# Milvus: Free Open Source Alternative to Pinecone, Supabase

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/fork/milvus
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Milvus (Open Source, Open Source) replaces Pinecone, Supabase. Open-source vector database optimized for similarity search, scaling to billions of vectors with minimal performance loss

## Tool Specifications
- **Tool Name**: Milvus
- **Type**: Open Source Project
- **License**: Open Source
- **Official Website**: https://milvus.io
- **GitHub Repository**: https://github.com/milvus-io/milvus
- **GitHub Stars**: ★ 46.6k
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **Maintenance Status**: nov 2026
- **Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/milvus-io/milvus or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup Requirements**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **The Catch / Limitation**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Pinecone.

## Paid SaaS Applications Replaced (2)
Replacing these paid tools with Milvus saves up to $45/mo ($540/yr) in software subscriptions:

| Replaced Software | Category | SaaS Price | Comparison Guide |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Pinecone](https://caniforkit.com/pinecone) | [photo editing](https://caniforkit.com/category/photo-editing) | $20/mo | [Compare Pinecone vs Milvus](https://caniforkit.com/vs/pinecone-vs-milvus) |
| [Supabase](https://caniforkit.com/supabase) | [dev tools](https://caniforkit.com/category/dev-tools) | $25/mo | [Compare Supabase vs Milvus](https://caniforkit.com/vs/supabase-vs-milvus) |

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Milvus free and open source?
Milvus is an open source tool licensed under Open Source that runs on self-host. Open-source vector database optimized for similarity search, scaling to billions of vectors with minimal performance loss

### What is the trade-off or limitation of using Milvus?
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Pinecone.

## Related

- [Self-Hosted Open Source Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Software Categories Directory](https://caniforkit.com/categories)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)