Best Vector Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: Chroma is ranked #1 of 27 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Zvec and Pinecone. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Pinecone. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Vespa at $0.05/mo.
If your application stores and retrieves vector data, compare database options by deployment and index types, as well as maximum dimensions. Hybrid search, sparse vectors, and metadata filtering provide additional details to weigh against your retrieval needs. SDK languages may matter when considering integration with your stack, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer access and cost points. Chroma opens the ranking, with Qdrant and Weaviate next. Pinecone, Zvec, Milvus, Zilliz Cloud, and Epsilla also appear among the first entries. Use these listed capabilities to focus on the database characteristics relevant to your application.
27 vector databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Chroma iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9$250/mo Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 2 Zvec iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8 Deployment: self-hostedHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 3 Pinecone No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Deployment: cloudHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 4 Qdrant No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 5 Vespa No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$0.05/mo Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 6 Weaviate No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$45/mo Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 7 Zilliz Cloud No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free Deployment: cloudHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 8 Cloudflare Vectorize No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment: cloudHybrid search: NoMetadata filtering: Yes
- 9 Epsilla No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3$29/mo Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 10 Milvus No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 11 Upstash Vector No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3$0.40/mo Deployment: cloudHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 12 Elasticsearch No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Deployment: both
- 13 Volcengine TTS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment: cloudHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 14 KDB.AI No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4Free Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 15 ArrowSpace No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: self-hosted
- 16 EmergentDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: both
- 17 Infinity No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: self-hostedHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 18 LanceDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3Free Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 19 ManyVector No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 20 Tencent Cloud VectorDB No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: cloudHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 21 Vertex AI Vector Search No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: cloudHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 22 ZeusDB Vector Database No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 23 Actian Zen No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 24 turbopuffer No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment: bothHybrid search: YesMetadata filtering: Yes
- 25 Vald No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment: self-hostedMetadata filtering: Yes
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which vector database is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Chroma is ranked #1 of 27 with a score of 7.9. Zvec is second and Pinecone third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Vespa has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.05/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.