ElasticSearch
Distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine.
ElasticSearch vs MeiliSearch
Two self-hosted Search Engines apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| ElasticSearch | MeiliSearch | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine. | Ultra relevant, instant and typo-tolerant full-text search API. |
| GitHub stars | 78,682 | 59,858 |
| Forks | 26.2k | 2.8k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 6.6k | 320 |
| Commits (12 months) | 14.5k | 1.9k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-10 | 2026-11-09 |
| Latest release | v9.5.6 (2026-11-02) | v1.56.2 (2026-11-09) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | SSPL-1.0 | MIT |
| Language / platform | Java | Rust, Docker, deb |
| Docker Hub image | elastic/elasticsearch | – |
| Docker pulls | 28027.3k | – |
| Est. server size | ~4 GB, 2 vCPU | ~2 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $20/mo | $10/mo |
| Categories | Search Engines | Search Engines |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- ElasticSearch is more popular on GitHub: 78.7k stars vs 59.9k for MeiliSearch.
- ElasticSearch had more commits in the last 12 months (14,470 vs 1,942).
- MeiliSearch published a release more recently (v1.56.2 on 2026-11-09; ElasticSearch's latest is v9.5.6 on 2026-11-02).
- ElasticSearch is licensed under SSPL-1.0, MeiliSearch under MIT.
- ElasticSearch is written in Java; MeiliSearch in Rust.
- Deployment options listed upstream: ElasticSearch: none listed; MeiliSearch: Docker, deb.
- Only ElasticSearch has a Docker Hub image that we detected (elastic/elasticsearch).
- Our rough hardware estimate is lighter for MeiliSearch (~2 GB server) than ElasticSearch (~4 GB); this is an estimate from the stack and category, not a benchmark.
Summary: ElasticSearch leads on GitHub popularity, commit activity and Docker Hub availability. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-15. It does not rate features or quality.
Get the Docker images
ElasticSearch
docker pull elastic/elasticsearchImage on Docker Hub. Ports, volumes and environment variables differ per app; follow the official docs.
Frequently asked questions
Is ElasticSearch or MeiliSearch more popular?
ElasticSearch has more GitHub stars (78,682 vs 59,858 for MeiliSearch, as of 2026-11-15). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, ElasticSearch or MeiliSearch?
ElasticSearch had more commits over the last 12 months (14,470 vs 1,942). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-10 for ElasticSearch and 2026-11-09 for MeiliSearch. Releases in the past year: ElasticSearch 10+, MeiliSearch 10+. Our health labels: ElasticSearch is “Active”, MeiliSearch is “Active”.
What licenses do ElasticSearch and MeiliSearch use?
ElasticSearch: SSPL-1.0. MeiliSearch: MIT. Note: ElasticSearch includes a non-free license component.
Can I run ElasticSearch and MeiliSearch with Docker?
ElasticSearch has a Docker Hub image (elastic/elasticsearch). We did not find one for MeiliSearch, though the upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option.
Read more
MeiliSearch
Ultra relevant, instant and typo-tolerant full-text search API.
Browse all self-hosted Search Engines apps.