Comparison
Milvus vs Chroma
Overview
Milvus is an open-source vector database designed for billion-scale similarity search. A graduated LF AI & Data project, it supports multiple index types and GPU acceleration, with a managed offering available through Zilliz Cloud.
Chroma is an open-source embedding database focused on developer experience. It makes it simple to store, embed and query documents for LLM applications with a lightweight API, and is popular for prototyping RAG pipelines locally.
Features
- —Billion-scale vector search
- —Multiple ANN index types
- —GPU acceleration
- —Cloud-native distributed design
- —Hybrid search with scalar filtering
- —Managed Zilliz Cloud option
- —Lightweight, developer-first API
- —Runs embedded or client/server
- —Built-in embedding functions
- —Metadata filtering
- —Python and JavaScript clients
- —Simple local-to-production path
Pricing
Milvus
open sourceFree plan availableMilvus is free and open source (Apache 2.0). Managed hosting available via Zilliz Cloud with a free tier.
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Self-hosted Apache 2.0. |
| Zilliz Cloud | Contact sales | Managed, free tier plus paid. |
Chroma
Company Fit
Milvus
StartupSMBEnterprise
Chroma
StartupSMB