Milvus
Vector & Search · Free
Open-source vector database built for AI
At a glance
- Made by
- Zilliz (main contributor, project under LF AI & Data Foundation)
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- API
- Open source
- Apache 2.0
- GitHub
- 46,379 stars · Apache-2.0
What is Milvus?
Milvus is a vector database that organizes and searches large volumes of unstructured data such as text, images, and multimodal content to power AI applications. It is written in Go and C++ and uses CPU/GPU hardware acceleration. With a fully distributed, K8s-native architecture, it scales horizontally, handles tens of thousands of search queries over billions of vectors, and supports real-time streaming updates. There is also a Standalone mode for a single machine and Milvus Lite, a lightweight version installed with pip. It is also offered as a fully managed service on Zilliz Cloud (Serverless, Dedicated, BYOC).
- CPU/GPU hardware-accelerated vector search
- Scales horizontally with a fully distributed, K8s-native architecture
- Keeps data fresh with real-time streaming updates
- Standalone mode for single-machine deployment
- Milvus Lite, a lightweight version installed with pip
- Python SDK pymilvus(MilvusClient)
- Zilliz Cloud fully managed (Serverless, Dedicated, BYOC)
Pricing
What you get for free — Free trial available on Zilliz Cloud (limits unclear)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.
AI tools similar to Milvus (alternatives)
Milvus vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milvus | Free | 0 | 5 | No | — | — |
| Chroma | Free | 0 | 5 | Yes | $250/mo | No |
| pgvector | Free | 0 | 5 | — | — | — |
| Pinecone | Free + paid | 0 | 5 | Yes | $20/mo | No |
| Qdrant | Free | 0 | 5 | Yes | — | No |
3 of these 5 tools have a free plan. Cheapest paid plan: Pinecone ($20/mo).
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
Milvus on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 12 AI tools in the Vector & Search field.
- Connected to 5 other tools — #1 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Milvus for free?
Free trial available on Zilliz Cloud (limits unclear). Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of Milvus?
Tools that do the same job, such as Chroma, pgvector, Pinecone, Qdrant, are connected to it on the map.
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.