Weaviate
by Weaviate
At a glance
Open-source vector database for semantic search, retrieval-augmented generation, and hybrid search.
vector-database open-source retrieval
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Category
- Platforms & Infrastructure
- Business model
- Open (open weights/source)
- Availability
- Global
- Launched
- 2019
Overview
Weaviate is an open-source vector database used for semantic search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and hybrid keyword-plus-vector search. It stores objects with their vector embeddings, integrates with popular model providers for vectorization, and exposes GraphQL and REST APIs. The database is free to self-host under BSD-3-Clause, with a paid managed cloud offering.
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Key features
- Vector, keyword, and hybrid search in one engine
- Built-in vectorizer modules for popular model providers
- GraphQL and REST APIs with client libraries
- Horizontal scaling, replication, and multi-tenancy
Use cases
- Retrieval-augmented generation pipelines for LLM apps
- Semantic search over documents and product catalogs
- Recommendation and similarity-matching systems
Pricing
Weaviate is free to self-host (BSD-3-Clause); Weaviate Cloud is a paid managed service priced by usage and tier.
Record details
Provenance, dates and links are kept here so the main sections stay about the product itself.
Links, dates and provenance
- Record updated
- 2026-09-10
- Pricing
- weaviate.io ↗
- Founded
- 2019
- Headquarters
- NL
- Canonical URL
- https://globalaiproductindex.com/products/weaviate/
Selection profile
Every field says where its value comes from. "Unknown" means we have not confirmed it — it does not mean the product lacks the feature.
Selection profile11 fields5 unknown
- Tasks it fits
- Running models yourself
Derived from the record: category "platforms".
Suggest a correction - How you use it
- Self-run service
Open-source project without a tag describing its delivery form; run it yourself.
Suggest a correction - Runs on
- Not recorded
No platform support is stated in the record.
Suggest a correction - Where it runs
- Not recorded
Open-source record without a hosting signal; deployment target not recorded.
Suggest a correction - Works offline
- Not recorded
The record contains no offline-operation claim.
Suggest a correction - Official service region
- Global
Mirrors the availability field already on the record ("global").
Suggest a correction - Public API
- Not recorded
The record does not state whether a public API exists.
Suggest a correction - Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
Mirrors the licence already recorded on the product record; not re-verified against the licence text by this migration.
Suggest a correction - Commercial use
- Permitted
Recorded licence allows commercial use (copyleft obligations may still apply).
Suggest a correction - Interface languages
- Not recorded
No vendor page read in this pass states the product's own interface languages; the key exists so the field can be answered later rather than left absent.
Suggest a correction - Billing
- Open source Free Free allowance: Yes Subscription required: No
Prices are the vendor’s advertised entry price and exclude taxes; always confirm on the vendor’s own page.
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Where each value comes from
- Tasks it fits
- Our inference
- How you use it
- Our inference
- Runs on
- Our inference
- Where it runs
- Our inference
- Works offline
- Our inference
- Official service region
- Our inference
- Public API
- Our inference
- Licence
- Our inference
- Commercial use
- Our inference
- Interface languages
- Unknown
Frequently asked questions
Is Weaviate free?
Yes, self-hosting Weaviate is free under the BSD-3-Clause license; the managed Weaviate Cloud service is paid.
What is Weaviate used for?
Weaviate stores vector embeddings for semantic search, hybrid search, and retrieval-augmented generation in AI applications.
Does Weaviate create embeddings?
Weaviate can vectorize data through built-in modules that call popular embedding providers, or accept vectors you supply.
What does Weaviate not record?
No public documentation page is recorded for Weaviate; the vendor site offered no same-site page confirmable as its docs, so deployment and offline options are not established.
Similar products
- Pinecone — Managed vector database for similarity search and retrieval in AI applications.
- Dify — Open-source platform for building LLM applications with visual agent workflows, RAG pipelines, and model management.
- LangChain — Open-source framework for building LLM applications and agents, with LangSmith and LangGraph for observability and orchestration.
- LlamaIndex — Open-source data framework for connecting LLMs to private data, powering retrieval-augmented generation and document agents.
- Aleph Alpha — German AI company that builds sovereign large language models and enterprise AI platforms for industry, public-sector, and defense customers.
- Amazon Bedrock — Managed AWS service for building applications with foundation models from multiple providers via one API.
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Related guides
Sources
This record was last reviewed on 2026-09-10.
Machine-readable record: /api/products/weaviate.json · Spot an error? Suggest a correction