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Open source alternatives to Algolia

We track 6 open-source Algolia alternatives, of which 5 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 5 ship a Docker image. MeiliSearch leads on health at 99/100 with 317 commits in the last 90 days; across all 6 projects you are choosing between Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, MIT and 1 other licences.

updated Oct 2026 6 alternatives best health 99 ★ 193k combined 5,387 commits / 90d 5 with Docker

Top picks to replace Algolia

  • Healthiest

    MeiliSearch

    Health 99/100: 317 commits in 90 days, latest release v1.56.0, Docker image available.

  • Most starred

    ElasticSearch

    78,416 stars, the biggest community among Algolia alternatives.

Licence family

Showing 6 of 6 tools

All 6 Algolia alternatives, ranked by health

  • Top pick · highest health

    MeiliSearch

    Ultra relevant, instant and typo-tolerant full-text search API.

    ★ 60k⟳ yesterdayv1.56.0MIT

    DockerRustdeb
  • Typesense

    Blazing fast, typo-tolerant open source search engine optimized for developer happiness and ease of use.

    ★ 27k⟳ todayv30.2GPL-3.0

    DockerC++K8S
  • Manticore Search

    Full-text search and data analytics, with fast response time for small, medium and big data (alternative to Elasticsearch).

    ★ 12k⟳ todayrelease-29.9.0GPL-3.0

    DockerdebC++
  • Apache Solr

    Enterprise search platform featuring full-text search, hit highlighting, faceted search, real-time indexing, dynamic clustering, and rich document (e.g., Word, PDF) handling.

    ★ 1.7k⟳ todayApache-2.0

    DockerJavaK8S

Algolia alternatives compared

MeiliSearch edges Typesense 99 to 97, and most of the difference is stars: 60k stars against 27k stars. ElasticSearch has the largest following at 78k stars, yet ranks #5 of 6, held back mostly by Docker support (no Docker image).

The most recent release is MeiliSearch v1.56.0, published 4 days ago. Apache Solr publishes no tagged releases, which costs up to 25 of the 100 points. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, Java (3), C++ (2) and Rust (1) are the most common. MeiliSearch, OpenSearch and Apache Solr are permissively licensed; Typesense and Manticore Search are copyleft. ElasticSearch is source-available rather than open source, which limits commercial reuse.

Open source alternatives to Algolia by health, stars, licence and last commit
Tool Health Stars Licence Last commit Docker
MeiliSearch Health 99 on 11 Sep, 99 nowSteady at 99 since 11 Sep 99 60k MIT yesterday Yes
Typesense Health 87 on 11 Sep, 97 nowUp 10 points since 11 Sep, no release for 6 months 97 27k GPL-3.0 today Yes
OpenSearch Health 97 on 11 Sep, 97 nowSteady at 97 since 11 Sep 97 14k Apache-2.0 today Yes
Manticore Search Health 96 on 11 Sep, 96 nowSteady at 96 since 11 Sep 96 12k GPL-3.0 today Yes
ElasticSearch Health 90 on 11 Sep, 90 nowSteady at 90 since 11 Sep 90 78k SSPL-1.0 today No
Apache Solr 68 1.7k Apache-2.0 today Yes

Algolia alternatives: common questions

What is the most maintained open source alternative to Algolia?

MeiliSearch scores highest at 99/100, with 317 commits in the last 90 days, 60k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v1.56.0) published 4 days ago. ElasticSearch has the most raw commit activity at 4051 commits in 90 days.

Which Algolia alternatives use a permissive licence?

3 of 6 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): MeiliSearch (MIT), OpenSearch (Apache-2.0), Apache Solr (Apache-2.0). 2 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.

Which Algolia alternatives run in Docker?

5 of 6 publish a Docker image or Compose file: MeiliSearch, Typesense, OpenSearch, Manticore Search, Apache Solr. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.

Is MeiliSearch or Typesense the better Algolia alternative?

On measured health MeiliSearch leads, 99 to 97. MeiliSearch has 317 commits in 90 days, 60k stars and v1.56.0 from 4 days ago; Typesense has 98 commits in 90 days, 27k stars and v30.2 from 6 months ago. MeiliSearch is ahead or level on every term Repoly measures.

Are the Algolia alternatives still maintained?

5 of the 6 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.

What languages are the Algolia alternatives written in?

Java: OpenSearch, ElasticSearch and Apache Solr. C++: Typesense and Manticore Search. Rust: MeiliSearch. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.