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Milvus vs BentoML

Milvus logo

Milvus

Software

Open-source vector database for scalable similarity search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BentoML logo

BentoML

Software

Build production-ready ML applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Milvus vector dimensions are capped at 32,768; BentoML core BentoML framework is Apache 2.0 and free, but the managed BentoCloud enterprise tier has no published pricing: the README instructs buyers to sign up for personal access or contact sales for enterprise use, with no rate card shown.
  • They diverge on capability: Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors, BentoML covers Model packaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Milvus and BentoML actually diverge.

Attributes where Milvus and BentoML differ
AttributeMilvusBentoML
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Windows, WebLinux, Mac, Windows
Founded20172019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Milvus

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

Only in BentoML

  • Model packaging
  • REST API generation
  • Adaptive batching
  • Multi-framework support
  • Container deployment
  • scikit-learn
  • XGBoost
  • Docker

Both cover

  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow
  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Milvus

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

BentoML

  • Machine learningnot Milvus
  • Data analysisnot Milvus
  • Model trainingnot Milvus
  • Predictive analyticsnot Milvus

Where each one falls short

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

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

BentoML

  • Core BentoML framework is Apache 2.0 and free, but the managed BentoCloud enterprise tier has no published pricing: the README instructs buyers to sign up for personal access or contact sales for enterprise use, with no rate card shown.

Pricing, plan by plan

Milvus

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

BentoML

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Model packaging
    • API creation
    • Local serving
  • BentoCloudFree
    • Managed deployment
    • Auto-scaling
    • Monitoring

Which should you pick?

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

Choose BentoML if

  • You need model packaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want rest api generation.
BentoML review

Questions people ask

Is Milvus or BentoML better?
Neither clearly leads. Milvus starts at Free and BentoML at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Milvus or BentoML?
Milvus starts at Free and BentoML at Free.
Does Milvus or BentoML run on more platforms?
Milvus runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web. BentoML runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
Can I use Milvus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Milvus best used for?
Milvus is most often used for self hosting a vector database for semantic search, storing and querying embeddings for retrieval augmented generation, similarity search over images, audio or text at scale. Of those, self hosting a vector database for semantic search and storing and querying embeddings for retrieval augmented generation are not what BentoML is typically brought in for.
What can Milvus do that BentoML cannot?
Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors, Multiple index types, GPU acceleration, Hybrid search. BentoML covers Model packaging, REST API generation, Adaptive batching, Multi-framework support. Both handle PyTorch, TensorFlow, Linux support, Mac support.
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