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pgvector 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

pgvector — Vector similarity search for Postgres. pgvector is an open-source Postgres extension that adds vector similarity search to any Postgres database. Runs anywhere Postgres runs (Supabase, Neon, RDS).

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	pgvector	turbopuffer
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free (just Postgres)	Usage-based
Free tier	Yes	No
Open source	Yes	No
Type	Postgres extension	Serverless
Free Tier	Unlimited	None
Serverless	No	Yes
Self-hosted	Yes	No
Multi-tenant	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Search	Yes	Yes
Max Dimensions	16000	10000
Metadata Filtering	Yes	Yes

pgvector

Vector similarity search for Postgres

Pros

Use your existing Postgres
No new infrastructure
Transactional guarantees with vectors
Free — pay only for Postgres

Cons

Slower than purpose-built vector DBs at scale
Index build times grow with data
Not ideal for 100M+ vectors

Visit pgvector →

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 pgvector 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, pgvector or turbopuffer?

There is no universal “better.” For most teams, pgvector is the safer default because pgvector 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 pgvector cheaper than turbopuffer?

pgvector starts at Free (just Postgres), while turbopuffer starts at Usage-based. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.

Can I migrate from pgvector to turbopuffer?

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply pgvector-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 pgvector or turbopuffer open source?

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

Does pgvector or turbopuffer have a free tier?

pgvector 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 pgvector. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.

More Vector Database comparisons

All pgvector alternatives →All turbopuffer alternatives →