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Search

Free and open-source Elasticsearch alternatives

Elasticsearch (Distributed search and analytics engine) is a commercial product. These 3 tools do the same job and are free to use or to self-host.
Short answer: the best free alternatives to Elasticsearch are OpenSearch, Meilisearch and Typesense. Elasticsearch is priced by usage. Self-hosting is free; you pay only for the server (a small VPS is about $4–6/mo). Licenses and prices checked 2026-10-01.
  1. 1
    OpenSearch

    Open-source search and analytics suite

    Apache-licensed fork of Elasticsearch 7.10.

    Open source (Apache-2.0) ·★ 14k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-07 · details

  2. 2
    Meilisearch

    Open source search engine with a simple API

    Simpler search for apps and sites.

    Open source (MIT (core)) ·★ 60k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-07 · details

  3. 3
    Typesense

    Open source, typo-tolerant search engine

    Lightweight search engine with a simple API.

    Open source (GPL-3.0) ·★ 27k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-06 · details

Want paid options too? See all Elasticsearch alternatives or the full free alternatives list.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Elasticsearch?+

Yes. OpenSearch, Meilisearch and Typesense do the same job for free; OpenSearch, Meilisearch and Typesense are open source.

What is the best open-source alternative to Elasticsearch?+

Meilisearch is the most starred on GitHub (60k stars). Simpler search for apps and sites.

Open source: OSI-approved license. Free to self-host: the code is public and free to run yourself, with limits in the license.