Weaviate vs Chroma
type: Article
description: Weaviate is an enterprise-focused vector database with multi-modal support and advanced filtering, while Chroma is a lightweight, developer-friendly alternative optimized for quick prototyping and small-to-medium scale deployments. Weaviate scales to billions of vectors; Chroma is better suited for projects under 10 million vectors.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-07T22:37:00.900Z
date created: 2026-07-07T22:37:00.900Z
date modified: 2026-07-07T22:37:01.344Z
content reference time: 2026-07-07T22:37:01.344Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Weaviate
about: Chroma
abstract: Weaviate is an enterprise-focused vector database with multi-modal support and advanced filtering, while Chroma is a lightweight, developer-friendly alternative optimized for quick prototyping and small-to-medium scale deployments. Weaviate scales to billions of vectors; Chroma is better suited for projects under 10 million vectors.
text: Maximum Scalability. Setup Complexity. Multi-modal Support. Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword). Learning Curve. Enterprise Features. Community Adoption
conclusion text: Choose Weaviate if you need enterprise-grade scalability, multi-modal search, hybrid filtering, or plan to handle 100M+ vectors with high availability requirements. Choose Chroma if you're prototyping, building a small-to-medium RAG application, want minimal setup overhead, or prefer embedded vector search without infrastructure management.
additional property: Free Tier Vector Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Unlimited (self-hosted) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Estimated Monthly Cost (1M vectors)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: $500-800 (managed) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Time to First Query
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 30-45 minutes (self-hosted) | Chroma: 1-2 minutes
  value reference: Chroma
additional property: Maximum Vector Dimensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Unlimited | Chroma: 65,536
additional property: Query Latency (p99)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 50-150ms | Chroma: 50-200ms
  value reference: Weaviate
additional property: Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: User-managed (no SLA) | Chroma: Community-dependent (no SLA)
additional property: Native Hybrid Search Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: BM25 keyword + vector | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Deployment Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Standalone cluster (Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Indexing Methods Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 3 methods (HNSW, flat, dynamic) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Average Query Latency (1M vectors, 384-dim)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 75ms | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Integrated LLM Providers
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 20+ providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Hugging Face) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Infrastructure Cost (Self-hosted Production)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: $800 | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Native Multi-tenancy Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Yes, with built-in tenant isolation | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Maximum Scalability (distributed nodes)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 100+ | Chroma: N/A
additional property: API Query Language Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 2 (GraphQL, REST) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Query Throughput
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 100,000 QPS | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Maximum Collection Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 2 billion vectors | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Setup Time (Cloud/Self-Hosted)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 5-10 minutes (cloud) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Built-in Hybrid Search Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Native BM25 + vector search | Chroma: N/A
additional property: GitHub Community Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 13,000+ stars | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Licensing Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: $0-5000+/month (SaaS) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Number of Native LLM Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 20+ LLM providers | Chroma: N/A
additional property: GPU Acceleration Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Limited (planning phase) | Chroma: No
additional property: Query Latency (95th percentile)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 100-500 ms | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Memory per 1M Vectors
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 8-12 GB | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Startup Time (empty instance)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 20-30 seconds | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Built-in LLM Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 15+ providers | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Managed Cloud Base Price (monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: $25/month | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Multi-modal Support (native)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 3 (text, image, audio) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Throughput (vectors/second insert)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 5,000-10,000 | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Maximum Vectors Per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 100M+ (distributed) | Chroma: ~10M
  value reference: Weaviate
additional property: Average Query Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 50-150ms | Chroma: 10-50ms
  value reference: Chroma
additional property: Setup Time to First Query
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 30-60 (with Docker) | Chroma: 2-5 (pip install)
  value reference: Chroma
additional property: Hybrid Search Support (BM25 + Vector)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Yes | Chroma: No
additional property: Multi-Tenancy Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Native multi-tenancy with data isolation | Chroma: Not supported
additional property: Minimum Memory for 1M Vectors
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 4-8GB | Chroma: 1-2GB
  value reference: Chroma
additional property: Supported Deployment Modes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure) | Chroma: In-process, SQLite, HTTP API
additional property: Max Recommended Vector Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 100M+ (distributed) | Chroma: 1-10M (single node)
  value reference: Weaviate
additional property: Query Filtering Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Advanced GraphQL + WHERE clauses with boolean logic | Chroma: Basic metadata filters
additional property: Multi-Modal Search
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Text, image, audio, video | Chroma: Text embeddings only
additional property: Kubernetes Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Native Kubernetes-ready Helm charts | Chroma: Not native; runs as Python process
additional property: Minimum Setup Infrastructure
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Docker/Kubernetes cluster (4GB+ RAM minimum) | Chroma: Python 3.7+; runs on laptop or serverless
additional property: LangChain Integration Maturity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Supported but secondary to GraphQL API | Chroma: Official, first-class integration
additional property: Memory Usage (1M 768-dim vectors)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 1.2-1.5 GB | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Query Latency (1M vectors, 10 concurrent)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 45-80 ms | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Minimum Starting Cost (annual)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: $300 (SaaS) or $0 (self-hosted) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Vector Index Types Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 2 (HNSW, Flat) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Built-in LLM Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: Yes (OpenAI, Cohere, HuggingFace, Azure) | Chroma: N/A
additional property: Query API Types
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Weaviate: 3 (GraphQL, REST, Python) | Chroma: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/weaviate
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/weaviate
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/chroma
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/chroma
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/weaviate-vs-chroma)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/weaviate-vs-chroma)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/weaviate-vs-chroma
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/chroma-vs-weaviate
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/chroma-vs-weaviate)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/llamaindex-vs-weaviate
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-chroma
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/pinecone-vs-weaviate
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/chroma-vs-pinecone
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/weaviate-vs-pgvector
teaches: How to choose between Weaviate and Chroma
genre: Software

