MvsT

Milvus vs turbopuffer

Comparing two vector database platforms on pricing, features, free tier, and trade-offs.

By Bilal Almukhtar Edited by Sofia DraganovLast updated April 20, 2026

Quick summary

Milvus — Open source vector database for GenAI. Milvus is a CNCF-graduated open-source vector database built for massive scale, with managed cloud via Zilliz.

turbopuffer — Serverless vector search on object storage. turbopuffer is a serverless vector database built on S3, offering very cheap storage pricing and pay-per-query model — designed for RAG at scale without fixed pod costs.

Feature comparison

Feature	Milvus	turbopuffer
Pricing model	Freemium	Paid
Starting price	$65/mo (Zilliz)	Usage-based
Free tier	Yes	No
Open source	Yes	No
Type	Hybrid	Serverless
Free Tier	Zilliz free cluster	None
Serverless	Yes	Yes
Self-hosted	Yes	No
Multi-tenant	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Search	Yes	Yes
Max Dimensions	32768	10000
Metadata Filtering	Yes	Yes

Milvus

Open source vector database for GenAI

Pros

Scales to billions of vectors
CNCF-graduated, enterprise-ready
Multiple index types (HNSW, IVF, DiskANN)
Strong in China / APAC market

Cons

Heavy for small use cases
Steep learning curve
Ops complex if self-hosting

Visit Milvus →

turbopuffer

Serverless vector search on object storage

Pros

Storage on S3 — extremely cheap
Pay per query, no pod hours
Good for cold / infrequently-queried data
Simple API

Cons

Higher query latency than Pinecone/Qdrant
No free tier
Closed source

Visit turbopuffer →

Which should you choose?

Choose Milvus if you value open source and want the option to self-host, and a free tier is important for your stage. Choose turbopuffer if you need production-grade features and are ready to pay.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Milvus or turbopuffer?

There is no universal “better.” For most teams, Milvus is the safer default because Milvus is open source, which means you can self-host and avoid vendor lock-in. turbopuffer is proprietary. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.

Is Milvus cheaper than turbopuffer?

Milvus starts at $65/mo (Zilliz), while turbopuffer starts at Usage-based. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.

Can I migrate from Milvus to turbopuffer?

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Milvus-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most vector database migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.

Is Milvus or turbopuffer open source?

Milvus is open source; turbopuffer is a proprietary managed service.

Does Milvus or turbopuffer have a free tier?

Milvus has a free tier; turbopuffer does not.

Which is best for startups and indie hackers?

Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. The one with the most generous free tier here is Milvus. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.

More Vector Database comparisons

All Milvus alternatives →All turbopuffer alternatives →