Platform & Pricing
Algolia: Cloud-based SaaS with usage-based pricing - Pay per search requests and records (~$0.50/1K searches)
SearchAI: Self-hosted or managed platform - Fixed annual licensing ($25K-$75K) with unlimited usage
Scalability
Algolia: Handles 1.75 trillion searches per year with 99.999% availability and sub-50ms response times
SearchAI: Scales via clustering, handles millions of documents with 600+ enterprise deployments and predictable performance
Integration
Algolia: API-first with e-commerce platform integrations (Shopify, Magento, Salesforce Commerce) and web crawlers
SearchAI: 329+ built-in connectors including databases, SharePoint, cloud storage, file systems, and real-time APIs
AI Capabilities
Algolia: NeuralSearch (vector + keyword), Dynamic Re-Ranking, AI Synonyms, Personalization, and Query Categorization
SearchAI: Hybrid search + private LLM/RAG + SmartFAQs + SearchAI Agents + SmartSynonyms + Document Intelligence with OCR
Use Case Strengths
Algolia: E-commerce product search with merchandising tools, and mobile app search optimization
SearchAI: Enterprise knowledge search across multiple sources, customer support automation with AI answers, and unified search experiences
Deployment Models
Algolia: Cloud-only SaaS platform with global CDN and regional data centers
SearchAI: On-premises, private cloud, hybrid, or fully managed service options for maximum control
Security & Compliance
Algolia: SOC 2, GDPR compliant with regional data residency and secured API keys
SearchAI: SOC 2 attested, HIPAA aligned, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified with full on-premise deployment capability
Developer Experience
Algolia: Extensive InstantSearch libraries, comprehensive APIs, large developer community, and detailed documentation
SearchAI: Ready-to-use UI components, admin console configuration, low-code deployment, and RESTful APIs
