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AI Memory & Search🔴Developer
U

Upstash Vector

Serverless vector database with pay-per-request pricing, REST API for edge runtimes, and built-in embedding generation. Free tier includes 10K queries/day.

Starting atFree
Visit Upstash Vector →
💡

In Plain English

A serverless vector database that charges per request with no idle costs. Works from edge runtimes like Cloudflare Workers. Free tier includes 10K queries per day.

OverviewFeaturesPricingGetting StartedUse CasesIntegrationsLimitationsFAQSecurityAlternatives

Overview

Upstash Vector is a serverless vector database built for developers who deploy on edge runtimes and serverless platforms. Its defining feature: a stateless REST API that works everywhere, including Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge Functions, and Deno Deploy, where traditional database drivers with persistent TCP connections cannot run.

The pricing follows Upstash's pay-per-request model. The free tier gives you 10,000 queries per day and stores up to 10,000 vectors, enough for prototyping and small RAG applications. Beyond that, the pay-as-you-go plan charges $0.40 per 100K requests. Fixed plans start at $60/month for higher throughput and dedicated resources. You pay for what you use, with no idle costs.

A useful shortcut for simpler RAG setups: Upstash Vector can generate embeddings for you. Send raw text instead of pre-computed vectors, and it handles the embedding using models like BGE or multilingual E5. This eliminates the need to manage a separate embedding service for straightforward applications.

Namespace-based isolation supports multi-tenant scenarios. Metadata filtering handles equality, range, and set membership operators for hybrid search patterns. The index supports configurable distance metrics (cosine, euclidean, dot product) and dimension sizes up to 3072.

The integration story leans into the AI framework ecosystem. LangChain and LlamaIndex connectors exist, and the @upstash/rag-chat package bundles vector search, LLM calls, and conversation history into one API. SDKs cover Python, TypeScript, and Go.

Where it falls short compared to dedicated vector databases: query latencies typically run 10-50ms (slower than in-memory solutions like Pinecone), maximum index sizes are smaller than distributed systems like Milvus, and there is no self-hosting option. Advanced features like GPU-accelerated search, multi-vector indexing, or sophisticated reranking are absent.

The trade-off is clear. If you are building on serverless infrastructure and need a vector store that matches your deployment model, Upstash Vector eliminates operational complexity. If you need sub-millisecond latency or billion-scale indexes, look at Pinecone, Qdrant, or Weaviate instead.

🦞

Using with OpenClaw

▼

Connect Upstash Vector as the vector store backend for OpenClaw's memory system via the REST API. Works from any deployment environment.

Use Case Example:

Store conversation history and knowledge base embeddings in Upstash Vector for semantic retrieval and long-term context awareness.

Learn about OpenClaw →
🎨

Vibe Coding Friendly?

▼
Difficulty:beginner
No-Code Friendly ✨

Simple REST API with clear documentation. Built-in embedding generation means you can skip the embedding pipeline entirely.

Learn about Vibe Coding →

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Editorial Review

Upstash Vector solves a specific problem well: vector search for serverless and edge deployments where traditional databases cannot run. The REST API, pay-per-request pricing, and built-in embedding generation make it the easiest vector database to adopt for small to mid-size RAG applications. It cannot compete with Pinecone or Qdrant on raw performance or scale, but for teams already using Upstash Redis on edge platforms, it is the natural choice.

Key Features

REST API for Edge Runtimes+

Stateless HTTP-based API that requires no persistent connections or native drivers. Works from any environment that can make HTTP requests, including edge runtimes where TCP-based database clients fail.

Use Case:

A Cloudflare Worker serving a RAG chatbot queries Upstash Vector on every user message without needing connection pools or WebSocket workarounds.

Built-in Embedding Generation+

Send raw text instead of pre-computed vectors. Upstash generates embeddings server-side using models like BGE-base or multilingual E5, removing the need for a separate embedding pipeline.

Use Case:

A small development team building a docs search tool skips setting up an OpenAI embedding endpoint and lets Upstash handle text-to-vector conversion directly.

Metadata Filtering+

Attach JSON metadata to vectors and filter search results using equality, range, IN, and NOT IN operators. Combine semantic similarity with structured attribute filters in a single query.

Use Case:

An e-commerce recommendation engine searches for semantically similar products while filtering by price range, category, and availability status.

