MeiliSearch vs Sphinx: What are the differences?

Introduction:

MeiliSearch and Sphinx are both search engines that can be used in website development. However, they have several key differences that set them apart. Here are the six main differences between MeiliSearch and Sphinx:

1. Indexing and Searching Accuracy: MeiliSearch uses an advanced ranking algorithm that ensures better precision and relevancy in search results compared to Sphinx. It takes into account various factors like attributes, full-text relevance, and sort orders to provide more accurate search results. On the other hand, Sphinx relies heavily on keyword matching and does not have the same level of precision as MeiliSearch.

2. Ease of Use and API: MeiliSearch offers a simple and developer-friendly RESTful API, making it easy to integrate into any application or website. Its API is available in multiple programming languages with comprehensive documentation. Sphinx, on the other hand, requires more configuration and setup, often requiring complex configuration files to be created for indexing and searching.

3. Real-time Indexing: MeiliSearch excels in real-time indexing, meaning it can handle updates to the index on the fly. It can instantly index new data or changes to existing data, ensuring that search results are always up to date. Sphinx, while capable of near-real-time indexing, requires periodic reindexing to include any changes or new data, which introduces a delay in reflecting updates in search results.

4. Faceted Search and Filtering: MeiliSearch provides built-in support for faceted search and filtering, allowing users to narrow down search results by applying filters based on attributes or tags associated with the indexed content. Sphinx lacks the built-in capability for faceted search and requires additional plugins or custom implementations for similar functionality.

5. Scaling and High Availability: MeiliSearch is designed to be highly scalable and can easily handle large amounts of data, making it suitable for high-traffic websites or applications. It supports horizontal scaling by adding multiple instances to distribute the load. On the other hand, Sphinx is not as scalable as MeiliSearch and may require additional manual configuration and optimization for handling large datasets or high traffic.

6. Language Support: MeiliSearch has excellent multilingual support, making it ideal for applications that require search capabilities in multiple languages. It supports stemming, synonyms, and typo-tolerance out of the box. Sphinx also provides multilingual support, but it may require additional configuration and customization to achieve the same level of language functionality as MeiliSearch.

In summary, MeiliSearch offers better search accuracy, ease of use, real-time indexing, faceted search functionality, scalability, and multilingual support compared to Sphinx.