What Weaviate does
Weaviate combines vector, keyword, metadata, and hybrid search with managed cloud, self-hosting, embeddings, and natural-language query services.
Weaviate is an open-source AI database with managed and self-hosted paths. It supports hybrid retrieval, multiple client interfaces, and optional hosted embedding and query services.
Cloud Free is limited. Flex starts at $45 monthly and adds charges based on vector dimensions, storage, and backups; Premium starts at $400. Region, replication, embeddings, and Query Agent use can change the total.
Search quality depends on source data, chunking, embeddings, filters, and evaluation. Text, vectors, metadata, and queries may be sensitive; configure RBAC, key rotation, tenancy, backup, and deletion, and verify source passages before use.
How Weaviate works
Applications create collections containing objects, metadata, and vectors from integrated or external embedding models. Weaviate indexes them for vector, keyword, filtered, and hybrid retrieval, then returns ranked records through APIs. Optional services generate embeddings or formulate database queries. Developers choose chunking, models, filters, and tenancy; people validate retrieved evidence and downstream answers.
How to set up Weaviate
Define retrieval success
Set source, freshness, latency, tenancy, evidence, and human-reviewed test cases.
Choose deployment
Compare cloud and self-hosted options for region, support, compliance, availability, and total cost.
Design collections
Create schemas, stable source IDs, chunks, metadata filters, and tenant boundaries.
Secure access
Issue scoped keys, enable transport security, and test rotation, deletion, and backup.
Evaluate end to end
Measure recall, ranking, latency, cost, stale results, and permission isolation.
Weaviate FAQs
Is Weaviate open source?
Yes. The database is open source; hosted services and enterprise support have separate terms.
Is there a free cloud plan?
Yes, with current limits on clusters, objects, storage, collections, tenants, and AI services.
What does paid cloud cost?
Flex starts at $45 monthly and Premium at $400, plus configuration-dependent usage.
Does it generate final answers?
It primarily retrieves records; a connected model or application usually creates the answer.
Does vector search guarantee relevance?
No. Teams must evaluate data, chunking, models, filters, ranking, and permissions.
Listing reviewed 2026-08-01. Product details and pricing can change; verify important terms on the provider's website.
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