Algolia or Meilisearch: the search that converts

On a catalogue, marketplace, or large site, search is not a detail: slow or imprecise search means lost sales. Two tools dominate instant search — Algolia and Meilisearch.

Why use a dedicated search engine

A SQL database’s “LIKE %word%” search isn’t enough once the catalogue grows: no typo tolerance, no relevance, no speed. A dedicated engine indexes your data and responds in milliseconds, with autocomplete, typo handling, faceting, and sorting.

Algolia: the managed reference

Algolia is powerful, fast, and feature-rich (search analytics, A/B testing, personalisation). It’s a managed service: zero infrastructure to handle. The trade-off is the cost, which rises with search and record volume, and hosting with a third party.

Meilisearch: open source and sovereign

Meilisearch delivers the essentials of high-quality instant search—fast, typo-tolerant, easy to integrate—open source and self-hostable. A French player, it lets you keep the index on your own infrastructure, and costs far less at high volume.

How to choose

• Algolia if you want the most comprehensive managed solution, with advanced analytics, without cost or sovereignty constraints.
• Meilisearch for sovereignty, cost control, or solid search needs without Algolia’s pricing.

Search is a cornerstone of the marketplaces and large catalogues we develop.

A project where search matters? We’ll help you pick the right tool.