Namespace-Based Multi-Tenancy+

Isolate vectors into namespaces within a single index. Each namespace operates independently for queries and upserts, enabling tenant separation without provisioning separate indexes.

Use Case:

A SaaS platform stores each customer's document embeddings in separate namespaces, ensuring data isolation while sharing one Upstash Vector index.

Pay-Per-Request Serverless Pricing+

No minimum fees, no idle costs. Free tier covers 10K queries/day and 10K vectors. Pay-as-you-go charges $0.40 per 100K requests. A price cap guarantees you never exceed the fixed plan cost.

Use Case:

An AI agent that handles sporadic queries pays near-zero during quiet periods and scales costs linearly during burst activity without capacity planning.

Framework Integrations+

Native connectors for LangChain, LlamaIndex, and Vercel AI SDK. The @upstash/rag-chat package combines vector search, LLM calls, and conversation history into a single high-level API.

Use Case:

A developer builds a conversational RAG agent using LangChain with Upstash Vector as the retriever, adding persistent chat history through rag-chat in under 50 lines of code.

Pricing Plans

Free

$0/month

  • ✓10,000 queries per day
  • ✓10,000 vectors storage
  • ✓REST API access
  • ✓Built-in embedding generation
  • ✓1 index

Pay-As-You-Go

$0.40 per 100K requests

  • ✓Unlimited queries
  • ✓Usage-based billing with price cap
  • ✓All API features
  • ✓Multiple indexes
  • ✓Metadata filtering

Fixed

From $60/month

  • ✓Dedicated throughput
  • ✓Higher vector limits
  • ✓Priority support
  • ✓All features included
  • ✓Predictable monthly cost

Pro

Custom

  • ✓Highest performance tier
  • ✓Largest vector capacity
  • ✓Dedicated support
  • ✓Custom configurations
See Full Pricing →Free vs Paid →Is it worth it? →

Ready to get started with Upstash Vector?

View Pricing Options →

Getting Started with Upstash Vector

  1. 1Create a free Upstash account at console.upstash.com and provision a Vector index.
  2. 2Choose your embedding dimension (e.g., 1536 for OpenAI, 768 for BGE) and distance metric (cosine, euclidean, or dot product).
  3. 3Install the SDK: pip install upstash-vector (Python) or npm install @upstash/vector (TypeScript).
  4. 4Upsert vectors with metadata using the SDK or REST API, then run similarity queries.
  5. 5Optionally enable built-in embedding generation to skip managing a separate embedding service.
Ready to start? Try Upstash Vector →

Best Use Cases

🎯

Serverless RAG Applications: Build retrieval-augmented generation apps on Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, or AWS Lambda where traditional vector databases require connection pooling workarounds. Upstash Vector's REST API works natively.

⚡

Edge-First AI Search: Deploy semantic search at the edge with low-latency access from global edge locations. The stateless API eliminates cold-start connection issues that plague TCP-based databases in serverless functions.

🔧

Multi-Tenant SaaS Vector Storage: Store and search embeddings for multiple customers using namespace isolation within a single index, keeping costs low while maintaining data separation.

🚀

Prototype and Small-Scale AI Projects: Use the free tier (10K queries/day, 10K vectors) to prototype RAG chatbots, document search, or recommendation systems without upfront costs or infrastructure setup.

Integration Ecosystem

9 integrations

Upstash Vector works with these platforms and services:

🧠 LLM Providers
OpenAIAnthropicGoogle
☁️ Cloud Platforms
AWSVercelcloudflare
🔗 Other
langchainllamaindexGitHub
View full Integration Matrix →

Limitations & What It Can't Do

We believe in transparent reviews. Here's what Upstash Vector doesn't handle well:

  • ⚠Query latencies of 10-50ms are slower than in-memory vector databases like Pinecone or Qdrant, making it unsuitable for ultra-low-latency requirements
  • ⚠Maximum index size is limited compared to distributed vector databases like Milvus or Weaviate that scale to billions of vectors
  • ⚠No self-hosting option. Data runs on Upstash infrastructure only, which may not meet data sovereignty requirements for some organizations
  • ⚠No GPU-accelerated search, multi-vector indexing, or built-in reranking capabilities available in more specialized vector databases
  • ⚠Built-in embedding models (BGE, E5) are limited compared to using OpenAI or Cohere embeddings directly for higher-quality retrieval

