Amazon OpenSearch vs Redis Vector
Comparing AWS search service with in-memory vector capabilities in 2025
Published June 19, 2025 • 10 min read
Amazon OpenSearch
Amazon Web Services
VS
Redis Vector
Redis Inc.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Amazon OpenSearch | Redis Vector |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Managed Search Service | In-Memory Database + Vector |
| Best For | AWS Enterprise Search | Real-time Applications |
| Primary Strength | Hybrid Search | Sub-ms Latency |
| Deployment | AWS Cloud | Any Infrastructure |
| Learning Curve | Steep | Moderate |
Amazon OpenSearch
Amazon Web Services
✓ Strengths
- • AWS ecosystem integration
- • Hybrid text + vector search
- • Mature platform
- • Enterprise features
- • Global availability
✗ Limitations
- • Not vector-optimized
- • Complex configuration
- • No GPU support
- • Higher learning curve
🎯 Best For
- • AWS-native applications
- • Hybrid search needs
- • Log analytics + vectors
- • Enterprise deployments
Redis Vector
Redis Inc.
✓ Strengths
- • Sub-millisecond latency
- • Cache + vector combo
- • Mature ecosystem
- • Simple operations
- • Real-time performance
✗ Limitations
- • Memory constraints
- • Limited to HNSW
- • No GPU support
- • Expensive at scale
🎯 Best For
- • Real-time applications
- • Small-medium datasets
- • Cache + search combo
- • Low latency needs
Performance Analysis
Query Latency
Amazon OpenSearch 10-100ms
Redis Vector <1ms
Scalability
Amazon OpenSearch Auto-scaling
Redis Vector Memory limited
When to Choose Each
Choose Amazon OpenSearch if:
- You need both text search and vector search in one platform
- Your application is already built on AWS infrastructure
- You're doing log analytics with vector-enhanced search
- Enterprise features and support are critical
Choose Redis Vector if:
- Sub-millisecond latency is absolutely critical
- You need caching and vector search in one system
- Your dataset fits comfortably in memory
- You already use Redis in your architecture
Cost Considerations
Amazon OpenSearch
Instance Hours $0.10-$3.00/hour
Storage $0.10/GB/month
Pricing varies by instance type and region. Additional costs for data transfer and snapshots.
Redis Vector
Redis Cloud $5-$1000+/month
Self-hosted Infrastructure only
Redis Cloud pricing based on memory usage. Self-hosted provides cost control but requires management.
Our Recommendation
Choose Amazon OpenSearch if you need a comprehensive search platform that combines text and vector search, especially for AWS-native applications with enterprise requirements.
Choose Redis Vector if you prioritize ultra-low latency and want to combine caching with vector search, particularly for real-time applications with memory-sized datasets.