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Databases · head to head

Qdrant vs QuestDB

Qdrant logo

Qdrant

Databases

High-performance vector database for similarity search and embedding-based retrieval

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuestDB logo

QuestDB

Databases

Fast open source time-series database for high throughput ingestion

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Qdrant free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments; QuestDB open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Qdrant and QuestDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Qdrant and QuestDB differ
AttributeQdrantQuestDB
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming)Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Qdrant

Nothing recorded that QuestDB does not also cover.

Only in QuestDB

  • High Throughput Ingestion
  • SQL Support
  • Time-series Optimization
  • SIMD Vectorization
  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Built-in Web Console
  • InfluxDB Line Protocol
  • PostgreSQL

What people use each for

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

Qdrant

  • Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) backends for LLM applicationsnot QuestDB
  • Semantic search across large document corporanot QuestDB
  • Multimodal retrieval (text, images, video) for recommendation systemsnot QuestDB
  • Similarity-based product or content recommendationsnot QuestDB
  • Real-time vector indexing for streaming embedding datanot QuestDB

QuestDB

  • Time-series analytics ingesting up to 20M rows/second from IoT sensors or financial data feedsnot Qdrant
  • Real-time dashboarding with 32ms time-to-first-row latency for minute-level analyticsnot Qdrant
  • Applications requiring multi-tier storage (hot ingest, real-time SQL, cold Parquet archive)not Qdrant

Where each one falls short

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

Qdrant

  • Free tier extremely limited (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB disk); suitable only for experiments
  • Standard and Premium pricing usage-based; specific costs not published; requires calculator or quote
  • Requires understanding of embeddings and vector search concepts; not suitable for SQL-only teams
  • Early-stage serverless offering (coming soon) suggests maturity gaps in that deployment model

QuestDB

  • Open-source edition lacks high-availability, distributed architecture, and enterprise security features
  • Enterprise edition pricing not published; requires contacting sales for custom quote
  • Ingestion limit of 20M rows/sec platform-dependent; may not scale to extreme throughput requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

Qdrant

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Single-node cluster
    • 0.5 vCPU
    • 1GB RAM
  • Standard$undefined/usage-based
    • Dedicated resources
    • Flexible scaling
    • High availability
  • Premium$undefined/minimum spend
    • SSO and SAML
    • Private VPC links
    • 99.9% uptime SLA

QuestDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the QuestDB review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Qdrant if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming).
Qdrant review

Choose QuestDB if

  • You need high throughput ingestion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • You also want sql support.
QuestDB review

Questions people ask

Is Qdrant or QuestDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Qdrant starts at Free and QuestDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Qdrant or QuestDB?
Qdrant starts at Free and QuestDB at Free.
Does Qdrant or QuestDB run on more platforms?
Qdrant runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure), Kubernetes, Self-hosted, Edge (beta), Serverless (coming). QuestDB runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Can I use Qdrant for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Qdrant best used for?
Qdrant is most often used for retrieval-augmented generation (rag) backends for llm applications, semantic search across large document corpora, multimodal retrieval (text, images, video) for recommendation systems, similarity-based product or content recommendations. Of those, retrieval-augmented generation (rag) backends for llm applications and semantic search across large document corpora are not what QuestDB is typically brought in for.
What can Qdrant do that QuestDB cannot?
QuestDB covers High Throughput Ingestion, SQL Support, Time-series Optimization, SIMD Vectorization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Qdrant: Can I use Qdrant for free?

Yes, Qdrant offers a free tier that provides a single node cluster with 0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 4GB disk space. It includes free cloud inference with selected models and is described as free forever for testing and prototypes.

Source
QuestDB: How much does QuestDB Enterprise cost?

QuestDB does not publish specific pricing for the Enterprise tier. Customers must contact QuestDB via their enterprise contact form to receive a custom quote.

Source
Qdrant: How is Qdrant Cloud billing calculated?

Billing is calculated based on actual resource usage during each billing period. You are charged hourly for compute (vCPU), memory (GB), storage (GB), backups, and any paid inference tokens used.

Source
QuestDB: Does QuestDB offer a free version?

Yes, QuestDB Open Source is completely free and recommended for evaluation, prototyping, and pilot projects. Enterprise features, high availability, security, and dedicated support require the paid Enterprise tier.

Source
Qdrant: What happens if I scale beyond the free tier?

The Standard Tier uses the same usage-based billing model as the free tier but adds features like dedicated resources with flexible scaling, highly available setups with backup and disaster recovery, and a 99.5% uptime SLA.

Source
QuestDB: What deployment options does QuestDB offer?

QuestDB offers open source deployment, Enterprise deployment, and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) deployment. Pricing details for BYOC and Enterprise tiers are not published and require direct contact with sales.

Source
Qdrant: What SLA does Qdrant offer?

The Standard Tier provides 99.5% uptime SLA. The Premium Tier, which requires a minimum spend for enterprises, offers 99.9% uptime SLA along with single sign-on and private VPC links.

Source
Qdrant: Are there dedicated cloud infrastructure options?

Yes, Qdrant offers Hybrid Cloud (runs on your infrastructure) and Private Cloud (complete isolation) options, both with custom pricing that requires contacting the sales team.

Source
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