Milvus vs Weaviate: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Milvus and Weaviate side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Milvus leads on higher user rating; Weaviate leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Milvus
Open-source vector database for AI
Weaviate
Open-source vector database with ML
| At a Glance | Milvus | Weaviate |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $126/mo, billed monthly Zilliz Dedicated (Standard) plan | Free plan, paid from $45/mo, billed monthly Flex plan |
Category | Vector Databases Data & Databases | Data & Databases Vector Databases |
Rating | 4.8/5 Capterra 4.8 · G2 4.7 310 reviews | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 47 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Overage fees for vCUs on Serverless tier | Overage fees for exceeding Flex plan limits |
Choose Milvus or Weaviate?
Choose Milvus if
- You need vector databases features specifically.
Choose Weaviate if
- Budget matters ($45/mo, billed monthly vs $126/mo, billed monthly)
In-Depth Analysis
Milvus
Open-source vector database for AI
Milvus offers a very generous pricing model, especially with its robust open-source option and the Zilliz Cloud Free tier providing 5GB storage and 2.5M vCUs/month at no cost.
Watch out
Overage fees for vCUs on Serverless tier
Strengths
- Pro: High performance
- Pro: Scalable
- Pro: Open source
- Pro: Good for large scale
- Pro: Active development
Weaknesses
- Con: Complex operations
- Con: Heavy resource usage
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Kubernetes recommended
- Con: Documentation dense
Key features
Weaviate
Open-source vector database with ML
Weaviate's pricing is fair, offering a generous free trial and a flexible entry point with the Flex plan at $45/month.
Watch out
Overage fees for exceeding Flex plan limits
Strengths
- Pro: Built-in vectorization
- Pro: GraphQL API
- Pro: Hybrid search
- Pro: Good documentation
- Pro: Open source
Weaknesses
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Memory intensive
- Con: Self-hosting complex
- Con: Cloud pricing high
- Con: Less mature than Pinecone
Key features
Plans and prices: Milvus vs Weaviate
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Milvus |
| zilliz.com/pricing read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Weaviate |
| weaviate.io/pricing read Nov 3, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Milvus pricing and Weaviate pricing.
Key Takeaways
Milvus
- Higher user rating: 4.8/5 vs 4.4/5
Weaviate
- Lower entry price: $45/mo, billed monthly vs $126/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, Milvus leads on higher user rating; Weaviate leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Milvus has the higher user rating (4.8/5 from 310 reviews for Milvus, 4.4/5 from 47 reviews for Weaviate).
- Weaviate has the lower entry price: $45/mo, billed monthly (Flex) against $126/mo, billed monthly (Zilliz Dedicated (Standard)) for Milvus.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Milvus and Weaviate compare in 2026?
On the data below, Milvus leads on higher user rating; Weaviate leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Milvus has the higher user rating (4.8/5 from 310 reviews for Milvus, 4.4/5 from 47 reviews for Weaviate). Weaviate has the lower entry price: $45/mo, billed monthly (Flex) against $126/mo, billed monthly (Zilliz Dedicated (Standard)) for Milvus. Both have a free plan.
What are Milvus and Weaviate used for?
Milvus: Open-source vector database for AI. Weaviate: Open-source vector database with ML.
What does Milvus cost vs Weaviate?
Milvus's cheapest paid plan is Zilliz Dedicated (Standard) at $126/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Weaviate's cheapest paid plan is Flex at $45/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 3, 2026.
What's the main difference between Milvus and Weaviate?
Milvus's main strength: high performance. Weaviate's main strength: built-in vectorization.
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