Typesense
Lightning-fast, open source search engine
Founded
2016
Starting Price
0
Category
Developer Tools
Last updated March 11, 2026
About Typesense
Typesense is an open-source, typo-tolerant search engine built in C++ for sub-50ms search performance. It serves as an easier-to-use alternative to Elasticsearch and an open-source alternative to Algolia, with built-in support for keyword, semantic, vector, and conversational (RAG) search.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Exceptional sub-50ms search latency thanks to C++ implementation and in-memory architecture
- Simple setup with single binary and no runtime dependencies
- Open source and self-hostable with no vendor lock-in
- Query-time flexibility allows dynamic configuration without separate indices
- Built-in AI search with native vector, semantic, and RAG support
Key Features
Typo Tolerance
Handles typographical errors elegantly out-of-the-box, delivering relevant results even when users misspell queries
Blazing Fast Search
Built in C++ and optimized for sub-50ms latency, delivering instant search-as-you-type experiences
Vector & Semantic Search
Index ML embeddings and auto-generate them using built-in or external models for similarity and semantic search
Conversational Search (RAG)
Built-in retrieval-augmented generation that answers natural language questions based on indexed data
Geo Search
Search and sort results by proximity to a location or within a geographic bounding box
Faceting & Filtering
Drill down and refine search results with faceted navigation and complex filtering
Federated Search
Search across multiple collections in a single HTTP request
Pricing
Open Source
0
- Full feature set
- GPL-3.0 license
- No limits on records or operations
- Self-hosted
Cloud Starter
7.20/month
Best For
E-commerce Product Search
Deliver instant, typo-tolerant product search with faceted filtering and dynamic sorting
SaaS Application Search
Add fast, multi-tenant search with scoped API keys ensuring data isolation between customers
Documentation & Knowledge Base Search
Power docs and help centers with semantic search that understands user intent
AI-Powered Q&A Systems
Build conversational search interfaces using built-in RAG for natural language responses
