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Databases · head to head

OpenSearch vs Meilisearch

OpenSearch logo

OpenSearch

Databases

Open-source search and analytics suite forked from Elasticsearch

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Meilisearch logo

Meilisearch

Databases

Fast open-source search engine built for typo tolerance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenSearch diverged from Elasticsearch since 7.10, so clients, plugins and features no longer map one to one; Meilisearch not built for log analytics or aggregation-heavy workloads, which is where Elasticsearch remains the answer
  • They diverge on capability: OpenSearch covers Full-text search, Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenSearch and Meilisearch actually diverge.

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

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

Only in Meilisearch

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

What people use each for

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

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenSearch

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

Meilisearch

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

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is OpenSearch or Meilisearch better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenSearch starts at Free and Meilisearch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenSearch or Meilisearch?
OpenSearch starts at Free and Meilisearch at Free.
Does OpenSearch or Meilisearch run on more platforms?
OpenSearch runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Meilisearch runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use OpenSearch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OpenSearch best used for?
OpenSearch is most often used for log and observability storage where an apache-2.0 licence is a requirement, replacing elasticsearch after the licence change without changing architecture, search plus analytics on one cluster rather than two systems. Of those, log and observability storage where an apache-2.0 licence is a requirement and replacing elasticsearch after the licence change without changing architecture are not what Meilisearch is typically brought in for.
What can OpenSearch do that Meilisearch cannot?
OpenSearch covers Full-text search, OpenSearch Dashboards, Log analytics, Vector search. Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance, Search as you type, Faceted search, Simple API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenSearch: Is OpenSearch free?

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

Meilisearch: Is Meilisearch free?

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

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: 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: 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.

Meilisearch: Does it handle typos automatically?

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

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