Pinecone vs Weaviate
type: Article
description: Pinecone is a fully managed vector database optimized for simplicity and speed-to-production with 5+ million requests per second capacity, while Weaviate is an open-source alternative offering greater customization and lower costs for self-hosted deployments. Pinecone excels for enterprises needing managed infrastructure; Weaviate suits teams prioritizing flexibility and cost control.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-07T03:17:36.585Z
date created: 2026-07-07T03:17:36.585Z
date modified: 2026-07-07T03:17:37.001Z
content reference time: 2026-07-07T03:17:37.001Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Pinecone
about: Weaviate
abstract: Pinecone is a fully managed vector database optimized for simplicity and speed-to-production with 5+ million requests per second capacity, while Weaviate is an open-source alternative offering greater customization and lower costs for self-hosted deployments. Pinecone excels for enterprises needing managed infrastructure; Weaviate suits teams prioritizing flexibility and cost control.
text: Deployment Model. Starting Cost (monthly). Setup Time. Vector Search Throughput. Customization & Control. Query Latency (p99). Free Tier
conclusion text: Choose Pinecone if you need a production-ready, fully managed vector database with enterprise-grade performance, minimal setup overhead, and 99.99% uptime SLAs—ideal for startups and enterprises willing to pay for convenience. Choose Weaviate if you prioritize cost control, need full customization, value open-source transparency, or want to self-host without vendor lock-in—best for teams with engineering resources and budget constraints.
additional property: Setup Time (Basic)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 5-10 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Initial Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $0 (free tier limited to 1M vectors) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost at 100M Vectors
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $400-600 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Supported Index Types
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 1 (vector-only) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Vector Store Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 0 (standalone database) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Query Latency (p50)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 50-80 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Vector Capacity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 1 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Pricing Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Pay-per-usage (storage + queries) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Estimated Monthly Cost at 100GB
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $200-400 (managed pricing) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Vector Dimension Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Unlimited | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Time to First Query
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 5-10 minutes | Weaviate: 30-45 minutes (self-hosted)
  value reference: Pinecone
additional property: GitHub Stars/Community Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: ~2,500 stars | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosting Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: No (SaaS only) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Metadata Filtering Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Basic payload filtering | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: SLA Uptime Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 99.95% (enterprise tier) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Minimum Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 15-30 minutes | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Cost for 1M Monthly Read Operations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $0.40-1.25 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Vector Dimensionality Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Up to 20,000 dimensions | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 99.99% | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: SQL Relational Query Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: No (separate system) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: GitHub Community Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: ~2,500 (closed-source) | Weaviate: 13,000+ stars
  value reference: Weaviate
additional property: Monthly Starting Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $70 (minimum pod + index) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Maximum Vector Storage
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 100M+ (unlimited with multi-pod) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Maximum Vector Dimensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 20,000 dimensions | Weaviate: Unlimited
additional property: Query Latency (p99)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 50-100ms | Weaviate: 50-150ms
  value reference: Pinecone
additional property: Setup Time (Local Development)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 15-20 (account + API key setup) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: GitHub Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Not open-source | Weaviate: ~9,500 stars (as of 2026)
additional property: Cost at 10M Vectors/Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: ~$150-200 (pod + index + compute) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Vector Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 100,000 vectors | Weaviate: Unlimited (self-hosted)
additional property: Estimated Monthly Cost (1M vectors)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $10 + storage | Weaviate: $500-800 (managed)
  value reference: Pinecone
additional property: Native Hybrid Search Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Metadata filtering only | Weaviate: BM25 keyword + vector
additional property: Monthly Cost (1M vectors, 1K queries/day)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $45-80 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Maximum Vectors Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 5 billion (enterprise) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Average Query Latency (p50)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 45-120ms | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Setup Time (production-ready)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 0.25 hours | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Native Integration Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 25+ (LangChain, LlamaIndex, OpenAI) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Data Export Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Limited; JSON export only, subject to egress costs | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Setup Time to Production
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 3-5 minutes | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Starting Cost (Annual)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $50 (Starter tier minimum) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Maximum Vectors at Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 10B+ (unlimited) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Query Latency (p95)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: <100ms global | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Uptime Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 99.95% | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Documentation Quality Score
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 9/10 | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Metadata Filter Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Advanced (AND/OR/NOT) | Weaviate: N/A
additional property: Starting Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: $25 | Weaviate: $0 (self-hosted) / $50+ (managed)
  value reference: Weaviate
additional property: Maximum Query Throughput
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: 5,000,000+ | Weaviate: 2,000,000-3,000,000
  value reference: Pinecone
additional property: P99 Query Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: < 50ms | Weaviate: 50-150ms
  value reference: Pinecone
additional property: Setup Time (First Query)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: < 5 minutes | Weaviate: 30+ minutes (self-hosted)
  value reference: Pinecone
additional property: GitHub Stars (Community)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Pinecone: Proprietary (not open-source) | Weaviate: 9,200+
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/pinecone
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/pinecone
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/weaviate
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/weaviate
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/pinecone-vs-weaviate)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/pinecone-vs-weaviate)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-weaviate
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/llamaindex-vs-pinecone
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/llamaindex-vs-weaviate
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-pgvector
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-qdrant
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-chroma
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-milvus
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/chroma-vs-pinecone
teaches: How to choose between Pinecone and Weaviate
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

