Apache Solr

Self-Hosted

Open-source enterprise search platform built on Apache Lucene

Overview

Apache Solr is a scalable, high-performance search engine designed for enterprise applications. It supports full-text search, faceted navigation, geospatial queries, and real-time indexing. Built on Lucene, it offers RESTful APIs for integration with web apps, CMS, and data pipelines. Deployment options include self-hosted servers, Docker containers, or cloud instances (AWS/GCP). Features like distributed search, replication for high availability, and advanced analytics make it ideal for e-commerce product searches, CMS content retrieval, and log analysis. It’s customizable with plugins for additional functionality.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  apache_solr:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: apache-solr
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Full-text search with advanced query syntax
Faceted navigation and filtering
Geospatial search support
Real-time indexing and replication
RESTful API integration (JSON/XML)

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Apache Solr hard to install?

Basic installation is straightforward via binary distributions or Docker images. However, setting up distributed clusters with replication and load balancing requires knowledge of Solr’s architecture and configuration files.

? Is it a good alternative to Algolia?

Yes for self-hosted enterprise needs—Solr offers similar features like full-text search and facets but without recurring costs. Algolia provides managed hosting and easier setup, while Solr requires in-house maintenance.

? Is it completely free?

Yes—Apache Solr is licensed under Apache 2.0, so it’s free to download, use, modify, and distribute without any licensing fees.

Top Alternatives

Algolia Search Google

Amazon CloudSearch Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Search Engines

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ No subscription fees (open-source license)
⊕ Scalable for enterprise-level workloads
⊕ Rich feature set for complex search needs

Cons

⊖ Requires technical expertise for cluster setup
⊖ Steeper learning curve for beginners
⊖ Resource-intensive for large datasets in production