Chroma

Chroma is an open-source search infrastructure database that supports vector, full-text, regex, and metadata search.

Chroma is an open-source search infrastructure database built for AI applications. It provides fast, serverless, and scalable search capabilities supporting vector, full-text, regex, and metadata search. The system runs on object storage with automatic query-aware data tiering and caching. It is designed for developers and enterprises needing secure, compliant, and resilient search systems. Deployment options include self-hosted open source and cloud plans with usage-based pricing.

Chroma at a glance

Best for: Software engineer
Runs on: API, self-hosted, open source
Pricing: Starter $0 plus usage; Team $250 plus usage; Enterprise custom pricing
Released: October 2022
Category: AI coding tool
Website: trychroma.com

Key features

Vector, full-text, regex, and metadata search
Object storage with automatic query-aware data tiering
Multi-cloud and multi-region replication
Point-in-time recovery
Bring your own cloud in your virtual private cloud
Apache 2.0 open-source architecture

Use it for

Building AI applications with vector search
Executing full-text and metadata search queries
Managing search infrastructure at scale

Companion to

Tools whose articles name Chroma as a companion, each with its job for them.

Ollama — Chroma: Vector search

Alternatives to Chroma

seekdb — Unifies relational, vector, and text data for production-grade AI agents.
Exa — Provides high-accuracy web search and deep research endpoints for AI agents.
zvec — It is a pure local, serverless vector database providing fast hybrid search.
OpenCode — Works with 75+ model providers, local models, and existing subscriptions
USearch — It uses SIMD instructions and optimized concurrency to outperform FAISS.
Cohere — Private, secure enterprise AI deployment with customizable models.
Pixelcrabs — Work from the running interface and point at what should change.
Freebuff — Access multiple coding AI models for free without subscriptions.
Searchbase — Independent web access with support for REST, MCP, self-hosting, and managed cloud.
Strata — Runs large AI models locally on consumer gaming PCs without server reliance.
Weaviate — Stores data objects and vectors for semantic and hybrid search capabilities.
Engram — Single Go binary with zero dependencies and built-in full-text search.

All Chroma alternatives