Pinecone
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Fully managed cloud vector database as a service with built-in auto-scaling, optimized for production AI workloads at enterprise scale.
image: ImageObject
  caption: Pinecone
subject of: Pinecone vs Weaviate
image: ImageObject
  caption: Pinecone

Weaviate
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Open-source vector database with flexible deployment options (self-hosted or managed cloud) and full code transparency.
subject of: Pinecone vs Weaviate

Pinecone vs Weaviate — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Pinecone vs Weaviate. Contains 94 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Setup Time (Basic)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Initial Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Monthly Cost at 100M Vectors
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Supported Index Types
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Indexing
variable measured: Vector Store Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Query Latency (p50)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Tier Vector Capacity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Limits
variable measured: Pricing Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost & Licensing
variable measured: Estimated Monthly Cost at 100GB
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost & Business
variable measured: Vector Dimension Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance & Scalability
variable measured: Time to First Query
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Setup
variable measured: GitHub Stars/Community Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community & Adoption
variable measured: Self-Hosting Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Metadata Filtering Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: SLA Uptime Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Minimum Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Cost for 1M Monthly Read Operations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Vector Dimensionality Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: SQL Relational Query Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: GitHub Community Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Monthly Starting Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Vector Storage
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Maximum Vector Dimensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capability
variable measured: Query Latency (p99)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Setup Time (Local Development)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: GitHub Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Cost at 10M Vectors/Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Free Tier Vector Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Limits
variable measured: Estimated Monthly Cost (1M vectors)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Limits
variable measured: Native Hybrid Search Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Monthly Cost (1M vectors, 1K queries/day)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Vectors Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Average Query Latency (p50)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Setup Time (production-ready)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Native Integration Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Data Export Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: Setup Time to Production
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Implementation
variable measured: Starting Cost (Annual)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Vectors at Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Query Latency (p95)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Uptime Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance & Reliability
variable measured: Documentation Quality Score
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Support
variable measured: Metadata Filter Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Starting Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Query Throughput
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: P99 Query Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Setup Time (First Query)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Usability
variable measured: GitHub Stars (Community)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Code Customization
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: Free Tier Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Production Plan Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Vector Capacity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Query Latency (p99) at 100M Vectors
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: REST API Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: RBAC & Enterprise Security
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Deployment Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Indexing Methods Supported
variable measured: Average Query Latency (1M vectors, 384-dim)
variable measured: Integrated LLM Providers
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Infrastructure Cost (Self-hosted Production)
variable measured: Native Multi-tenancy Support
variable measured: Maximum Scalability (distributed nodes)
variable measured: API Query Language Support
variable measured: Query Throughput
variable measured: Maximum Collection Size
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-weaviate)

Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Pinecone vs Weaviate.
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Indexing
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Limits
has defined term: Cost & Licensing
has defined term: Cost & Business
has defined term: Performance & Scalability
has defined term: Setup
has defined term: Community & Adoption
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Capability
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Implementation
has defined term: Performance & Reliability
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: AI Features
has defined term: Cost
has defined term: Enterprise Features
has defined term: Resource Efficiency
has defined term: Capabilities
has defined term: Resource Requirements
has defined term: Container Orchestration

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Indexing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: indexing
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: limits
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost & Licensing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost-&-licensing
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost & Business
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost-&-business
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance & Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance-&-scalability
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Setup
type: DefinedTerm
term code: setup
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community & Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community-&-adoption
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reliability
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capability
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-limits
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ecosystem
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Implementation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: implementation
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance & Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance-&-reliability
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-experience
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

