Comprehensive analysis of Pinecone, Weaviate, and Chroma for RAG applications. Performance benchmarks, feature comparison, and buying recommendations.
Choose Pinecone for reliable production systems with enterprise requirements.
Pick Weaviate for advanced search capabilities and schema flexibility.
Use Chroma for development, prototypes, and cost-conscious projects.
| Database | 10 QPS | 100 QPS | 1,000 QPS | 10,000 QPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecone | 45ms | 52ms | 78ms | 145ms |
| Weaviate | 38ms | 48ms | 65ms | 125ms |
| Chroma | 25ms | 35ms | 85ms | 180ms |
| Feature | Pinecone | Weaviate | Chroma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Search (Keyword + Vector) | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schema Flexibility | Limited | ✓ | ✓ |
| GraphQL API | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi-modal Search | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real-time Indexing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Metadata Filtering | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cosmic Distance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clustering Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Role-based Access | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Distance Metrics | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Recommendation: Start with Pinecone for production, Chroma for development
• Prototypes: Use Chroma to validate ideas quickly
• Development: Chroma for testing, Pinecone for staging
• Production: Pinecone for reliability and support
• Enterprise: Weaviate for specialized requirements
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