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

A Versus B
type: Organization

Weaviate
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Enterprise-grade vector database with advanced search capabilities, multi-tenancy, and Kubernetes-native deployment.
subject of: Weaviate vs Chroma

Chroma
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Lightweight, open-source vector database optimized for Python developers and rapid development.
subject of: Weaviate vs Chroma

Weaviate vs Chroma — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Weaviate vs Chroma. Contains 151 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: 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: Time to First Query
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Setup & Deployment
variable measured: Maximum Vector Dimensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Query Latency (p99)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Native Hybrid Search Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Deployment Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Indexing Methods Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Average Query Latency (1M vectors, 384-dim)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Integrated LLM Providers
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: AI Features
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Infrastructure Cost (Self-hosted Production)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: Native Multi-tenancy Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Enterprise Features
variable measured: Maximum Scalability (distributed nodes)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: API Query Language Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Query Throughput
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Maximum Collection Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Setup Time (Cloud/Self-Hosted)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Built-in Hybrid Search Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: GitHub Community Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Licensing Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: Number of Native LLM Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: GPU Acceleration Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Hardware Optimization
variable measured: Query Latency (95th percentile)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Memory per 1M Vectors
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Resource Efficiency
variable measured: Startup Time (empty instance)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Built-in LLM Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Managed Cloud Base Price (monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Multi-modal Support (native)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capabilities
variable measured: Throughput (vectors/second insert)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Maximum Vectors Per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Average Query Latency
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Setup Time to First Query
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variable measured: Hybrid Search Support (BM25 + Vector)
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variable measured: Multi-Tenancy Support
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variable measured: Minimum Memory for 1M Vectors
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variable measured: Supported Deployment Modes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Max Recommended Vector Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Query Filtering Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Multi-Modal Search
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Kubernetes Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Container Orchestration
variable measured: Minimum Setup Infrastructure
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: LangChain Integration Maturity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Memory Usage (1M 768-dim vectors)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Query Latency (1M vectors, 10 concurrent)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Minimum Starting Cost (annual)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Vector Index Types Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Built-in LLM Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Query API Types
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Maximum Vector Dimension Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Production Deployments (estimated)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Adoption
variable measured: Maximum Vector Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Query Latency (1M vectors)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Minimum Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Multi-modal Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Enterprise Features (RBAC/Multi-tenancy)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: GitHub Stars
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Deployment Options
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Starting Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Query Throughput
variable measured: P99 Query Latency
variable measured: Setup Time (first query)
variable measured: GitHub Stars (Community)
variable measured: Code Customization
variable measured: Free Tier Availability
variable measured: Vector Indexing Algorithm Options
variable measured: Query Type Flexibility
variable measured: Scalability Limit (Single Node)
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/weaviate-vs-chroma)

Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Weaviate vs Chroma.
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Setup & Deployment
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: AI Features
has defined term: Cost
has defined term: Enterprise Features
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Hardware Optimization
has defined term: Resource Efficiency
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Capabilities
has defined term: Resource Requirements
has defined term: Container Orchestration
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: Adoption
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Operational Ease
has defined term: API
has defined term: Query Capabilities
has defined term: Licensing
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Community Adoption
has defined term: Hardware
has defined term: Resource Usage
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Enterprise
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Querying
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Functionality
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Capability
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: Feature
has defined term: Technology

