features no longer map one to one
  • Operationally heavy in the way Elasticsearch is: cluster sizing, shard strategy and JVM tuning are ongoing work
  • Smaller ecosystem of third-party tooling than Elasticsearch, which most integrations still target first
  • Overkill for plain application search, where a dedicated search engine is far simpler

Pricing, plan by plan

Meilisearch

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

OpenSearch

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

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 OpenSearch if

  • You need full-text search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want opensearch dashboards.
OpenSearch review

Questions people ask

Is Meilisearch or OpenSearch better?
Neither clearly leads. Meilisearch starts at Free and OpenSearch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Meilisearch or OpenSearch?
Meilisearch starts at Free and OpenSearch at Free.
Does Meilisearch or OpenSearch run on more platforms?
Meilisearch runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted. OpenSearch runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
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 OpenSearch is typically brought in for.
What can Meilisearch do that OpenSearch cannot?
Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance, Search as you type, Faceted search, Simple API. OpenSearch covers Full-text search, OpenSearch Dashboards, Log analytics, Vector 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.

OpenSearch: Is OpenSearch free?

Yes, Apache 2.0 licensed under the Linux Foundation. Amazon OpenSearch Service is a paid managed option.

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.

OpenSearch: Why does OpenSearch exist?

Elastic moved Elasticsearch off the Apache 2.0 licence in 2021. AWS forked the last Apache-licensed version, and the project now sits under the Linux Foundation.

Meilisearch: Does it handle typos automatically?

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

OpenSearch: Is OpenSearch compatible with Elasticsearch?

It was at the 7.10 fork point. Both have developed independently since, so compatibility weakens with every release and should be verified for the features you use.

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