# Meilisearch vs Typesense

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/compare/meilisearch-vs-typesense/

Every value below is read from Meilisearch's and Typesense's own documentation. See https://inetgeek.com/methodology/ for how.

## At a glance

| Criterion | Meilisearch | Typesense |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Entry paid plan | $20/month for Meilisearch Cloud. The usage-based plan is $30/month for a base of 100,000 documents and 50,000 searches; the resource-based plan starts at $23/month for an XS instance. | None published. typesense.org/pricing redirects to a cluster configurator rather than a plan table, so the cost depends entirely on the RAM, CPU and node count you choose and there is no entry figure to quote. |
| Pricing model | Two shapes offered side by side: usage-based from $30/month against a document and search allowance, or resource-based from $23/month for a named instance size. Self-hosting is free. | Free to self-host; the managed cloud prices a cluster you specify rather than a tier you pick. Support and migration consulting are sold separately, quoted at $5,200 for a year of prioritised business support. |
| Self-hostable | Supported | Supported |
| Hybrid search (vector + keyword) | Vector and hybrid search are listed as product features, and the pricing page sells a document size specifically for embeddings — AI, 12KB, described as documents with embeddings. | Vector search, semantic search and built-in RAG are listed alongside fuzzy search, faceted navigation and geo search — one engine rather than a separate product. |

## Where they differ

### Entry paid plan

- Meilisearch: $20/month for Meilisearch Cloud. The usage-based plan is $30/month for a base of 100,000 documents and 50,000 searches; the resource-based plan starts at $23/month for an XS instance. ([source](https://www.meilisearch.com/pricing))
- Typesense: None published. typesense.org/pricing redirects to a cluster configurator rather than a plan table, so the cost depends entirely on the RAM, CPU and node count you choose and there is no entry figure to quote. ([source](https://typesense.org/))

### Pricing model

- Meilisearch: Two shapes offered side by side: usage-based from $30/month against a document and search allowance, or resource-based from $23/month for a named instance size. Self-hosting is free. ([source](https://www.meilisearch.com/pricing))
- Typesense: Free to self-host; the managed cloud prices a cluster you specify rather than a tier you pick. Support and migration consulting are sold separately, quoted at $5,200 for a year of prioritised business support. ([source](https://cloud.typesense.org/pricing/calculator))

### Hybrid search (vector + keyword)

- Meilisearch: Vector and hybrid search are listed as product features, and the pricing page sells a document size specifically for embeddings — AI, 12KB, described as documents with embeddings. ([source](https://www.meilisearch.com/pricing))
- Typesense: Vector search, semantic search and built-in RAG are listed alongside fuzzy search, faceted navigation and geo search — one engine rather than a separate product. ([source](https://typesense.org/))

## Which should you choose?

Pick Meilisearch if A managed search engine with a bill you can predict: $20/month to start, or $30 against a documented allowance of 100,000 documents and 50,000 searches. Vector and hybrid search are in the product rather than a tier up.

Pick Typesense if Running it yourself. Open source, in-memory, and unusually complete for the category — vector search, semantic search and built-in RAG sit beside fuzzy search, faceting and geo search in one engine rather than across tiers.

Consider something else: Meilisearch — You want to try before paying, or never pay at all. There is no free plan — the only free access is 14 days — and Typesense and OpenSearch are equally self-hostable if operations is the trade you would rather make.

Consider something else: Typesense — You need to know the hosted cost before committing. Typesense Cloud publishes no plan: the pricing page is a configurator that prices whatever cluster you specify, and support is a separate purchase quoted at $5,200 a year.

## Documented by only one

- Kind of free offer: Meilisearch: Free trial
- Support on entry paid plan: Typesense: Sold as an add-on rather than bundled: a year of prioritised business support with migration consulting is quoted at $5,200, and the enterprise equivalent at $9,100.

## Questions this comparison answers

**Entry paid plan: Meilisearch or Typesense?**

Meilisearch: $20/month for Meilisearch Cloud. The usage-based plan is $30/month for a base of 100,000 documents and 50,000 searches; the resource-based plan starts at $23/month for an XS instance.
Typesense: None published. typesense.org/pricing redirects to a cluster configurator rather than a plan table, so the cost depends entirely on the RAM, CPU and node count you choose and there is no entry figure to quote.

**Should I choose Meilisearch or Typesense?**

Pick Meilisearch if A managed search engine with a bill you can predict: $20/month to start, or $30 against a documented allowance of 100,000 documents and 50,000 searches. Vector and hybrid search are in the product rather than a tier up.
Pick Typesense if Running it yourself. Open source, in-memory, and unusually complete for the category — vector search, semantic search and built-in RAG sit beside fuzzy search, faceting and geo search in one engine rather than across tiers.