Pros & Cons

✓ Pros

  • ✓REST API works from edge runtimes (Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge, Deno Deploy) where TCP-based databases cannot
  • ✓True pay-per-request pricing with a generous free tier (10K queries/day, 10K vectors) and no idle costs
  • ✓Built-in embedding generation eliminates the need for a separate embedding service for simple RAG use cases
  • ✓Namespace isolation enables multi-tenant vector storage without provisioning separate indexes
  • ✓Price cap guarantees you never pay more than the fixed plan cost, even with high usage spikes

✗ Cons

  • ✗10-50ms query latency is noticeably slower than in-memory vector databases like Pinecone or Qdrant
  • ✗No self-hosting option creates vendor lock-in and may conflict with data residency requirements
  • ✗Maximum index size is limited compared to distributed vector databases designed for billion-scale collections
  • ✗Missing advanced features like sparse-dense hybrid search, GPU acceleration, and built-in reranking
  • ✗Built-in embedding model selection is narrow compared to using dedicated embedding APIs

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Upstash Vector compare to Pinecone?+

Pinecone offers lower latency (single-digit ms vs 10-50ms), larger scale, and more advanced features like sparse-dense hybrid search. Upstash Vector wins on pricing model (true pay-per-request vs Pinecone's pod/serverless tiers), edge runtime compatibility (REST API vs gRPC), and simplicity. Choose Pinecone for production workloads needing speed and scale. Choose Upstash for serverless/edge deployments where the REST API and cost model matter more.

Can Upstash Vector be self-hosted?+

No. Upstash Vector is a managed cloud service only with no open-source version. The REST API can be called from any environment, but data and compute run on Upstash infrastructure. For self-hosting needs, consider Qdrant, Chroma, or pgvector.

How much does Upstash Vector cost for a typical RAG application?+

A RAG app making 50,000 queries per day costs roughly $6/month on pay-as-you-go ($0.40 per 100K requests). Storage costs are separate and depend on vector count and dimension. The free tier handles 10K queries/day and 10K vectors at $0. For most small to mid-size applications, total costs stay under $20/month.

What embedding models does Upstash Vector support natively?+

Upstash Vector supports BGE-base-en (English), BGE-large-en (higher quality English), and multilingual-e5-large for multi-language support. You can also bring your own embeddings from OpenAI, Cohere, or any provider by specifying the matching dimension size when creating the index.

🔒 Security & Compliance

🛡️ SOC2 Compliant
✅
SOC2
Yes
✅
GDPR
Yes
—
HIPAA
Unknown
—
SSO
Unknown
❌
Self-Hosted
No
❌
On-Prem
No
—
RBAC
Unknown
—
Audit Log
Unknown
✅
API Key Auth
Yes
❌
Open Source
No
✅
Encryption at Rest
Yes
✅
Encryption in Transit
Yes
Data Retention: configurable
Data Residency: US, EU
📋 Privacy Policy →🛡️ Security Page →
🦞

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What's New in 2026

Upstash Vector added built-in embedding generation supporting BGE and multilingual E5 models, expanded metadata filtering operators, and introduced namespace support for multi-tenant isolation within a single index.

Alternatives to Upstash Vector

Pinecone

AI Memory & Search

Vector database designed for AI applications that need fast similarity search across high-dimensional embeddings. Pinecone handles the complex infrastructure of vector search operations, enabling developers to build semantic search, recommendation engines, and RAG applications with simple APIs while providing enterprise-scale performance and reliability.

Qdrant

AI Memory & Search

High-performance vector search engine built entirely in Rust for scalable AI applications. Provides fast, memory-efficient vector similarity search with advanced features like hybrid search, real-time indexing, and comprehensive filtering capabilities. Designed for production RAG systems, recommendation engines, and AI agents requiring fast vector operations at scale.

Chroma

AI Memory & Search

Open-source vector database designed for AI applications with fast similarity search, multi-modal embeddings, and serverless cloud infrastructure for RAG systems and semantic search.

Weaviate

AI Memory & Search

Open-source vector database enabling hybrid search, multi-tenancy, and built-in vectorization modules for AI applications requiring semantic similarity and structured filtering combined.

Milvus

AI Memory & Search

Milvus: Open-source vector database to analyze and search billions of vectors with millisecond latency at enterprise scale.

View All Alternatives & Detailed Comparison →

User Reviews

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Quick Info

Category

AI Memory & Search

Website

upstash.com/vector
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