Company
Date Published
Author
Asaf Yigal
Word count
2025
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Solr and Elasticsearch are two prominent open-source search engines built on Apache Lucene, each with unique strengths and applications. Solr, a mature platform, excels in enterprise-directed text searches and integrates well with big data tools like Hadoop, making it ideal for handling static data in enterprise settings. In contrast, Elasticsearch, though newer, has rapidly gained popularity due to its scalability, JSON-based structure, and suitability for time-series data and modern web applications, particularly in log management. While both engines offer robust search and indexing capabilities, they differ in deployment and scalability features, with Elasticsearch favoring horizontal scaling and Solr involving more complex cluster management. Although Solr has a strong community foundation, Elasticsearch's development is more company-driven, resulting in comprehensive documentation and resources that surpass Solr's currently outdated materials. Both engines are easy to start with, but Elasticsearch's design is more conducive to production environments and large-scale applications.