OpenSearch vs ClickHouse: Selecting the Right Database for GenAI Applications

OpenSearch and ClickHouse are two prominent databases with vector search capabilities that play a crucial role in AI applications such as recommendation engines, image retrieval, and semantic search. Both databases have evolved to include vector search capabilities as an add-on. OpenSearch is built on Apache Lucene and supports various machine learning-powered methods for vector search, while ClickHouse has integrated vector search capabilities into its SQL engine. Key differences between the two include their search methodology, data handling, scalability, flexibility, integration, ease of use, cost considerations, and security features. Depending on specific application needs, developers may choose OpenSearch or ClickHouse for GenAI applications. For large-scale, high-performance vector search tasks, specialized vector databases like Milvus and Zilliz Cloud are recommended.