Apache Solr vs Qdrant
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted search engines options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Qdrant
High-performance open-source vector search engine
| Feature | Apache Solr | Qdrant |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,674 | ★ 34,775 |
| First released | 2006 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Elasticsearch, Algolia | Pinecone, Algolia |
What are Apache Solr and Qdrant?
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
Qdrant
Qdrant is an open-source vector similarity search engine and database written in Rust. It powers semantic search, recommendations and retrieval-augmented generation with a convenient API.
- Fast vector similarity search
- Payload filtering with vectors
- Distributed clustering
- REST and gRPC APIs
Apache Solr vs Qdrant: key differences
Apache Solr is written in Java, while Qdrant is built with Rust. Qdrant is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Apache Solr. Apache Solr is the more established project (first released 2006), while Qdrant arrived in 2021. Qdrant has the considerably larger community, at 34,775 GitHub stars versus 1,674.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Solr if…
- Mature and battle-tested
- Powerful faceting
Watch out for
- Configuration is complex
Choose Qdrant if…
- Excellent performance
- Easy to deploy
Watch out for
- Specialized for vector workloads
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Solr or Qdrant better?
Qdrant 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 Qdrant free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Solr is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Qdrant under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Solr and Qdrant with Docker?
Apache Solr: yes. Qdrant: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Solr or Qdrant?
Qdrant has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Apache Solr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.