head to head · open source
Typesense vs OpenSearch
Typesense has 26,568 GitHub stars, 974 forks, 879 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. OpenSearch has 13,726 stars, 2,958 forks, 3,167 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Typesense leads on adoption by 94% (26,568 vs 13,726 stars). Typesense is written in C++ under GPL-3.0; OpenSearch is written in Java under Apache-2.0. Typesense has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, OpenSearch 22%. OpenSearch was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| Typesense | OpenSearch | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 14K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 974 | ⑂ 3.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Typesense if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick OpenSearch if
- You want the OpenSearch feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and OpenSearch fits your workflow better
About Typesense
Typesense is an open source, C++ built search engine released under the GPL 3.0 licence that provides typo tolerant, low latency full text search for developers and teams who want an Algolia alternative they host and control themselves.
read the full Typesense overview →
About OpenSearch
OpenSearch is an open source, distributed, and RESTful search engine, described in its README as an enterprise grade search and observability suite. It lives in the open source search and analytics ecosystem, is written in Java, and is licensed under Apache 2.0. The project states that it includes certain Apache licensed Elasticsearch code from Elasticsearch B.V., and that OpenSearch is a registered trademark of LF Projects, LLC.
read the full OpenSearch overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Typesense or OpenSearch more popular?
Typesense has 26,568 GitHub stars and OpenSearch has 13,726. Typesense has the larger community by that measure.
Are Typesense and OpenSearch free?
Both are open source. Typesense is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenSearch under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Typesense and OpenSearch?
Typesense is written in C++ and OpenSearch in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Typesense or OpenSearch?
Choose Typesense if you want the larger community (26,568 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose OpenSearch if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.