Magento 2 Elasticsearch vs OpenSearch – Which is Best for Your Store?

Magento 2 Elasticsearch vs OpenSearch is a critical decision for store owners aiming to optimize search performance. Both engines power product discovery, but their differences in licensing, performance, and ecosystem can greatly impact your ecommerce strategy.

What is Elasticsearch?

Elasticsearch has been the default search engine for Magento 2 since version 2.4. It is a distributed, full-text search engine built on Apache Lucene.

• Advantages:
  • Fast search queries, even for large catalogs.
  • Mature ecosystem with plugins and extensions.
  • Backed by Elastic with enterprise support options.

• Limitations:
  • Licensing shifted to SSPL (Server Side Public License), which restricts commercial usage.
  • Some advanced features require a paid subscription from Elastic.

What is OpenSearch?

OpenSearch is a community-driven, open-source fork of Elasticsearch 7.10, maintained primarily by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It was created after Elastic changed its licensing model.

• Advantages:
  • 100% open-source under Apache 2.0 license.
  • Active community support with frequent updates.
  • Compatible with most existing Elasticsearch features.

• Limitations:
  • Slightly smaller plugin ecosystem compared to Elasticsearch.
  • Some advanced monitoring tools are still under development.

Performance Comparison for Magento 2

Both Elasticsearch and OpenSearch deliver high performance when integrated with Magento 2.

• Speed & Scalability: Both handle millions of products with low latency. OpenSearch continues to receive optimizations from AWS, making it highly scalable for modern ecommerce stores.
• Relevance & Customization: Magento 2 allows configuration of search weight, stop words, and synonyms in both engines.
• Stability: Elasticsearch is stable but tied to Elastic’s licensing, while OpenSearch offers long-term freedom under open-source governance.

Licensing & Cost Differences

Licensing is a key factor in the Magento 2 Elasticsearch vs OpenSearch debate:

• Elasticsearch: Now under SSPL, free for basic use but restrictive for hosting providers and commercial SaaS products. Enterprise features often require a paid Elastic subscription.
• OpenSearch: Licensed under Apache 2.0, fully open-source, free to use in any environment without restrictions.

For small and medium businesses, this makes OpenSearch the more cost-effective choice.

Ecosystem & Community Support

• Elasticsearch: Strong enterprise backing, many commercial plugins, but locked behind Elastic licensing.
• OpenSearch: Growing open-source community, backed by AWS, with rapid feature updates and an expanding plugin ecosystem.

For Magento 2 developers and merchants who value flexibility, OpenSearch provides a future-proof alternative.

Which One Should Magento 2 Stores Choose?

The choice between Elasticsearch and OpenSearch for Magento 2 depends on your business needs:

• Choose Elasticsearch if:
  • You already rely on Elastic’s enterprise tools.
  • You require commercial support directly from Elastic.

• Choose OpenSearch if:
  • You want a fully open-source, cost-free solution.
  • You value community-driven development and freedom from licensing concerns.

Most Magento 2 merchants will benefit more from OpenSearch, thanks to its scalability, open-source licensing, and active support.

Conclusion

When evaluating Magento 2 Elasticsearch vs OpenSearch, both engines deliver fast, scalable search experiences. However, OpenSearch provides a long-term, cost-effective, and open-source solution that fits most ecommerce stores. For Magento 2 merchants looking for performance without licensing restrictions, OpenSearch is the best choice.

You can read more useful articles like Magento 2 and OpenSearch: Best Practices for Store Search Optimization.

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