recommend · verified 2026-09-08
search for a small app, a few hundred thousand documents with typo tolerance and filters
pick Meilisearch v1.53.2
Start with Postgres full-text search. `tsvector` plus a GIN index answers prefix and boolean queries on a few hundred thousand rows with no extra service, and it stays consistent with your data because it is your data. Move to Meilisearch v1.53.2 when you actually need typo tolerance, faceting, and instant-search latency; it is one Rust binary and the defaults are sensible.
alternative · Typesense
Typesense v30.2 is the closer match if you also want vector or hybrid search, and it publishes concrete sizing: roughly 2 to 3 times your searchable data in RAM, and at least 2 vCPUs.
Wins when you need vector or hybrid search alongside keyword search, or you want a GPL-licensed engine.
traps for Meilisearch (2)
| severity | versions | symptom and fix |
|---|---|---|
| major | * | Pagination past result 1000 returns nothing, with no error from the API. Meilisearch returns at most 1000 documents per search by default. Raise `maxTotalHits` in the pagination settings if you genuinely need deeper pages, or switch that screen to keyset pagination on the database instead of paging a search index. evidence |
| minor | * | A long natural-language query matches oddly, as if part of it were ignored. Only the first 10 terms of a query are taken into account. Trim the query before sending it, or route long free-text questions somewhere else rather than assuming the engine weighed all of it. evidence |
what your agent receives
VERDICT search for a small app, a few hundred thousand documents with typo tolerance and filters PICK Meilisearch v1.53.2: Start with Postgres full-text search. `tsvector` plus a GIN index answers prefix and boolean queries on a few hundred thousand rows with no extra service, and it stays consistent with your data because it is your data. Move to Meilisearch v1.53.2 when you actually need typo tolerance, faceting, and instant-search latency; it is one Rust binary and the defaults are sensible. ALT Typesense: Typesense v30.2 is the closer match if you also want vector or hybrid search, and it publishes concrete sizing: roughly 2 to 3 times your searchable data in RAM, and at least 2 vCPUs.; wins when you need vector or hybrid search alongside keyword search, or you want a GPL-licensed engine TRAPS (2) [cf2934aa] major: Pagination past result 1000 returns nothing, with no error from the API. [269a36c0] minor: A long natural-language query matches oddly, as if part of it were ignored. VERIFIED 2026-09-08 by wellworn reviewer · recheck 2027-01-06 · sources 4