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Databases · head to head

Turso vs Zilliz

Turso logo

Turso

Databases

The Database for the Age of AI Agents

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: Turso pro tier costs $416.58 monthly, a significant jump from Scaler plan; Zilliz pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Turso and Zilliz actually diverge.

Attributes where Turso and Zilliz differ
AttributeTursoZilliz
Pricing modelfreemiumcontact-sales
PlatformsWebCloud, Self-hosted
FoundedUnknown2017

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 Turso

Nothing recorded that Zilliz does not also cover.

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.

Turso

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

Zilliz

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

Zilliz

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zilliz review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Turso if

  • You want to start without paying.
Turso 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 Turso or Zilliz better?
Neither clearly leads. Turso 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, Turso or Zilliz?
Turso starts at Free and Zilliz at Free.
Does Turso or Zilliz run on more platforms?
Turso runs on Web. Zilliz runs on Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use Turso for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Turso best used for?
Turso is most often used for sqlite database hosting and replication, edge computing and distributed database deployments, applications requiring multi-region database access. Of those, sqlite database hosting and replication and edge computing and distributed database deployments are not what Zilliz is typically brought in for.
What can Turso do that Zilliz cannot?
Zilliz covers Vector indexing, Distributed architecture, SQL interface, Tensor support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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