Apache Solr vs Marqo

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?
FeatureApache SolrMarqo
CategorySearch EnginesSearch Engines
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageJavaPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, bare-metaldocker, kubernetes
GitHub stars★ 1,650★ 5,017
First released20062022
ReplacesElasticsearch, AlgoliaAlgolia, Pinecone

Why pick each one

Choose Apache Solr if…

  • Mature and battle-tested
  • Powerful faceting
Apache Solr details

Choose Marqo if…

  • All-in-one vector search
  • No external embedding service required
Marqo details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache Solr or Marqo better?

Marqo 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 Marqo free and open-source?

Yes. Apache Solr is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Marqo under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Apache Solr and Marqo with Docker?

Apache Solr: yes. Marqo: yes.

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