Weaviate
Open-source vector database with hybrid search, available self-hosted or as a cloud service.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Self-hosted, Web
Is Weaviate free?
Yes, free and open source
- Flex plan:
- From $45/month
Checked on Weaviate's site Nov 8, 2026
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- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
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About Weaviate
Weaviate is an open-source vector database that stores data objects together with their embeddings, so you can run semantic, keyword and hybrid queries over the same records. It can call embedding models for you at import and query time, supports multi-tenancy for SaaS apps, and offers vector compression to cut memory use. A Query Agent turns natural-language questions into database operations. You can run Weaviate yourself with Docker or Kubernetes, or use Weaviate Cloud: a free tier covers small experiments, a pay-as-you-go Flex plan suits prototypes and smaller apps, and dedicated plans add higher uptime and run on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure. It suits developers building RAG, search and recommendation features who want the option to self-host. Running it at scale yourself takes Kubernetes skills, and cloud pricing has several dimensions (vectors, storage, backups) to estimate.
Best for: Developers building RAG or semantic search who want open source with a managed cloud option.
Weaviate pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Weaviate's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flex plan | From $45/month | Nov 8, 2026 | weaviate.io |
Pros and cons
What works
- Open source and self-hostable
- Hybrid search and built-in embedding integrations
- Free cloud tier for experiments
Why people leave
- Free cloud tier is capped at 100,000 objects and one collection
- Cloud pricing spans several usage dimensions
- Self-hosting at scale needs Kubernetes experience
Weaviate vs Pinecone, Qdrant and Chroma
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Weaviate | Pinecone | Qdrant | Chroma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Open source | Free plan + paid | Open source | Open source |
| Verified price | From $45/month | $20 a month flat (Builder) | — | — |
| Free plan | Free app | Yes (Starter) | Free app | Free app |
| Open source | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Self-hosted, Web | Web | Self-hosted, Web | Self-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows |
Top Weaviate alternatives
See all 6- 1
Pinecone68.8Fully managed and serverless, for teams that never want to operate a vector database.
- 2
Qdrant64.8Rust-based open-source engine with strong filtering and a free-forever cloud cluster.
- 3
Chroma55.9Simple open-source embedding store that runs in-process in Python, ideal for prototypes and small RAG apps.
- 4
Milvus55.3Open-source vector database built for billions of vectors, with GPU indexes and a managed cloud from Zilliz.
- 5
Elasticsearch52.6Adds vector search to a mature full-text and analytics engine you may already run.
Why people left Weaviate
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Weaviate: common questions
What is Weaviate?
Weaviate: Open-source vector database with hybrid search, available self-hosted or as a cloud service. Best for developers building RAG or semantic search who want open source with a managed cloud option. Available for Web, and you can host it yourself.
Is Weaviate free?
Yes. Weaviate is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
How much does Weaviate cost?
Weaviate is free and open source. Flex plan: From $45/month. Checked on Weaviate's own site, November 2026.
Is Weaviate open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at weaviate/weaviate. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does Weaviate run on?
Weaviate is available for Self-hosted and Web.
What are the best alternatives to Weaviate?
The highest-ranked Weaviate alternatives right now are Pinecone, Qdrant and Chroma. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Weaviate vs Pinecone: what's the difference?
Weaviate is free and open source; Pinecone is free with paid plans. Verified prices: Weaviate From $45/month, Pinecone $20 a month flat (Builder). Weaviate is open source and Pinecone is not. Both run on Web.