Sprigr vs Typesense: managed search vs self-hosted.
Typesense is a fast, open-source search engine that has earned its reputation as a strong Algolia alternative. It is written in C++ and optimized for low-latency server-side search. But it still requires you to run and maintain a server. Sprigr takes a different path: a fully managed API, plus a client-side mode that compiles the same engine to WebAssembly so the browser answers queries locally. No server to manage, no per-query costs.
Head to head
How Sprigr's hosted API and client-side mode compare to Typesense's self-hosted server approach.
| Sprigr | Typesense | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Hosted API + client-side mode (WebAssembly) | Self-hosted server (C++) |
| Search latency | <10ms client-side; tens of ms hosted | 1-5ms server-side + network round-trip |
| Infrastructure | None (fully managed) | Requires server(s) to operate |
| Pricing model | Flat fee | Free (self-hosted) / usage-based (Cloud) |
| Free tier | Yes, 1K objects | Free (self-hosted, you pay for servers) |
| Data privacy | Queries local in client-side mode; records hosted per tenant on Cloudflare | Queries processed on your server |
| Offline support | Yes. Yes | No. No |
| Setup complexity | REST API + @sprigr/browser package | Server provisioning + configuration |
| Typo tolerance | Yes. Yes | Yes. Yes (core feature) |
| Hybrid semantic search | Yes. Yes (keyword + vector RRF) | Yes. Yes (vector search support) |
| Index size limit | Tens of thousands in client-side mode; up to 500K objects hosted | Millions of records |
| Open source | No. No | Yes. Yes (GPL-3.0) |
| API compatibility | Algolia-compatible REST API | Custom REST API |
When to choose Sprigr
Sprigr is the better fit when these priorities matter most to your project.
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You want zero infrastructure and zero per-query costs
Typesense is free to download, but running it requires servers. You pay for compute, storage, monitoring, and scaling. With Sprigr, the service is fully managed and, in client-side mode, search runs in the browser. There are no servers to provision, no infrastructure to manage, and no costs that scale with query volume. Your bill stays flat no matter how many searches your users run.
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Privacy and GDPR are a priority
With Typesense, every search query is sent to a server, whether yours or Typesense Cloud's. In Sprigr's client-side mode, queries run locally in the user's browser after a one-time index download, so no query is sent to a server or logged externally. Your records are hosted on Cloudflare's network, isolated per tenant.
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You need consistent sub-10ms latency everywhere
Typesense is fast on the server side, often returning results in a few milliseconds. But the user still waits for the network round-trip, which adds 20 to 100+ milliseconds depending on geography and connection. In client-side mode, Sprigr executes searches locally in the browser, so results appear in under 10 milliseconds regardless of network conditions or user location. Hosted queries typically return in tens of milliseconds.
When to choose Typesense
Typesense is an excellent product. Here is where it genuinely outperforms a client-side approach.
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You need millions of records
Client-side search has a practical ceiling. Loading tens of millions of records into a browser is not feasible. Sprigr's client-side mode suits up to tens of thousands of records, and hosted plans top out at 500,000 objects. Beyond that, Typesense's server-side C++ engine handles the scale comfortably. It is designed to index and search millions of documents with low memory overhead.
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You want full control over your search stack
Typesense is open-source under GPL-3.0. You can inspect the source code, customize the engine, and run it on your own hardware with complete control. If your team has the DevOps capacity and prefers owning the entire search infrastructure, Typesense gives you that level of control.
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You need high-availability clustering
Typesense supports multi-node clusters with automatic failover and replication. If your application requires high-availability guarantees with redundant nodes across regions, Typesense's built-in clustering and Raft-based consensus protocol deliver that reliability at scale.
Migrating from Typesense to Sprigr
Typesense stores documents in collections with a defined schema. Sprigr uses schema-free JSON objects similar to Algolia. To migrate, export your Typesense collections as JSON, map your fields to Sprigr's record format, and import them via the REST API. In most cases, this is a straightforward field-by-field mapping since both systems work with JSON documents.
On the frontend, you point the Typesense client calls at the Sprigr endpoint, or install the @sprigr/browser package for client-side mode, where the index is downloaded once and the per-keystroke network calls go away. The result is simpler frontend code with fewer dependencies and no search server to maintain.
Typesense's search parameters like query_by, filter_by, and sort_by have analogous concepts in Sprigr's configuration. Searchable attributes, facet filters, and custom ranking all translate directly. In client-side mode there is no API call per keystroke once the index is loaded.
What switching saves you
- typesense Free self-hosted
You pay for your own servers, monitoring, and maintenance. Or Typesense Cloud, resource-based from about $22/mo for the smallest cluster.
- sprigr $49/mo flat
Fully managed. Zero infrastructure. Unlimited searches. Free tier: 1K objects.
Questions
Is Typesense free?
Typesense is open-source and free to self-host under the GPL-3.0 license. You can download and run it on your own servers at no software cost. However, you are responsible for the underlying server infrastructure, maintenance, upgrades, and scaling. Typesense Cloud, the hosted version, uses usage-based pricing based on RAM, CPU, and cluster size. Sprigr offers a permanent free tier with 1,000 objects and paid plans starting at $49 per month with no infrastructure to manage.
Can Typesense run in the browser?
No. Typesense is a server-side search engine written in C++ that requires a dedicated server process to run. All search queries are sent over the network to the Typesense server and results are returned via HTTP. Sprigr is a hosted API with a client-side mode: the same engine is compiled to WebAssembly, the browser downloads the index once, and queries run locally. That eliminates the per-query network round-trip and lets search work offline.
How does Typesense Cloud pricing compare to Sprigr?
Typesense Cloud pricing is based on the resources your cluster consumes: RAM, CPU cores, and the number of nodes. Costs increase as your index grows and as you add high-availability nodes. Sprigr uses a flat-fee model with no per-query charges and no infrastructure costs. Searches are unlimited on every plan. Sprigr has a permanent free tier with 1,000 objects, and paid plans start at $49 per month.
Which is faster, Sprigr or Typesense?
Both are fast, but in different ways. Typesense is highly optimized at the server level and can return results in single-digit milliseconds. However, the end-to-end latency that the user experiences includes a network round-trip, which typically adds 20 to 100+ milliseconds depending on geography, connection quality, and server location. In Sprigr's client-side mode the engine runs in the browser via WebAssembly, so there is no network hop at all and searches complete in under 10 milliseconds. Hosted Sprigr queries typically return in tens of milliseconds.
Can I migrate from Typesense to Sprigr?
Yes. Export your Typesense collections as JSON and import them into Sprigr via the REST API. Both systems work with JSON documents, so migration is primarily a field-mapping exercise. Typesense's search parameters like query_by and filter_by have direct equivalents in Sprigr's searchable attributes and facet filters. The main change is on the frontend, where you point search calls at the Sprigr endpoint or load the @sprigr/browser package for client-side mode.
Try Sprigr Search for free.
No per-query charges, ever.