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Machine Learning · head to head

Milvus vs Turso

Milvus logo

Milvus

Machine Learning

Open-source vector database for scalable similarity search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Turso logo

Turso

Databases

The Database for the Age of AI Agents

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Milvus vector dimensions are capped at 32,768; Turso pro tier costs $416.58 monthly, a significant jump from Scaler plan

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Milvus and Turso actually diverge.

Attributes where Milvus and Turso differ
AttributeMilvusTurso
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Windows, WebWeb
CategoryMachine LearningDatabases
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Milvus

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

Only in Turso

Nothing recorded that Milvus does not also cover.

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

Turso

  • SQLite database hosting and replicationnot Milvus
  • Edge computing and distributed database deploymentsnot Milvus
  • Applications requiring multi-region database accessnot 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

Turso

  • Pro tier costs $416.58 monthly, a significant jump from Scaler plan
  • Overage charges apply on all tiers beyond storage and row limits
  • Enterprise options require contacting sales for custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Milvus

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

Turso

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 databases
    • 5 GB storage
    • 500M monthly rows read
  • Developer$4.99/month
    • Unlimited databases
    • 9 GB storage
    • 2.5B monthly rows read
  • Scaler$24.92/month
    • Unlimited databases
    • 24 GB storage
    • 100B monthly rows read
  • Pro$416.58/month
    • Unlimited databases
    • 50 GB storage
    • 250B monthly rows read

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 Turso if

  • You want to start without paying.
Turso review

Questions people ask

Is Milvus or Turso better?
Neither clearly leads. Milvus starts at Free and Turso at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Milvus or Turso?
Milvus starts at Free and Turso at Free.
Does Milvus or Turso run on more platforms?
Milvus runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web. Turso runs on Web.
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 Turso is typically brought in for.
What can Milvus do that Turso cannot?
Milvus covers Billion-scale vectors, Multiple index types, GPU acceleration, Hybrid search.

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
Turso: How much does Turso cost?

Turso offers a free tier with 100 databases and 5 GB storage. Paid tiers start at $4.99/month (Developer), $24.92/month (Scaler), and $416.58/month (Pro tier). Enterprise deployments require custom pricing.

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
Turso: What are the overage charges on Turso plans?

Overage charges vary by tier. Free tier charges $0.75/GB for storage overage and $1 per billion rows over the 500M limit. Developer tier charges $0.75/GB storage and $1 per billion rows. Scaler tier charges $0.50/GB and $0.80 per billion rows. Pro tier charges $0.45/GB and $0.75 per billion rows.

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
Turso: Is there a free tier on Turso?

Yes, Turso's free tier includes 100 databases, 5 GB storage, and 500 million monthly rows read with overage charges for excess usage.

Source
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