Software · head to head
Weaviate vs IBM SPSS
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Weaviate the free tier caps at 100,000 objects, 1 GB of memory and a single collection; IBM SPSS add-on packages are priced separately from the base subscription, and the promotional 45% discount on them excludes renewals
- They diverge on capability: Weaviate covers Vector and keyword search, IBM SPSS covers Statistical analysis.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Weaviate and IBM SPSS actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Weaviate
- Vector and keyword search
- Built-in vectorizers
- GraphQL API
- Multi-tenancy
- Hybrid search
- OpenAI
- Hugging Face
- Cohere
Only in IBM SPSS
- Statistical analysis
- Predictive modeling
- Data visualization
- Survey analysis
- Decision trees
- Python
- R
- Excel
Both cover
- Linux support
- Mac support
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Weaviate
- Running a vector database for semantic and hybrid searchnot IBM SPSS
- Generating and storing embeddings alongside the objects they describenot IBM SPSS
IBM SPSS
- Statistical testing and regression analysis for academic and market researchnot Weaviate
- Predictive modelling and forecasting without writing codenot Weaviate
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Weaviate
- The free tier caps at 100,000 objects, 1 GB of memory and a single collection
- Billing is per million vector dimensions rather than per record, so wider embeddings cost proportionally more for the same object count
- Premium is a prepaid contract starting at $400 a month rather than pay as you go
- Storage rates do not fall consistently with tier, and Premium Dedicated is $0.1505 per GiB against $0.12 on the cheaper Flex plan
- The Query Agent is metered separately, free to 1,000 requests a month and $30 a month plus overage beyond
IBM SPSS
- Add-on packages are priced separately from the base subscription, and the promotional 45% discount on them excludes renewals
- Subscription cost renews at the then current price at the end of the first year, so the advertised rate applies to the first term only
- Prices shown are described by IBM as indicative, vary by country and exclude applicable taxes and duties
- Extended access periods of 12 months or more are handled as tailored pricing rather than a published rate
- Advanced statistics, custom tables, decision trees and forecasting are separate add-ons rather than part of the base product
Pricing, plan by plan
Weaviate
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full features
- Self-hosted
- ServerlessFree
- Managed service
- Auto-scaling
IBM SPSS
Free- TrialFree
- 14-day trial
- Full features
- Base$99/month
- Core statistics
- Data management
Which should you pick?
Choose Weaviate if
- You need vector and keyword search.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web.
- You also want built-in vectorizers.
Choose IBM SPSS if
- You need statistical analysis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
- You also want predictive modeling.
Questions people ask
- Is Weaviate or IBM SPSS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Weaviate starts at Free and IBM SPSS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Weaviate or IBM SPSS?
- Weaviate starts at Free and IBM SPSS at Free.
- Does Weaviate or IBM SPSS run on more platforms?
- Weaviate runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web. IBM SPSS runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
- Can I use Weaviate for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Weaviate best used for?
- Weaviate is most often used for running a vector database for semantic and hybrid search, generating and storing embeddings alongside the objects they describe. Of those, running a vector database for semantic and hybrid search and generating and storing embeddings alongside the objects they describe are not what IBM SPSS is typically brought in for.
- What can Weaviate do that IBM SPSS cannot?
- Weaviate covers Vector and keyword search, Built-in vectorizers, GraphQL API, Multi-tenancy. IBM SPSS covers Statistical analysis, Predictive modeling, Data visualization, Survey analysis. Both handle Linux support, Mac support, Windows support.