Comparison
Qdrant vs Milvus
Overview
Qdrant is an open-source vector database and similarity-search engine written in Rust. It stores embeddings with rich payload filtering and is used for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), semantic search and recommendation systems, with a managed cloud option.
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.
Which should you choose?
Both are open source with free self-hosting and a managed cloud option. Qdrant is Rust-based and optimized for filtering and memory efficiency via quantization. Milvus is built for billion-scale vector search with GPU acceleration and multiple ANN index types. Choose Qdrant for efficient, filter-heavy workloads at moderate scale; choose Milvus if you need to scale to billions of vectors with GPU acceleration.
TLDR
- —If you have filter-heavy workloads at moderate scale and want memory efficiency, choose Qdrant.
- —If you need to scale to billions of vectors with GPU acceleration, choose Milvus.
Features
- —Rust-based ANN search
- —Advanced payload filtering
- —Distributed and horizontally scalable
- —Quantization for memory efficiency
- —REST and gRPC APIs
- —Managed Qdrant Cloud with free tier
- —Billion-scale vector search
- —Multiple ANN index types
- —GPU acceleration
- —Cloud-native distributed design
- —Hybrid search with scalar filtering
- —Managed Zilliz Cloud option
Pricing
Qdrant
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Self-hosted. |
| Cloud Free | Free | 1GB free managed cluster. |
| Cloud | Contact sales | Usage-based managed pricing. |
Milvus
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Self-hosted Apache 2.0. |
| Zilliz Cloud | Contact sales | Managed, free tier plus paid. |
Company Fit
Qdrant
Milvus