# "Choosing a Search Engine on Zerops"


## Keywords
search, elasticsearch, meilisearch, typesense, qdrant, vector, full-text, choose search, which search engine

## TL;DR
**Use Meilisearch** for simple full-text search. Use **Elasticsearch** for advanced queries or HA requirements. Use **Qdrant** for vector/AI search.

## Decision Matrix

| Need | Choice | Why |
|------|--------|-----|
| **Simple full-text search** | **Meilisearch** (default) | Instant setup, typo-tolerant, frontend-safe keys |
| Advanced queries / HA | Elasticsearch | Cluster support, plugins, JVM tuning |
| Autocomplete + typo-tolerance | Typesense | Raft HA, CORS built-in, fast |
| Vector / AI similarity | Qdrant | gRPC + HTTP, automatic cluster replication |

## Meilisearch (Default for Simple Search)

- Single-node only (no clustering)
- Port: 7700
- API keys: `masterKey` (admin), `defaultSearchKey` (frontend-safe), `defaultAdminKey` (backend)
- Production mode by default (no search preview dashboard)

## Elasticsearch (Advanced / HA)

- Cluster support with multiple nodes
- Port: 9200 (HTTP only)
- Auth: `elastic` user with auto-generated password
- Plugins via `PLUGINS` env var (comma-separated)
- JVM heap: `HEAP_PERCENT` env var (default 50%)
- Min RAM: 0.25 GB

## Typesense (Fast Autocomplete)

- HA: 3-node Raft consensus
- API key via `apiKey` env var (immutable after generation)
- CORS enabled by default
- Recovery time: up to 1 minute during failover (503/500 auto-resolves)
- Data persisted at `/var/lib/typesense`

## Qdrant (Vector Search)

- Ports: 6333 (HTTP), 6334 (gRPC)
- API keys: `apiKey` (full access), `readOnlyApiKey` (search only)
- HA: 3 nodes with `automaticClusterReplication=true` by default
- **Internal access only** — no public access available

## Gotchas
1. **Meilisearch has no HA**: Single-node only — for HA full-text search, use Elasticsearch or Typesense
2. **Qdrant is internal-only**: Cannot be exposed publicly — access via your runtime service
3. **Typesense API key is immutable**: Cannot change `apiKey` after service creation
4. **Elasticsearch plugins require restart**: Changing `PLUGINS` env var needs service restart

## See Also
- zerops://themes/services — Meilisearch, Elasticsearch, Typesense, Qdrant service cards and wiring