| Website | trychroma.com |
| Category | Vector Database / AI |
| License | Apache 2.0 (open source) |
| Pricing | Free (open source), Hosted plans coming |
Overview
Chroma is the open-source embedding database. Store, search, and filter embeddings. The simplest way to add AI memory to your application.
Pros
- Apache 2.0 license
- Simple API (4 functions)
- In-process or client-server
- Automatic embedding
- Metadata filtering
- Python and JS SDKs
Cons
- Scaling limitations
- Less mature than Pinecone
- Limited query features
- No built-in replication
- Hosted solution not yet available
Verdict
Chroma is the SQLite of vector databases: simple, embedded, and good enough for most applications. Four functions — add, query, update, delete — cover 90% of use cases. For prototyping RAG applications, building AI features into existing apps, or any project where you need embedding search without infrastructure overhead, Chroma gets you there in minutes.