Apache Solr vs bleve
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Apache Solr | bleve |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | source, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,673 | ★ 11,226 |
| First released | 2006 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Elasticsearch, Algolia | Elasticsearch, Algolia |
What are Apache Solr and bleve?
Apache Solr
Apache Solr is a highly reliable, scalable and fault-tolerant open-source search platform built on Apache Lucene. It powers full-text search, faceting and analytics for many large websites and applications.
- Lucene-powered full-text search
- Faceting and rich querying
- Distributed SolrCloud mode
- Extensive plugin ecosystem
bleve
An embeddable modern full-text search and indexing library that lets developers add search to applications without running a separate server. It supports analyzers, faceting, and scoring out of the box.
- Embeddable index
- Text analyzers
- Faceted search
- Pluggable storage
Apache Solr vs bleve: key differences
Apache Solr is written in Java, while bleve is built with Go. Bleve is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Apache Solr. Apache Solr is the more established project (first released 2006), while bleve arrived in 2014. Bleve has the considerably larger community, at 11,226 GitHub stars versus 1,673. Apache Solr lists first-class Docker deployment; bleve does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Solr if…
- Mature and battle-tested
- Powerful faceting
Watch out for
- Configuration is complex
Choose bleve if…
- No separate server
- Pure Go integration
Watch out for
- Library not turnkey app
- Manual scaling
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Solr or bleve better?
bleve is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache Solr if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Apache Solr and bleve free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Solr is licensed under Apache-2.0 and bleve under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Solr and bleve with Docker?
Apache Solr: yes. bleve: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Solr or bleve?
bleve has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Apache Solr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.