SurrealDB vs. vector databases

Q: How does SurrealDB's vector search compare to Pinecone or Weaviate?

SurrealDB provides native vector search alongside documents, graphs, full-text search, and time-series in one engine. Pinecone and Weaviate are dedicated vector databases that require separate systems for other data models. SurrealDB eliminates the sync layer between vectors and the rest of your data.

Q: Can I migrate from a vector database to SurrealDB?

Yes. SurrealDB supports the same embedding formats and similarity functions. You can import your existing vectors and gain graph traversal, structured queries, and ACID transactions in one system.

Q: Do I still need a vector database if I use SurrealDB?

No. SurrealDB provides native vector indexing with HNSW and brute-force search. Vectors are stored alongside their source entities with full ACID guarantees. There is no need for a separate vector store.

Pinecone, Chroma, Weaviate, and Qdrant are built for one thing: vectors. SurrealDB is multi-model - native vectors alongside documents, graphs, and structured data in one database.

THE LIMITATION

Vectors alone are not enough

Vector databases store embeddings, but not the entities, relationships, or metadata that give embeddings meaning. No graph traversal, no ACID transactions, no temporal versioning. Context requires more than similarity search.

No structured data

Vector databases store embeddings. They don't store the entities, relationships, or metadata that give embeddings meaning.

No graph traversal

You can't traverse relationships between entities. A user and their purchases live in separate systems - no join, no graph.

No transactions

Updating a vector and its source document requires two systems. No ACID - one can succeed while the other fails.

No temporal

Vector databases don't track how knowledge evolves. No bi-temporal versioning, no historical queries.

THE DIFFERENCE

Vectors as part of the whole

Embeddings live alongside their source documents, entities, and relationships. One record, one transaction, one permission model.

Co-located data

Embeddings live alongside their source documents, entities, and relationships. One record, one transaction.

Hybrid queries

Combine vector similarity, graph traversal, full-text search, and structured filters in a single SurrealQL statement.

ACID

Read-think-write loops commit atomically. Update memory and state in one transaction - both succeed or neither does.

Unified permissions

One permission model for documents, graphs, vectors, and memory. RBAC and record-level access in one place.

BEYOND VECTORS

From vector search to structured memory

If you are building agent memory, vectors are just one retrieval signal. Spectron combines vector similarity with knowledge graphs, entity extraction, temporal fact tracking, and hybrid retrieval - all running on SurrealDB in a single ACID transaction.

Knowledge graph

Entities, relationships, and facts - not just embeddings. Structural context that vector search alone cannot provide.

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Hybrid retrieval

Vector similarity, BM25 full-text, graph traversal, and temporal filtering composed in a single query.

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Temporal awareness

Bi-temporal versioning tracks when facts were observed and when they were valid. No destructive updates.

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TRUSTED BY

Enterprise teams building on SurrealDB

From knowledge graphs to AI assistants - how enterprise teams are building on the context layer.

Samsung

Unlocking insights with knowledge graphs

Samsung Ads uses SurrealDB to build dynamic, real-time knowledge graphs for smarter campaign execution - collapsing three legacy data stores into one.

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Verizon

AI assistant empowering 10,000 technicians

Verizon uses SurrealDB to power a generative AI assistant for 10,000 field technicians, delivering instant access to documentation, outage updates, and workflows.

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Tencent

Unified infrastructure monitoring

Tencent consolidated nine backend tools into one real-time monitoring platform powered by SurrealDB's multi-model context graph.

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PolyAI

High-performance customer service AI powered by RAG

PolyAI connects SurrealDB to Agent Studio for low-latency, customer-controlled RAG across voice AI experiences.

Read case study

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Vector databases

How does SurrealDB's vector search compare to Pinecone or Weaviate?

Can I migrate from a vector database to SurrealDB?

Do I still need a vector database if I use SurrealDB?

GET STARTED

The multi-model database for AI

Documents, graphs, vectors, time-series - unified in one query language. No bolt-ons, no glue code.

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