Chroma
Open-source search and vector database widely used for agent memory and RAG.
Updated
✨ Try AgentScout's free AI image generator →Good for: research, data analysis, working with documents, memory for agents, working with databases
Use cases
About Chroma
Chroma is listed in our memory & RAG category and is aimed at builders. Open-source search and vector database widely used for agent memory and RAG. Pricing, as the maker states it: Open source + cloud. Maturity: Mature. We last checked the official link on 2026-10-16.
What is Chroma?
Chroma is open-source data infrastructure for AI, widely used as a vector database for agent memory and RAG. Its core API is only four functions.
Chroma Cloud, the hosted service, offers serverless vector, hybrid and full-text search, with $5 of free credits to start.
Sources: the official README and our directory listing, checked 2026-10-18. Official site: trychroma.com.
Who is Chroma for?
Developers who need a simple vector store for RAG or agent memory.
Chroma at a glance
- Open source: Yes (Apache License 2.0)
- GitHub: chroma-core/chroma · 29,540 stars (as of Oct 21, 2026)
Key features
- Four-function core API
- Vector, hybrid and full-text search (cloud)
- Open source plus Chroma Cloud
Chroma FAQ
What is Chroma?
Chroma is open-source data infrastructure for AI, widely used as a vector database for agent memory and RAG. Its core API is only four functions.
Who is Chroma for?
Developers who need a simple vector store for RAG or agent memory.
Is Chroma free?
Chroma's pricing, as the maker states it: Open source + cloud. Open-source tools are free to use, though you may still pay for model API usage or a hosted plan. Check the official site for current plans.
Is Chroma open source?
Yes. Chroma is released under the Apache License 2.0, according to its GitHub repository.
What are alternatives to Chroma?
Similar tools include LanceDB, seekdb, Memgraph, txtai, xerj and Knowhere.
Chroma ratings and reviews
Be the first to rate Chroma: tap 1 to 5 stars below. A written review is optional.
Chroma alternatives
Other memory & RAG tools in our directory. See all memory & RAG tools →
LanceDB
Open-source multimodal vector database for search, RAG and agent memory.
seekdb
AI-native search database for agent storage combining vector, text and structured data.
Memgraph
In-memory graph database used as the graph layer for GraphRAG pipelines and agent memory, with Cypher queries plus vector and text search.
txtai
All-in-one Python framework for semantic search, LLM orchestration and agents built on an embeddings database of vector, graph and relational indexes.
xerj
A local-first search engine and MCP server for agents: one Rust binary indexes code, docs, logs, CSV/JSONL and PDFs for full-text, vector and hybrid search plus agent memory, behind an Elasticsearch-compatible API.
Knowhere
Document parsing and retrieval system that turns messy files into structured, navigable memory for AI agents and RAG.
Popular searches with this tool
🏆 Ranked in: MarkItDown alternatives · Hindsight alternatives
🔁 Listed in: Mem0 alternatives · OpenViking alternatives · RAGFlow alternatives
🧭 Task guides: SQL and database tools for research agents · RAG and document tools for agent memory · RAG and document tools for research agents
Badge for makers
Built Chroma? Add this badge to your README or site. It links back to this page. About badges
