Apache Solr vs Vespa
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
Vespa
Open-source big data serving engine for search and recommendation
| Feature | Apache Solr | Vespa |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,650 | ★ 7,043 |
| First released | 2006 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Elasticsearch, Algolia | Elasticsearch, Algolia |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Solr or Vespa better?
Neither is universally better. Vespa has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Apache Solr and Vespa free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Solr is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Vespa under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Solr and Vespa with Docker?
Apache Solr: yes. Vespa: yes.