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Machine Learning · head to head

Milvus vs Sourcegraph Cody

Milvus logo

Milvus

Machine Learning

Open-source vector database for scalable similarity search

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Sourcegraph Cody logo

Sourcegraph Cody

AI

Enterprise AI coding assistant with whole-codebase context

From
$59/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Milvus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Milvus vector dimensions are capped at 32,768; Sourcegraph Cody no longer available to individual developers or small teams after free and Pro tiers were discontinued in mid-2025
  • They diverge on capability: Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors, Sourcegraph Cody covers Multi-repository context.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Milvus and Sourcegraph Cody actually diverge.

Attributes where Milvus and Sourcegraph Cody differ
AttributeMilvusSourcegraph Cody
Starting priceFree$59/month
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Windows, Webweb, windows, mac, linux
CategoryMachine LearningAI
Founded20172013

Identical on both: 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 Milvus

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

Only in Sourcegraph Cody

  • Multi-repository context
  • Large context window
  • Context filters
  • Model flexibility
  • IDE integration

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 Sourcegraph Cody
  • Storing and querying embeddings for retrieval augmented generationnot Sourcegraph Cody
  • Similarity search over images, audio or text at scalenot Sourcegraph Cody

Sourcegraph Cody

  • Cross-repository code understanding for large engineering orgsnot Milvus
  • AI-assisted code review and refactoring at enterprise scalenot Milvus
  • Enforcing data-boundary controls when using third-party LLMsnot Milvus
  • Codebase-aware chat and autocomplete for developersnot 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

Sourcegraph Cody

  • No longer available to individual developers or small teams after free and Pro tiers were discontinued in mid-2025
  • Priced substantially higher than many competing AI coding assistants, with Enterprise plans typically requiring annual contracts
  • Sourcegraph has shifted its individual-developer focus to a separate product, Amp, creating uncertainty about Cody's long-term product priority
  • Requires integration with Sourcegraph's broader code intelligence platform rather than working as a lightweight standalone extension

Pricing, plan by plan

Milvus

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

Sourcegraph Cody

$59/month
  • Enterprise$59/month
    • Whole-codebase AI context
    • Context filters for sensitive code
    • Multi-repository analysis

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 Sourcegraph Cody if

  • You need multi-repository context.
  • You work on web, windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want large context window.
Sourcegraph Cody review

Questions people ask

Is Milvus or Sourcegraph Cody better?
Neither clearly leads. Milvus starts at Free and Sourcegraph Cody at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Milvus or Sourcegraph Cody?
Milvus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Milvus and $59/month for Sourcegraph Cody.
Does Milvus or Sourcegraph Cody run on more platforms?
Milvus runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web. Sourcegraph Cody runs on web, windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Milvus for free?
Yes. Milvus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sourcegraph Cody starts at $59/month.
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 Sourcegraph Cody is typically brought in for.
What can Milvus do that Sourcegraph Cody cannot?
Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors, Multiple index types, GPU acceleration, Hybrid search. Sourcegraph Cody covers Multi-repository context, Large context window, Context filters, Model flexibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Sourcegraph Cody: Is Sourcegraph Cody still available to individual developers?

No, as of mid-2025 Cody Free and Pro plans were discontinued; Cody is now sold only as part of Sourcegraph's Enterprise plan, which requires an annual contract.

Source
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
Sourcegraph Cody: How much does Sourcegraph Enterprise cost?

Enterprise plans start around $16,000 and scale with team size and seat count, including bundled AI credits; exact pricing requires a sales quote.

Source
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
Sourcegraph Cody: How does the AI credit system work on Enterprise plans?

Each plan includes a pooled allocation of AI credits shared across the organization; credits do not expire and roll over at renewal, with volume credit add-ons available.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: What happens if my organization exceeds its credit allocation?

Sourcegraph's pricing page addresses overage and offers additional volume credit buckets for teams that need more than their committed allocation.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: Is a free trial available for Sourcegraph Enterprise?

Sourcegraph's pricing page lists free trial availability as one of its published FAQ topics for prospective Enterprise customers.

Source
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