Softwr

Databases · head to head

SingleStore vs Zilliz

SingleStore logo

SingleStore

Databases

The real-time distributed SQL database for data-intensive applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zilliz logo

Zilliz

Databases

Managed vector database and vector lakebase for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SingleStore high licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size; Zilliz pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • They diverge on capability: SingleStore covers Real-time Analytics, Zilliz covers Vector indexing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SingleStore and Zilliz actually diverge.

Attributes where SingleStore and Zilliz differ
AttributeSingleStoreZilliz
Pricing modelUnknowncontact-sales
PlatformsCloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-ManagedCloud, Self-hosted
Founded20112017

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 SingleStore

  • Real-time Analytics
  • Fast Data Ingest
  • In-memory Processing
  • Distributed Architecture
  • MySQL Compatible
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vector Search
  • Kafka

Only in Zilliz

  • Vector indexing
  • Distributed architecture
  • SQL interface
  • Tensor support
  • Real-time search
  • Cloud-native
  • Open-source compatible

What people use each for

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

SingleStore

  • Transaction processingnot Zilliz
  • Data storagenot Zilliz
  • Application backendnot Zilliz
  • Reportingnot Zilliz
  • Data analyticsnot Zilliz

Zilliz

  • Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systemsnot SingleStore
  • Implement semantic search over documentsnot SingleStore
  • Create multimodal search with text and imagesnot SingleStore
  • Power recommendation engines with vector similaritynot SingleStore
  • Enable similarity search on user embeddingsnot SingleStore

Where each one falls short

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

SingleStore

  • High licensing costs that increase with data scale and cluster size
  • Eventual consistency in replication: secondary replicas may lag during high write loads
  • Complex operational setup requiring specialized knowledge for optimization
  • Vendor lock-in due to proprietary technology without open-source alternatives
  • Disorganized documentation and lack of online training resources

Zilliz

  • Pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • Operational complexity for self-hosted Milvus deployments
  • Learning curve for those unfamiliar with vector databases
  • Limited built-in analytics compared to some alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

SingleStore

Free
  • Free Tier$0.99/month
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Limited resources

Zilliz

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zilliz review.

Which should you pick?

Choose SingleStore if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed.
  • You also want fast data ingest.
SingleStore review

Choose Zilliz if

  • You need vector indexing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want distributed architecture.
Zilliz review

Questions people ask

Is SingleStore or Zilliz better?
Neither clearly leads. SingleStore starts at Free and Zilliz at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SingleStore or Zilliz?
SingleStore starts at Free and Zilliz at Free.
Does SingleStore or Zilliz run on more platforms?
SingleStore runs on Cloud (SingleStoreDB Cloud), Self-Managed. Zilliz runs on Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use SingleStore for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SingleStore best used for?
SingleStore is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Zilliz is typically brought in for.
What can SingleStore do that Zilliz cannot?
SingleStore covers Real-time Analytics, Fast Data Ingest, In-memory Processing, Distributed Architecture. Zilliz covers Vector indexing, Distributed architecture, SQL interface, Tensor support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SingleStore: Does SingleStore offer a free tier?

Yes, SingleStore offers a free tier starting from $0.99/month with usage-based pricing. The free tier allows developers to evaluate the platform with limited resources before scaling to production workloads.

Source
Zilliz: What is the difference between Milvus and Zilliz Cloud?

Milvus is the open-source vector database that you can self-host. Zilliz Cloud is the fully managed service built on Milvus that removes operational overhead and handles scaling automatically.

Source
SingleStore: Can SingleStore handle both transactional and analytical workloads?

Yes, SingleStore is a hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP) database that combines operational (OLTP) and analytical (OLAP) workloads in a single unified engine, eliminating the need for separate systems.

Source
Zilliz: How many vectors can Zilliz handle?

Milvus and Zilliz Cloud can store and search billions of vectors through their distributed architecture that separates storage and compute layers.

Source
SingleStore: Does SingleStore integrate with Apache Spark?

Yes, SingleStore provides the Spark Connector 3.0 for bidirectional data integration with Apache Spark. The connector supports SQL, Python, Scala, Java, and R for data loading and extraction.

Source
Zilliz: Is Milvus open-source?

Yes, Milvus is open-source under the Apache License 2.0 and is part of the LF AI & Data Foundation.

Source
SingleStore: Can SingleStore ingest data from Kafka?

Yes, SingleStore supports high-throughput streaming ingestion from Apache Kafka and other sources, enabling millions of events per second without requiring ETL pipelines or data movement.

Source
Zilliz: What pricing does Zilliz Cloud offer?

Zilliz Cloud pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting their team to discuss your specific scale and use case requirements.

Source
SingleStore: Is SingleStore available as cloud or self-managed?

SingleStore offers both deployment options: SingleStoreDB Cloud (managed service) and SingleStore Self-Managed for on-premises or private cloud deployments. The managed service handles infrastructure, scaling, and maintenance automatically.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on SingleStore

More on Zilliz

Keep looking

Other head to heads