Choose Algolia if you need…
Enterprise scale with hundreds of millions of records. AI-powered re-ranking and personalization features. Dedicated support with formal SLAs. A proven, mature ecosystem with extensive frontend libraries.
Site Search Comparison: Algolia vs Typesense vs Meilisearch vs Sprigr
Choosing the right search engine depends on your scale, budget, privacy requirements, and where you want search to run. Here is an honest comparison of the four leading options in 2026.
Try Sprigr Free for 6 MonthsAt-a-glance comparison
Key differences between the four search engines across architecture, performance, cost, and features.
| Algolia | Typesense | Meilisearch | Sprigr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Cloud SaaS | Self-hosted / Cloud | Self-hosted / Cloud | Client-side WASM |
| Core language | C++ | C++ | Rust | Rust / WASM |
| Open source | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Search latency | 20–200ms | 5–50ms | 5–50ms | <10ms |
| Client-side search | No | No | No | Yes |
| Pricing | Per-query + per-record | Per-server (self-host free) | Per-server (self-host free) | Flat fee |
| Free tier | 10K searches/mo | Open-source (self-host) | Open-source (self-host) | 6 months full access |
| Built-in analytics | Separate product | No | No | Yes |
| GDPR / Privacy | Queries on Algolia servers | Self-host possible | Self-host possible | Zero server-side data |
| Typo tolerance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Faceted filtering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline support | No | No | No | Yes |
Individual overviews
Algolia
Algolia is the most established hosted search service, trusted by thousands of companies for large-scale search. It provides a fully managed cloud API with global infrastructure, AI-powered features including dynamic re-ranking and personalization, and a rich ecosystem of frontend libraries like InstantSearch.js.
The trade-off is cost. Algolia charges per search operation and per record, which can add up quickly at scale. Analytics is available as a separate paid product. For teams that need enterprise-grade features, dedicated support, and proven reliability at massive scale, Algolia remains the industry leader.
Typesense
Typesense is an open-source search engine written in C++ that focuses on performance and developer experience. It can be self-hosted or run on Typesense Cloud. With in-memory indexing and efficient data structures, Typesense achieves search latencies of 5–50ms on well-provisioned hardware.
The open-source model means you can run Typesense for free on your own servers. The trade-off is operational overhead: you manage provisioning, scaling, backups, and updates yourself. Typesense Cloud removes that burden but adds hosting costs. It does not include built-in analytics or a client-side search option.
Meilisearch
Meilisearch is an open-source search engine written in Rust, designed for simplicity and ease of setup. It prioritizes developer experience with an intuitive API, sensible defaults, and minimal configuration. Meilisearch is a good choice for teams that want fast, typo-tolerant search without spending time on tuning.
Like Typesense, Meilisearch can be self-hosted for free or run on Meilisearch Cloud. It supports features like faceting, filtering, and multi-language search. The main limitations are the lack of built-in analytics and the operational requirements of self-hosting. Search latencies are typically 5–50ms depending on infrastructure.
Sprigr
Sprigr takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of sending queries to a server, Sprigr compiles your search index into a compact WebAssembly module that runs entirely in the user's browser. Every search query is local computation — no network round-trip, no server to provision, no per-query cost.
The practical limit is index size: client-side search works best for up to approximately 50,000 records. For sites within that range, Sprigr delivers the fastest possible search experience with the strongest privacy guarantees. Built-in click and conversion analytics, a flat-fee pricing model, and a one-script-tag setup make it the simplest option to deploy.
Which search engine should you choose?
Match your priorities to the right tool.
Choose Typesense if you need…
Open-source, self-hosted search with low server-side latency. Full control over your infrastructure and data. A performant C++ engine that you can tune and customize. Cost-effective search at moderate to large scale.
Choose Meilisearch if you need…
Developer-friendly, open-source search with minimal configuration. Simple setup and sensible defaults out of the box. Rust-based performance with multi-language support. A welcoming community and straightforward documentation.
Choose Sprigr if you need…
Client-side search that runs entirely in the browser. Zero per-query costs with flat-fee pricing. Privacy-first architecture where no queries leave the user's device. Offline support and sub-10ms latency with no network dependency.
Frequently asked questions
Which search engine is best for a small to medium website?
For sites with fewer than 50,000 records, Sprigr offers the simplest setup and lowest ongoing cost. A single script tag gives you client-side WASM search with sub-10ms latency and zero per-query fees. For open-source options, Meilisearch is the most developer-friendly if you are comfortable self-hosting.
Is Typesense really faster than Algolia?
Typesense reports median search latencies of 5–50ms on self-hosted hardware, which can be comparable to or faster than Algolia's 20–200ms cloud latency. However, actual performance depends on your dataset, hardware, and geographic distance to the server. Sprigr sidesteps this entirely — client-side search has no network latency at all.
Can I switch between these search engines later?
Yes, though the effort varies. Algolia, Typesense, and Meilisearch all use similar JSON record formats. Sprigr specifically provides an Algolia-compatible API to ease migration. The main work is usually updating the frontend integration code rather than reformatting data.
Which search engine is best for privacy and GDPR compliance?
Sprigr is the strongest option for privacy because search queries never leave the user's browser. Typesense and Meilisearch can also be private if you self-host them on your own infrastructure within the appropriate jurisdiction. Algolia processes queries on their cloud servers, which may require additional GDPR considerations.
Do any of these search engines work offline?
Only Sprigr supports true offline search. Because the WASM search module and index run entirely in the browser, search works without any network connection after the initial load. Algolia, Typesense, and Meilisearch all require a network connection to reach their servers for every query.
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