Milvus
Open-source vector database designed for large-scale distributed vector search. Supports billions of vectors with high scalability, available for self-hosting or managed service through Zilliz Cloud.
Overview
| Category | Search |
| Self-Hostable | Yes |
| On-Prem | No |
| Best For | startup, growth, enterprise |
| Last Verified | 2026-02-13 |
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:- cost
- performance
- customization
- requires significant operational expertise
- complex Kubernetes deployment
- less intuitive than managed alternatives
When to Use
Best when:- need billion-scale vector search
- prefer open-source solution
- want distributed architecture
- require cost-effective large-scale deployment