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Machine Learning · head to head

Weaviate vs Zilliz

Weaviate logo

Weaviate

Machine Learning

Open-source vector database

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: Weaviate the free tier caps at 100,000 objects, 1 GB of memory and a single collection; Zilliz pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • They diverge on capability: Weaviate covers Vector and keyword search, Zilliz covers Vector indexing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Weaviate and Zilliz actually diverge.

Attributes where Weaviate and Zilliz differ
AttributeWeaviateZilliz
Pricing modelfreemiumcontact-sales
PlatformsLinux, Mac, Windows, WebCloud, Self-hosted
CategoryMachine LearningDatabases
Founded20192017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 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.

Weaviate

  • Running a vector database for semantic and hybrid searchnot Zilliz
  • Generating and storing embeddings alongside the objects they describenot Zilliz

Zilliz

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

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

Weaviate

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full features
    • Self-hosted
  • ServerlessFree
    • Managed service
    • Auto-scaling

Zilliz

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zilliz review.

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.
Weaviate 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 Weaviate or Zilliz better?
Neither clearly leads. Weaviate 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, Weaviate or Zilliz?
Weaviate starts at Free and Zilliz at Free.
Does Weaviate or Zilliz run on more platforms?
Weaviate runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Web. Zilliz runs on Cloud, Self-hosted.
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 Zilliz is typically brought in for.
What can Weaviate do that Zilliz cannot?
Weaviate covers Vector and keyword search, Built-in vectorizers, GraphQL API, Multi-tenancy. Zilliz covers Vector indexing, Distributed architecture, SQL interface, Tensor support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Weaviate: What pricing options does Weaviate offer?

Weaviate provides a free tier with usage-based pricing, plus enterprise options. Visit the pricing page for detailed information on plans.

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
Weaviate: Does Weaviate offer customer support?

Yes, support is included with Weaviate's cloud offerings. Enterprise customers receive first-class support from their global team of experts.

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
Weaviate: Can I deploy Weaviate on my own infrastructure?

Yes. Weaviate is open source and deployment-agnostic. You can run it in your own cloud environment or use their managed cloud service.

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
Weaviate: What data security features does Weaviate provide?

Weaviate includes security & governance, RBAC, SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance, along with multi-tenancy and high availability for enterprise requirements.

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
Weaviate: How do I get started with Weaviate?

Sign up for their cloud tier, create your first dataset, connect an LLM, and build your AI app. Documentation and quickstart guides are available for Python, Go, TypeScript, and JavaScript.

Source
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