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

Setup & Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: setup-&-deployment
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hardware Optimization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware-optimization
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: adoption
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Operational Ease
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operational-ease
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

API
type: DefinedTerm
term code: api
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Query Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: query-capabilities
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Licensing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: licensing
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Hardware
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resource Usage
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resource-usage
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Enterprise
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Querying
type: DefinedTerm
term code: querying
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Functionality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: functionality
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Integrations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integrations
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Feature
type: DefinedTerm
term code: feature
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Technology
type: DefinedTerm
term code: technology
in defined term set: Weaviate vs Chroma — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-07T22:37:01.344Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: weaviate-vs-chroma)
main entity: Which is better for a small RAG chatbot prototype?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Chroma wins decisively. You can have a working RAG system running in your local Python environment in under 5 minutes. Weaviate requires Docker/Kubernetes setup and is overkill for prototyping. Start with Chroma; migrate to Weaviate only when you exceed 50M vectors or need enterprise features.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I use Weaviate and Chroma interchangeably?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Not for large scale. Both support vector search and similarity queries, but Weaviate adds hybrid BM25 search, multi-modal AI modules, and scales 100x further. APIs differ significantly: Weaviate uses GraphQL; Chroma uses Python/REST. Migration between them requires code refactoring.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the cost difference?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Chroma is free and open-source with no infrastructure costs for embedded use. Weaviate is also open-source and free, but running production deployments requires Kubernetes infrastructure (AWS EKS, Google GKE, etc.), adding $200-2,000+/month depending on vector volume. Weaviate Cloud offers managed hosting starting at ~$100/month.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which handles images and documents better?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Weaviate supports multi-modal embeddings natively via its module system (can embed images, PDFs, audio). Chroma handles text embeddings only; you must pre-compute image/audio embeddings externally and store vectors as text. For multi-modal RAG, Weaviate is the clear winner.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I start with Chroma and upgrade to Weaviate later?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes, but there's migration effort. Both store vectors similarly, but Weaviate's GraphQL API and schema structure differ from Chroma's Python API. You can export vectors from Chroma and import into Weaviate, but application code requires rewriting. Plan for 1-2 weeks of refactoring for medium-sized projects.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Weaviate and Chroma
type: HowTo
description: Weaviate is an enterprise-focused vector database with multi-modal support and advanced filtering, while Chroma is a lightweight, developer-friendly alternative optimized for quick prototyping and small-to-medium scale deployments. Weaviate scales to billions of vectors; Chroma is better suited for projects under 10 million vectors.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Maximum Scalability
step: Consider: Setup Complexity
step: Consider: Multi-modal Support
step: Consider: Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword)
step: Consider: Learning Curve
step: Consider: Enterprise Features
step: Consider: Community Adoption
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Weaviate if you need enterprise-grade scalability, multi-modal search, hybrid filtering, or plan to handle 100M+ vectors with high availability requirements. Choose Chroma if you're prototyping, building a small-to-medium RAG application, want minimal setup overhead, or prefer embedded vector search without infrastructure management.

Consider: Maximum Scalability
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Maximum Scalability: Weaviate has Billions of vectors, while Chroma has ~10-50 million vectors (practical limit).

Consider: Setup Complexity
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Setup Complexity: Weaviate has Moderate (Kubernetes/Docker recommended), while Chroma has Minimal (pip install, embed in Python).

Consider: Multi-modal Support
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Multi-modal Support: Weaviate has Yes (text, images, audio via modules), while Chroma has Text embeddings primarily.

Consider: Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword)
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword): Weaviate has Yes (BM25 + vector hybrid), while Chroma has Vector-only, limited filtering.

Consider: Learning Curve
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Learning Curve: Weaviate has Steep (extensive API, multiple configuration options), while Chroma has Shallow (simple Python API, 10 lines to start).

Consider: Enterprise Features
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Enterprise Features: Weaviate has RBAC, multi-tenancy, high availability, while Chroma has Basic auth, single-tenant only.