AI Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ai-features
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise-features
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resource Efficiency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resource-efficiency
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capabilities
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resource Requirements
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resource-requirements
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Container Orchestration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: container-orchestration
in defined term set: Pinecone vs Weaviate — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-07T03:17:37.001Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: pinecone-vs-weaviate)
main entity: Which vector database is faster for real-time search?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Pinecone delivers faster results with < 50ms p99 latency and 5+ million RPS throughput, thanks to its fully managed infrastructure and proprietary optimization. Weaviate achieves 50-150ms latency and 2-3 million RPS, which is still suitable for most applications but depends heavily on your self-hosted infrastructure quality. For latency-critical applications (sub-50ms requirements), Pinecone is the better choice.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I avoid vendor lock-in with either solution?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Weaviate provides full vendor lock-in protection—it's open-source, so you can migrate your data and deploy elsewhere without restrictions. Pinecone is a closed SaaS platform; migrating away requires exporting vectors and re-indexing in another system, which takes time and effort. If avoiding lock-in is critical, Weaviate is the clear winner.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the total cost difference for a small startup?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: For a startup with 1M vectors and moderate queries, Pinecone starts at $25/month but can reach $500-$2,000+ depending on index size and query volume. Weaviate self-hosted costs only your server infrastructure (e.g., $50-$200/month on AWS), making it 5-10x cheaper. However, Pinecone eliminates DevOps costs that Weaviate self-hosting requires.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which supports hybrid search (vectors + keywords)?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Both support hybrid search, but Weaviate has it built-in with BM25 keyword matching alongside vector similarity. Pinecone requires you to implement keyword filtering separately, often using external tools. Weaviate has a native advantage for hybrid search use cases.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the learning curve for each platform?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Pinecone has a gentler curve—you can query within 5 minutes using their Python SDK with minimal configuration. Weaviate self-hosted requires understanding Docker, Kubernetes (for scaling), and index configuration, adding 4-6 weeks of learning for production deployments. Weaviate Cloud (managed) is closer to Pinecone's simplicity but still requires more configuration knowledge.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Pinecone and Weaviate
type: HowTo
description: Pinecone is a fully managed vector database optimized for simplicity and speed-to-production with 5+ million requests per second capacity, while Weaviate is an open-source alternative offering greater customization and lower costs for self-hosted deployments. Pinecone excels for enterprises needing managed infrastructure; Weaviate suits teams prioritizing flexibility and cost control.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Deployment Model
step: Consider: Starting Cost (monthly)
step: Consider: Setup Time
step: Consider: Vector Search Throughput
step: Consider: Customization & Control
step: Consider: Query Latency (p99)
step: Consider: Free Tier
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Pinecone if you need a production-ready, fully managed vector database with enterprise-grade performance, minimal setup overhead, and 99.99% uptime SLAs—ideal for startups and enterprises willing to pay for convenience. Choose Weaviate if you prioritize cost control, need full customization, value open-source transparency, or want to self-host without vendor lock-in—best for teams with engineering resources and budget constraints.

Consider: Deployment Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Deployment Model: Pinecone has Fully managed SaaS only, while Weaviate has Open-source self-hosted or managed cloud.

Consider: Starting Cost (monthly)
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Starting Cost (monthly): Pinecone has $25-$1,500+ (index-based pricing), while Weaviate has $0 (self-hosted) or $50+ (managed).

Consider: Setup Time
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Setup Time: Pinecone has < 5 minutes (no infrastructure needed), while Weaviate has 30+ minutes (self-hosted requires config).

Consider: Vector Search Throughput
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Vector Search Throughput: Pinecone has 5+ million RPS at scale, while Weaviate has 2-3 million RPS (depends on infrastructure).

Consider: Customization & Control
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Customization & Control: Pinecone has Limited (vendor-locked features), while Weaviate has Extensive (full source code access).

Consider: Query Latency (p99)
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Query Latency (p99): Pinecone has < 50ms average, while Weaviate has 50-150ms (varies by deployment).

