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Trial
Qdrant is an open-source vector database written in Rust — the strongest self-hosted option for teams that want Pinecone-class performance without the SaaS dependency.
Buy vs Build
Qdrant is primarily build (self-hosted, open-source), but Qdrant Cloud is a managed option if you want to buy your way out of operations. The open-source version is the most widely-used path.
Why It's in Trial
Qdrant is the recommended choice when you need self-hosted vector search with production-grade reliability. Compared to alternatives:
- vs pgvector: Faster at scale (>10M vectors), better filtering performance, purpose-built for vector search
- vs Pinecone: Self-hosted (no data egress to third party), no per-query costs, full control
- vs Weaviate: Simpler setup, better raw performance benchmarks, Rust-based stability
What makes Qdrant stand out:
- Filtering performance: The ACORN algorithm (2025) makes filtered HNSW competitive even with very narrow filters — you can combine metadata filtering with vector search without sacrificing accuracy
- Payload indexing: Efficient structured data filtering alongside vector similarity
- SOC 2 Type II (Qdrant Cloud)
- gRPC + REST: Dual API support; gRPC for performance-sensitive paths
- Horizontal scaling: Native distributed mode with sharding and replication
When to Choose Qdrant
- You need self-hosted for data sovereignty or compliance reasons
- You want fine-grained control over infrastructure and costs
- You need rich metadata filtering alongside vector search
- You're building in a regulated environment and can't use SaaS
Getting Started with Docker
docker pull qdrant/qdrant
docker run -p 6333:6333 -v ./qdrant_storage:/qdrant/storage qdrant/qdrant
Then interact via the Python SDK:
from qdrant_client import QdrantClient
client = QdrantClient("localhost", port=6333)
Key Characteristics
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Written in | Rust |
| License | Apache 2.0 |
| Managed option | Qdrant Cloud (SOC 2 Type II) |
| API | REST + gRPC |
| Provider | Qdrant Inc. |
| Website | qdrant.tech |
| GitHub | qdrant/qdrant |