In the eCommerce world, a powerful search engine is essential to provide a smooth user experience. Adobe Commerce has long relied on Elasticsearch as its default search engine. However, with Adobe introducing OpenSearch as an alternative, merchants and developers now have another robust option.
What is Elasticsearch?
Elasticsearch is a widely used, open-source, distributed search and analytics engine designed for high scalability and fast querying of large datasets. Adobe Commerce (Magento 2) has integrated Elasticsearch for its advanced capabilities like real-time search indexing, product search suggestions, faceted search, and filtering.
What is OpenSearch?
OpenSearch is a community-driven, open-source search and analytics suite developed as a fork of Elasticsearch 7.10 after Elastic re-licensed their product under the Server Side Public License (SSPL). Starting with Adobe Commerce 2.4.4, OpenSearch is now supported as an alternative to Elasticsearch.
Key Differences
1. Licensing and Open-Source Philosophy
Elasticsearch transitioned to the SSPL and Elastic License starting from version 7.11, imposing restrictions on cloud services usage.
OpenSearch is fully open-source under the Apache 2.0 license with no limitations on use, modification, or distribution.
2. Community and Governance
Elasticsearch is managed by Elastic NV with development controlled by the Elastic team.
OpenSearch is fully community-driven, backed by Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensuring developers have significant influence on product development.
3. Compatibility with Adobe Commerce
Elasticsearch has been deeply integrated into Adobe Commerce since version 2.3, offering real-time search indexing and filtering.
OpenSearch maintains API compatibility with Elasticsearch 7.10, making migration relatively simple. Adobe officially introduced OpenSearch with Adobe Commerce 2.4.4.
4. Features and Functionality
Elasticsearch has incorporated advanced capabilities like machine learning and observability through the Elastic Stack.
OpenSearch retains core functionality of Elasticsearch 7.10 and continues to expand its feature set independently, providing similar search, filtering, and indexing capabilities.
5. Security and Cloud Deployment
Elasticsearch offers robust security features like RBAC and encryption, with managed cloud service through Elastic Cloud.
OpenSearch includes similar security features under Apache 2.0 license, available as managed service via Amazon OpenSearch Service.
Pros and Cons
Elasticsearch Pros:
- Advanced features including machine learning
- Strong integration with Elastic Stack
- Enterprise-grade managed services
Elasticsearch Cons:
- License restrictions from version 7.11
- Proprietary governance
OpenSearch Pros:
- Fully open-source with Apache 2.0 licensing
- Community-driven development
- API-compatible with Elasticsearch 7.10
- Managed cloud deployment through AWS
OpenSearch Cons:
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Elastic Stack
- Lags behind in advanced features
When to Choose Each
Choose OpenSearch if:
- You prefer fully open-source solution without licensing restrictions
- You want to avoid vendor lock-in
- Your infrastructure is on AWS
Choose Elasticsearch if:
- You need cutting-edge features like machine learning
- You rely on full Elastic Stack
- You prefer managed services with enterprise support
Conclusion
Both OpenSearch and Elasticsearch are strong search solutions for Adobe Commerce. The decision comes down to your licensing preferences, feature requirements, and long-term goals.