Azure AI Search vs Weaviate
Azure AI Search
azure.microsoft.comWeaviate
weaviate.ioSide by side
| Figure | Azure AI Search | Weaviate |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $45/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 4 |
| Spec score · Search & Vector Database Platforms | 5.8 (#19) | 8.0 (#11) |
Plans
In their own words
Azure AI Search
Azure AI Search has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Weaviate
Weaviate is an open-source AI vector database for storing, indexing and searching high-dimensional vectors, used as a foundation for search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and agents. Its hybrid search combines vector retrieval with BM25 keyword search, alongside semantic and keyword search. Other listed capabilities include advanced filtering, vectorizer modules, configurable backups, native multi-tenancy, vector-index compression and tenant isolation. It can run as a hosted service or as a self-managed instance locally or with a cloud provider, with Docker and Kubernetes deployment options. Its integrations include AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Hugging Face and Ollama. Weaviate Cloud encrypts data in transit and at rest, supports role-based access controls and provides automated daily backups. The Free plan includes up to 100,000 objects, one collection and three tenants, but no backups or high-availability replication. Flex costs $45 a month; Premium costs $400 a month. Windows use is possible through containers such as Docker or WSL, but native Windows support is not offered. SDKs are listed for Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Go, Java and C#.