Apache Solr vs Toshi
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 | Toshi |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,673 | ★ 4,256 |
| First released | 2006 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Elasticsearch, Algolia | Elasticsearch |
What are Apache Solr and Toshi?
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
Toshi
Toshi is a self-hosted full-text search server that exposes an Elasticsearch-like JSON REST API on top of the Tantivy search engine. It targets developers who want a simple, fast search service in Rust.
- JSON REST API
- Tantivy-backed indexing
- Fast Rust core
- Simple to run
Apache Solr vs Toshi: key differences
Apache Solr is written in Java, while Toshi is built with Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Apache Solr versus MIT for Toshi. Toshi is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Apache Solr. Apache Solr is the more established project (first released 2006), while Toshi arrived in 2018. Toshi has the considerably larger community, at 4,256 GitHub stars versus 1,673.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Solr if…
- Mature and battle-tested
- Powerful faceting
Watch out for
- Configuration is complex
Choose Toshi if…
- Lightweight search server
- Familiar API style
Watch out for
- Less mature than ES
- Smaller feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Solr or Toshi better?
Toshi 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 Toshi free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Solr is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Toshi under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Solr and Toshi with Docker?
Apache Solr: yes. Toshi: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Solr or Toshi?
Toshi has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Apache Solr. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.