Consider: Free Tier
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Free Tier: Pinecone has No free tier available, while Weaviate has Unlimited free self-hosted option.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Pinecone vs Weaviate
review body: Pinecone is a fully managed vector database optimized for simplicity and speed-to-production with 5+ million requests per second capacity, while Weaviate is an open-source alternative offering greater customization and lower costs for self-hosted deployments. Pinecone excels for enterprises needing managed infrastructure; Weaviate suits teams prioritizing flexibility and cost control.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Pinecone vs Weaviate

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: 99.95% | Weaviate: User-managed (no SLA)

Code Customization
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: Limited (SaaS constraints) | Weaviate: Unlimited (open-source)

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: None | Weaviate: Unlimited (self-hosted)

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: 10 minutes | Weaviate: N/A

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: $0 (free tier with limits) | Weaviate: N/A

Production Plan Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: $84 (Pro plan, 5M vectors) | Weaviate: N/A

Maximum Vector Capacity
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: 1B+ (distributed) | Weaviate: N/A

Query Latency (p99) at 100M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: < 100ms | Weaviate: N/A

REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: Yes (REST + gRPC) | Weaviate: N/A

RBAC & Enterprise Security
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: Yes (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA) | Weaviate: N/A

Deployment Model
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Cloud-managed SaaS + Self-hosted Docker/Kubernetes

Indexing Methods Supported
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 3 methods (HNSW, flat, dynamic)

Average Query Latency (1M vectors, 384-dim)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 75ms

Integrated LLM Providers
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 20+ providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Hugging Face)

Minimum Monthly Infrastructure Cost (Self-hosted Production)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: $800

Native Multi-tenancy Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Yes, with built-in tenant isolation

Maximum Scalability (distributed nodes)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 100+

API Query Language Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 2 (GraphQL, REST)

Query Throughput
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 100,000 QPS

Maximum Collection Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 2 billion vectors

Setup Time (Cloud/Self-Hosted)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 5-10 minutes (cloud)

Built-in Hybrid Search Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Native BM25 + vector search

Licensing Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: $0-5000+/month (SaaS)

Number of Native LLM Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 20+ LLM providers

GPU Acceleration Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Limited (planning phase)

Query Latency (95th percentile)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 100-500 ms

Memory per 1M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 8-12 GB

Startup Time (empty instance)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 20-30 seconds

Built-in LLM Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 15+ providers

Managed Cloud Base Price (monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: $25/month

Multi-modal Support (native)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 3 (text, image, audio)

Throughput (vectors/second insert)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 5,000-10,000

Maximum Vectors Per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 100M+ (distributed)

Average Query Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 50-150ms

Setup Time to First Query
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 30-60 (with Docker)

Hybrid Search Support (BM25 + Vector)
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Yes

Multi-tenancy Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Native with isolation

Minimum Memory for 1M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 4-8GB

Supported Deployment Modes
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure)

Max Recommended Vector Count
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: 100M+ (distributed)

Query Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Advanced GraphQL + WHERE clauses with boolean logic

Multi-Modal Search
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Text, image, audio, video

Kubernetes Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Native Kubernetes-ready Helm charts

Minimum Setup Infrastructure
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Docker/Kubernetes cluster (4GB+ RAM minimum)

LangChain Integration Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value: Pinecone: N/A | Weaviate: Supported but secondary to GraphQL API

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Pinecone — Wikipedia
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Weaviate — Wikipedia
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type: Action
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Indexing Methods Supported
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Average Query Latency (1M vectors, 384-dim)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Integrated LLM Providers
type: PropertyValue
value reference: AI Features

Minimum Monthly Infrastructure Cost (Self-hosted Production)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Cost

Native Multi-tenancy Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise Features

Maximum Scalability (distributed nodes)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

API Query Language Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Query Throughput
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Collection Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Setup Time (Cloud/Self-Hosted)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Built-in Hybrid Search Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Licensing Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Cost

Number of Native LLM Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

GPU Acceleration Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Query Latency (95th percentile)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Memory per 1M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Efficiency

Startup Time (empty instance)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Built-in LLM Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: AI Features

Managed Cloud Base Price (monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Multi-modal Support (native)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capabilities

Throughput (vectors/second insert)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Vectors Per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Average Query Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Setup Time to First Query
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Hybrid Search Support (BM25 + Vector)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Multi-tenancy Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Minimum Memory for 1M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Requirements

Supported Deployment Modes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Max Recommended Vector Count
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Query Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Multi-Modal Search
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Kubernetes Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Container Orchestration

Minimum Setup Infrastructure
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

LangChain Integration Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem