What is Weaviate?
Weaviate is an open-source AI database that stores high-dimensional vectors and lets applications search them by meaning rather than exact keywords. It can be self-hosted or run as a fully managed cloud service on AWS, GCP and Azure, and it supports Python, Go, TypeScript and JavaScript SDKs as well as GraphQL and REST APIs.
In practice, you load your data into a collection, and Weaviate can generate embeddings for text, images and other data types itself, so no separate embedding pipeline is needed. Developers can then run pure vector search, semantic search, or hybrid search that combines vectors with keywords. The Query Agent turns natural-language questions into database operations, and the platform adds multi-tenancy, backups, replication and auto-scaling for production workloads.
Key features
- Vector database for storing and searching high-dimensional vectors
- Built-in embedding generation from text, images and other data
- Hybrid search combining vector and keyword search
- Query Agent that converts natural-language questions into database queries
- Multi-tenancy with support for tens of thousands of tenants in one cluster
- Deployment on AWS, GCP and Azure, or self-hosted
Who is it for
- Developers building RAG applications
- AI and search teams running vector search in production
- Enterprises with strict security and compliance needs
Pros and cons
- Open source with over 20M downloads
- Available as self-hosted or fully managed cloud
- Built for production scale, uptime and multi-tenancy
- Free tier is limited to 100,000 objects and 1 collection
- Premium and enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
Weaviate pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 USD / month | 100,000 objects, 1 GB memory, 10 GB disk, 1 collection, up to 3 tenants, 2,000 embedding requests/day, 1,000 Query Agent requests/mo, basic support |
| Flex | 45 USD / month | Pay-as-you-go, monthly with no commitment, shared cluster, 99.5% uptime, 1,000 collections, 30,000 Query Agent requests/mo, standard support |
| Weaviate Query Agent add-on | 30 USD / month | Per organization, includes 4,000 requests, additional requests usage-based |
Prices copied from Weaviate pricing, checked October 12, 2026. Currency as shown by the vendor; taxes may apply.
Is Weaviate free?
Yes, there is a free plan. Always-free plan with 1 cluster, 100,000 objects, 1 GB memory, 10 GB disk, 1 collection with up to 3 tenants, 2,000 embedding requests per day and 1,000 Query Agent requests per month.
Weaviate alternatives
| Tool | Price from | Free plan | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 Exa | not listed | trial | APIs & models |
 Pinecone | 20 USD/mo | yes | APIs & models |
 Tavily | 0.008 USD | yes | APIs & models |
 You.com | 1 USD | yes | APIs & models |
 Qdrant | not listed | yes | APIs & models |
 Claude Platform (Anthropic API) | 2 USD input / 10 USD output | no | APIs & models |
All alternatives to Weaviate →
FAQ
What is Weaviate used for?
Open-source vector database with built-in embeddings and search, for developers building RAG, search and AI agents.
Is Weaviate free?
Yes, there is a free plan. Always-free plan with 1 cluster, 100,000 objects, 1 GB memory, 10 GB disk, 1 collection with up to 3 tenants, 2,000 embedding requests per day and 1,000 Query Agent requests per month.
How much does Weaviate cost?
The cheapest paid plan is 30 USD/mo (vendor pricing, October 12, 2026).
What are the best Weaviate alternatives?
Closest alternatives: Exa, Pinecone, Tavily, You.com, Qdrant.
Data checked October 12, 2026 on the vendor website (weaviate.io).