MongoDB Atlas Vector Search vs Elasticsearch

Compare deployment options, cost efficiency, and features to choose the right vector database for your application.

Database Comparison

MongoDB Atlas Vector Search takes the lead.

Both MongoDB Atlas Vector Search and Elasticsearch are powerful vector databases designed for efficient similarity search and storage. However, their deployment options and features differ in important ways.

Why MongoDB Atlas Vector Search:

  • MongoDB Atlas Vector Search ranks higher overall
  • Elasticsearch has more permissive licensing
  • MongoDB Atlas Vector Search has 1 more strengths

MongoDB Atlas Vector Search

MongoDB Atlas Vector Search is a native vector database capability built directly into MongoDB Atlas, eliminating data synchronization between operational and vector databases. It enables hybrid queries combining vector similarity with MongoDB's powerful document model, metadata filtering, aggregation pipelines, and geospatial search—all within a single unified platform.

Deployment: Managed Cloud, Self-Hosted (Enterprise), Community Edition
Cost: Free tier: M0 (512MB); Flex: $8-$30/mo; Dedicated: starts $57/mo (M10); Community: Free
License: SSPL (self-managed) / Proprietary (Atlas Cloud)
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Elasticsearch

Elasticsearch is one of Europe's most widely deployed open-source search engines that includes native vector database capabilities. It combines dense vector search with traditional full-text BM25 keyword search for powerful hybrid retrieval, making it ideal for RAG applications that need both semantic and lexical search capabilities.

Deployment: Self-Hosted, Managed Cloud, Serverless
Cost: Serverless: usage-based (ECU); Hosted: starts ~$95/month; Self-hosted: free (infra cost only)
License: AGPL v3 / SSPL / Elastic License 2.0
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Feature Comparison

Infrastructure & Technical Details

FeatureMongoDB Atlas Vector SearchElasticsearch
DeploymentManaged Cloud, Self-Hosted (Enterprise), Community EditionSelf-Hosted, Managed Cloud, Serverless
CostFree tier: M0 (512MB); Flex: $8-$30/mo; Dedicated: starts $57/mo (M10); Community: FreeServerless: usage-based (ECU); Hosted: starts ~$95/month; Self-hosted: free (infra cost only)
LicenseSSPL (self-managed) / Proprietary (Atlas Cloud)AGPL v3 / SSPL / Elastic License 2.0
Index TypesHierarchical Navigable Small World (HNSW-like), Quantized indexesHNSW, int8_hnsw, int4_hnsw, bbq_hnsw, Flat
Cloud ProvidersAWS, Azure, GCPAWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba Cloud
Regional Flexibilityhighhigh
Strengths1312
Weaknesses108