head to head · open source
OpenSearch vs Manticore Search
OpenSearch has 13,951 GitHub stars, 3,117 forks, 3,167 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Manticore Search has 12,075 stars, 655 forks, 651 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenSearch leads on adoption by 16% (13,951 vs 12,075 stars). OpenSearch is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Manticore Search is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. OpenSearch has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, Manticore Search 5%. OpenSearch was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (search, search-engine), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| OpenSearch | Manticore Search | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 14K | ★ 12K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Java | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.1K | ⑂ 655 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenSearch if
- You weight community size — 14K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Manticore Search if
- You want the Manticore Search feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and Manticore Search fits your workflow better
About OpenSearch
Welcome! Project Resources Code of Conduct Security License Copyright Trademark Welcome! OpenSearch is an open source, enterprise grade search and observability suite that brings order to unstructured data at scale. Project Resources Project Website Downloads Documentation Need help? Try Forums or Slack Contributing to OpenSearch Maintainer Responsibilities Release Management Admin Responsibilities Testing Security Code of Conduct The project's Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for all participants in our community, based on the OpenSearch Code of Conduct. Please contact conduct@opensearch.foundation…
read the full OpenSearch overview →
About Manticore Search
Easy to use open source fast database for search Manticore Search is an easy to use, open source, and fast database designed for search. It is a great alternative to Elasticsearch. Website • Downloads • Docs • Blog • Courses • Forum • Slack • Telegram (En) • Telegram (Ru) • Twitter • User feedback Introduction What distinguishes Manticore from other solutions is: It's very fast and therefore more cost efficient than alternatives. In the current reproducible benchmarks, Manticore Search 27.1.5 is: 340x faster than MySQL 9.7.1 and 6.51x faster than Typesense 27.1 for 1.1M Hacker News comments 3.85x faster than…
read the full Manticore Search overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenSearch or Manticore Search more popular?
OpenSearch has 13,951 GitHub stars and Manticore Search has 12,075. OpenSearch has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenSearch and Manticore Search free?
Both are open source. OpenSearch is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Manticore Search under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenSearch and Manticore Search?
OpenSearch is written in Java and Manticore Search in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenSearch or Manticore Search?
Choose OpenSearch if you want the larger community (13,951 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Manticore Search if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.