Consider: Community Adoption
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Community Adoption: Weaviate has ~4,000+ GitHub stars, active enterprise use, while Chroma has ~11,000+ GitHub stars, strong among startups.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Weaviate vs Chroma
review body: Weaviate is an enterprise-focused vector database with multi-modal support and advanced filtering, while Chroma is a lightweight, developer-friendly alternative optimized for quick prototyping and small-to-medium scale deployments. Weaviate scales to billions of vectors; Chroma is better suited for projects under 10 million vectors.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Weaviate vs Chroma

Maximum Vector Dimension Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Unlimited (tested to 4096+) | Chroma: N/A

Production Deployments (estimated)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: ~500 enterprise customers | Chroma: N/A

Maximum Vector Scale
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 1+ billion | Chroma: 10-50 million
value reference: Weaviate

Query Latency (1M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 50-200 ms | Chroma: 10-50 ms
value reference: Chroma

Minimum Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 30-60 minutes | Chroma: 2-5 minutes
value reference: Chroma

Hybrid Search (Vector + Keyword)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Yes (BM25) | Chroma: No

Multi-modal Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Text, image, audio via modules | Chroma: Text only

Enterprise Features (RBAC/Multi-tenancy)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Yes | Chroma: No

GitHub Stars
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: ~4,000 | Chroma: ~11,000
value reference: Chroma

Deployment Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Kubernetes, Docker, cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure) | Chroma: Embedded, Python, Serverless (SaaS beta)

Starting Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: $0 (self-hosted) / $50+ (managed) | Chroma: N/A

Maximum Query Throughput
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 2,000,000-3,000,000 | Chroma: N/A

P99 Query Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 50-150ms | Chroma: N/A

Setup Time (first query)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 30+ minutes (self-hosted) | Chroma: 2-5
value reference: Chroma

GitHub Stars (Community)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 9,200+ | Chroma: N/A

Code Customization
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Unlimited (open-source) | Chroma: N/A

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Unlimited (self-hosted) | Chroma: N/A

Vector Indexing Algorithm Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: HNSW, FLAT, IVF, PQ | Chroma: N/A

Query Type Flexibility
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Vector-first (GraphQL, REST) | Chroma: N/A

Scalability Limit (Single Node)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 100+ with optimization | Chroma: N/A

Operational Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: High (8/10) | Chroma: N/A

Setup Time to Production
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 24-72 hours | Chroma: 0.1 days (2-4 hours)
value reference: Chroma

Native RESTful API
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Yes (REST + GraphQL) | Chroma: N/A

Time to Production (First Query)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 25 minutes | Chroma: 7 minutes
value reference: Chroma

Maximum Recommended Vector Count
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 500M+ vectors | Chroma: ~10M vectors
value reference: Weaviate

Minimum RAM Requirement (Single Node)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 512 MB | Chroma: 64 MB
value reference: Chroma

Advanced Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Complex WHERE clauses, nested conditions, cross-references | Chroma: Basic metadata filters only

Multi-Tenancy
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: Full native support with tenant isolation | Chroma: Not supported

Open Source License
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: BSL 1.1 (Source-available, eventually open) | Chroma: Apache 2.0 (Fully Open)

Enterprise Support SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 99.5% guaranteed uptime | Chroma: Community-driven, no SLA

GitHub Stars (as of 2026)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: 9,500+ stars | Chroma: 12,000+ stars
value reference: Chroma

Monthly Starting Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $0 (free, open-source)

Maximum Vector Storage
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: ~10M (single instance practical limit)

Setup Time (Local Development)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 2-5 (pip install + Python)

Cost at 10M Vectors/Month
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $0 (self-hosted only)

Starting Cost (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $0 (free)

Maximum Vectors at Scale
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Limited to hardware (~1B)

Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: No SLA

Documentation Quality Score
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 8/10

Metadata Filter Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Basic ($where)

Embedded Tokenizer Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Yes (6+ models included)

Metadata Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Native (boolean operators)

GPU Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Experimental/Limited

Memory Usage (10M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 3-5 GB

Query Latency (1M vectors, single query)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 150-300ms

Maximum Practical Dataset Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: ~10 million

Data Connectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 0 (manual)

Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 5

LLM Provider Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: External (0 native)

Minimum Deployment Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 50

Retrieval Strategy Types
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 1 (similarity search)

Storage Backends
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 3 (in-memory, SQLite, cloud)

Production Observability
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Basic logging

Query Latency (1M vectors, 768-dim, 10th percentile)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: ~50ms

Built-in Embedding Generation
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Yes (OpenAI, HuggingFace, Ollama)

Installation Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 5-10 minutes (Python package)

SQL Filtering Capability
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: JSON metadata filters (limited)

Supported Index Types
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Heuristic Search Algorithm (HNSW)

Memory Footprint (at rest, 1M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: ~800MB

Number of Supported Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Python + JavaScript

Kubernetes-Native Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Not recommended; in-process only

Complex Metadata Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Basic equality/contains only

Setup Time (Minutes)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 15-30

Supported Data Sources
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 12 embedding models

Query Latency (P95)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 45-120

Maximum Embeddings
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 50M (in-memory)

GitHub Stars (2026)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 12,500

LLM Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Manual (requires wrapper code)

Learning Curve (Hours)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 2-4

Production Deployments Reported
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 500+

