Vector Database Architecture Comparison
Each stack reads top (your app) to bottom (deployment). Hover a layer for details.
FAISS
Embedded library
Your Python / C++ App
Index APIsFlatL2, IVFPQ, HNSW
CPU / GPU ExecutionBLAS, CUDA
File Systemindex persistence
Self-managed library
Pinecone
Fully managed cloud
Your App (any language)
REST API / gRPC
Managed Serviceproprietary indexes
Auto-scaling storage
Fully managed cloud
Weaviate
Self-hosted or cloud
Your App (any language)
GraphQL / REST API
Vector Search + Schema
Vectorization Modulestext2vec, img2vec
HNSW + Inverted IndexBM25 hybrid search
LSM-Tree Storage
Self-hosted or cloud
Tip: hover over any layer to learn what it does.
| Feature | FAISS | Pinecone | Weaviate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Embedded library | Fully managed cloud | Self-hosted or cloud |
| Pricing | Free (open-source) | Usage-based | Free (OSS) or managed |
| Metadata | Manual | Built-in | Built-in with schema |
| Hybrid search | No | Limited | Yes (BM25 + vector) |
| GPU support | Yes (native) | No (abstracted) | No (CPU optimized) |
| Scalability | Manual sharding | Automatic | Manual or managed |
| Best for | Maximum control | Fast deployment | Hybrid search needs |