Apache Solr vs Elasticsearch
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Apache Solr
Enterprise-grade open-source search platform
VS
Elasticsearch
Distributed search and analytics engine
| Feature | Apache Solr | Elasticsearch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Elastic-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,650 | ★ 77,808 |
| First released | 2006 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Elasticsearch, Algolia | Algolia, Splunk |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Solr or Elasticsearch better?
Neither is universally better. Elasticsearch has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Apache Solr and Elasticsearch free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Solr is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Elasticsearch under Elastic-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Solr and Elasticsearch with Docker?
Apache Solr: yes. Elasticsearch: yes.