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 2 minutes

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $0 (open-source)

Production Plan Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $0 (self-hosted infrastructure only)

Maximum Vector Capacity
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 10M (single machine limit)

Query Latency (p99) at 100M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Not tested (infeasible)

REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: No (client libraries only)

RBAC & Enterprise Security
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: No

Maximum Vectors Per Index
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: ~10 million

Query Latency (p50, local/optimal)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 5-20ms

Monthly Base Cost (starter tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $0 (open-source)

Supported Vector Dimensions
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Unlimited

LangChain Integration Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Yes, official integration

Single-Vector Search Latency (1M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 15-25ms

Maximum Supported Vector Dimensions
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 2048

Native SQL Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Limited (metadata filtering only)

Embedding Auto-Generation
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Yes (Hugging Face, OpenAI, etc.)

Open-Source Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Yes (Apache 2.0)

Managed Cloud Cost (1M queries/month)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: $50-150

Relational Data Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: No (requires external database)

Query Latency (1M vectors, p99)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: ~350ms

Maximum Recommended Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 50-100M

Setup Time (local environment)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 2-3 minutes

Supported Embedding Dimensions
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Up to 2048

Filtering Query Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Basic metadata matching

Primary Indexing Algorithm
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Flat, approximate nearest neighbor

Language/SDK Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: Python, JavaScript, Go

Setup Time (minutes to first working example)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 3 minutes

Maximum Vector Capacity (single instance)
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 10 million

Query Latency at 1M vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 50-150ms

Memory per Million Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 1.5-2.0 GB

Built-in Embedding Model Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: OpenAI, Cohere, Hugging Face, Ollama (6+ providers)

Index Type Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Weaviate: N/A | Chroma: 2 (SQLite, DuckDB)

SpeakableSpecification
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Weaviate — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Chroma — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare Weaviate vs Chroma
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/weaviate-vs-chroma)
object: Weaviate
object: Chroma

Maximum Query Throughput
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

P99 Query Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Setup Time (first query)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

GitHub Stars (Community)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Code Customization
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Vector Indexing Algorithm Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Query Type Flexibility
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capabilities

Scalability Limit (Single Node)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Operational Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operational Ease

Setup Time to Production
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Native RESTful API
type: PropertyValue
value reference: API

Time to Production (First Query)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Setup & Deployment

Maximum Recommended Vector Count
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Minimum RAM Requirement (Single Node)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Advanced Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Query Capabilities

Multi-Tenancy
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise Features

Open Source License
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Licensing

Enterprise Support SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

GitHub Stars (as of 2026)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community Adoption

Monthly Starting Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Maximum Vector Storage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Setup Time (Local Development)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Cost at 10M Vectors/Month
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Starting Cost (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Maximum Vectors at Scale
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Documentation Quality Score
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Metadata Filter Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Embedded Tokenizer Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Metadata Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

GPU Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware

Memory Usage (10M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Usage

Query Latency (1M vectors, single query)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Practical Dataset Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Data Connectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

LLM Provider Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Minimum Deployment Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Retrieval Strategy Types
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Storage Backends
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Production Observability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise

Query Latency (1M vectors, 768-dim, 10th percentile)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Built-in Embedding Generation
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Installation Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

SQL Filtering Capability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Querying

Supported Index Types
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Memory Footprint (at rest, 1M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Efficiency

Number of Supported Languages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Kubernetes-Native Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise

Complex Metadata Filtering Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Functionality

Setup Time (Minutes)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Supported Data Sources
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Query Latency (P95)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Embeddings
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

GitHub Stars (2026)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

LLM Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Learning Curve (Hours)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Production Deployments Reported
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Experience

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Production Plan Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Maximum Vector Capacity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Query Latency (p99) at 100M Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

RBAC & Enterprise Security
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Maximum Vectors Per Index
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Query Latency (p50, local/optimal)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Monthly Base Cost (starter tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Supported Vector Dimensions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capability

LangChain Integration Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integrations

Single-Vector Search Latency (1M vectors)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Supported Vector Dimensions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capability

Native SQL Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Querying

Embedding Auto-Generation
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Feature

Open-Source Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Licensing

Managed Cloud Cost (1M queries/month)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Relational Data Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capability

Query Latency (1M vectors, p99)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Recommended Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Setup Time (local environment)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Supported Embedding Dimensions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Filtering Query Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Primary Indexing Algorithm
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Technology

Language/SDK Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Setup Time (minutes to first working example)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Maximum Vector Capacity (single instance)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Query Latency at 1M vectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Memory per Million Vectors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Usage

Built-in Embedding Model Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Index Type Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility