Qdrant vs 
Milvus
Qdrant vs Milvus compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. Fast Rust-based vector search vs Billion-scale vector database.
Updated regularly · curated by olud.ai
Qdrant vs Milvus at a glance
| Spec | Qdrant | Milvus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Vector database | Vector database |
| Type | Vector database | Vector database |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Runs locally | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Primary language | Rust | Go / C++ |
| Ease of use | Beginner | Advanced |
| Best for | teams wanting fast, simple vector search | teams needing billion-scale vector search |
| GitHub stars | 33.4k | 45.3k |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Qdrant | Milvus |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hostable | ✓ | ✓ |
| Managed cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Metadata filtering | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hybrid search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Horizontal scaling | ✓ | ✓ |
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
How Qdrant and Milvus score
| Criterion | Qdrant | Milvus |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Maintenance | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 5.0 | 2.5 |
| Privacy | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| License freedom | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Scores are computed automatically from public signals — GitHub stars (popularity), recent commit activity (maintenance), license type (freedom), local-first design (privacy) and onboarding complexity (ease of use). Indicative, not a verdict.
What each one is
Qdrant
Qdrant is a high-performance vector database written in Rust, with rich filtering, payloads and a simple API for production semantic search and RAG.
- Very fast, written in Rust
- Rich payload filtering
- Simple API and easy self-hosting
Milvus
Milvus is a cloud-native vector database built for massive scale, with multiple index types and a distributed architecture for billions of vectors.
- Scales to billions of vectors
- Many index types for tuning
- Cloud-native, distributed architecture
Key differences
Qdrant is vector database, while Milvus is vector database. Qdrant leans more beginner-friendly, whereas Milvus is more suited to advanced users. In short, Qdrant fits teams wanting fast, simple vector search, and Milvus fits teams needing billion-scale vector search.
Which should you choose?
Choose Qdrant for teams wanting fast, simple vector search. Choose Milvus for teams needing billion-scale vector search.
There is rarely one winner — many setups use both. The right pick depends on your hardware, your team's skills, and whether you value simplicity or control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Qdrant or Milvus easier to use?
Qdrant is generally the easier of the two to get started with, while Milvus rewards more setup with more control.
Are Qdrant and Milvus free?
Qdrant is free and open source (Apache-2.0), and Milvus is free and open source (Apache-2.0). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run Qdrant and Milvus locally?
Qdrant: self-hosted · Milvus: self-hosted. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
Qdrant vs Milvus — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose Qdrant for teams wanting fast, simple vector search. Choose Milvus for teams needing billion-scale vector search.
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