​ Overview

This page aims to help current users of Algolia make the transition to Meilisearch. For a high-level comparison of the two search companies and their products, see our analysis of the search market.

​ Overview

This guide will take you step-by-step through the creation of a script to upload Algolia index data to Meilisearch. Examples are provided in JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. You can also skip directly to the finished script. The migration process consists of three steps:

1. Export your data stored in Algolia
2. Import your data into Meilisearch
3. Configure your Meilisearch index settings (optional)

To help with the transition, we have also included a comparison of Meilisearch and Algolia’s API methods and front-end components. Before continuing, make sure you have Meilisearch installed and have access to a command-line terminal. If you’re unsure how to install Meilisearch, see our quick start.

This guide includes examples in JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. The packages used:

• JavaScript: algoliasearch 4.x, meilisearch (compatible with Meilisearch v1.0+)
• Python: algoliasearch 4.x, meilisearch
• Ruby: algolia 3.x, meilisearch

​ Export your Algolia data

​ Initialize project

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

mkdir algolia-meilisearch-migration
cd algolia-meilisearch-migration
npm init -y
touch script.js

mkdir algolia-meilisearch-migration
cd algolia-meilisearch-migration
touch script.py

mkdir algolia-meilisearch-migration
cd algolia-meilisearch-migration
touch script.rb

​ Install dependencies

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

npm install -s algoliasearch@4 meilisearch

pip install algoliasearch meilisearch

gem install algolia meilisearch

​ Create Algolia client

You’ll need your Application ID and Admin API Key to start the Algolia client. Both can be found in your Algolia account. Paste the below code in your script file:

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

const algoliaSearch = require("algoliasearch");

const algoliaClient = algoliaSearch(
  "APPLICATION_ID",
  "ADMIN_API_KEY"
);
const algoliaIndex = algoliaClient.initIndex("INDEX_NAME");

from algoliasearch.search.client import SearchClientSync

algolia_client = SearchClientSync("APPLICATION_ID", "ADMIN_API_KEY")

require 'algolia'

algolia_client = Algolia::SearchClient.create(
  'APPLICATION_ID',
  'ADMIN_API_KEY'
)

Replace APPLICATION_ID and ADMIN_API_KEY with your Algolia application ID and admin API key respectively. Replace INDEX_NAME with the name of the Algolia index you would like to migrate to Meilisearch.

​ Fetch data from Algolia

To fetch all Algolia index data at once, use Algolia’s browseObjects method.

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

let records = [];
await algoliaIndex.browseObjects({
    batch: (hits) => {
      records = records.concat(hits);
    }
  });

records = []
for hit in algolia_client.browse_objects(index_name="INDEX_NAME"):
    records.append(hit)

records = []
algolia_client.browse_objects('INDEX_NAME') do |hit|
  records << hit
end

The records array will contain all documents from your Algolia index. We will use records again later in the upload process.

​ Import your data into Meilisearch

​ Create Meilisearch client

Create a Meilisearch client by passing the host URL and API key of your Meilisearch instance. The easiest option is to use the automatically generated admin API key.

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

const { Meilisearch } = require("meilisearch");

const meiliClient = new Meilisearch({
  host: "MEILI_HOST",
  apiKey: "MEILI_API_KEY",
});
const meiliIndex = meiliClient.index("MEILI_INDEX_NAME");

import meilisearch

meili_client = meilisearch.Client("MEILI_HOST", "MEILI_API_KEY")
meili_index = meili_client.index("MEILI_INDEX_NAME")

require 'meilisearch'

meili_client = MeiliSearch::Client.new(
  'MEILI_HOST',
  'MEILI_API_KEY'
)
meili_index = meili_client.index('MEILI_INDEX_NAME')

Replace MEILI_HOST,MEILI_API_KEY, and MEILI_INDEX_NAME with your Meilisearch host URL, Meilisearch API key, and the index name where you would like to add documents. Meilisearch will create the index if it doesn’t already exist.

​ Upload data to Meilisearch

Next, use addDocumentsInBatches to upload all your records in batches of 100,000.

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

const BATCH_SIZE = 100000;
await meiliIndex.addDocumentsInBatches(records, BATCH_SIZE);

BATCH_SIZE = 100000
meili_index.add_documents_in_batches(records, batch_size=BATCH_SIZE)

BATCH_SIZE = 100000
meili_index.add_documents_in_batches(records, BATCH_SIZE)

That’s all! When you’re ready to run the script, enter the below command:

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

node script.js

python script.py

ruby script.rb

​ Finished script

JavaScript

Python

Ruby

const algoliaSearch = require("algoliasearch");
const { Meilisearch } = require("meilisearch");

const BATCH_SIZE = 100000;

(async () => {
  const algoliaClient = algoliaSearch("APPLICATION_ID", "ADMIN_API_KEY");
  const algoliaIndex = algoliaClient.initIndex("INDEX_NAME");

  let records = [];
  await algoliaIndex.browseObjects({
    batch: (hits) => {
      records = records.concat(hits);
    }
  });

  const meiliClient = new Meilisearch({
    host: "MEILI_HOST",
    apiKey: "MEILI_API_KEY",
  });
  const meiliIndex = meiliClient.index("MEILI_INDEX_NAME");

  await meiliIndex.addDocumentsInBatches(records, BATCH_SIZE);
})();

from algoliasearch.search.client import SearchClientSync
import meilisearch

BATCH_SIZE = 100000

## Fetch all documents from Algolia
algolia_client = SearchClientSync("APPLICATION_ID", "ADMIN_API_KEY")

records = []
for hit in algolia_client.browse_objects(index_name="INDEX_NAME"):
    records.append(hit)

print(f"Fetched {len(records)} documents from Algolia")

## Upload to Meilisearch
meili_client = meilisearch.Client("MEILI_HOST", "MEILI_API_KEY")
meili_index = meili_client.index("MEILI_INDEX_NAME")

meili_index.add_documents_in_batches(records, batch_size=BATCH_SIZE)
print("Migration complete")

require 'algolia'
require 'meilisearch'

BATCH_SIZE = 100000

## Fetch all documents from Algolia
algolia_client = Algolia::SearchClient.create(
  'APPLICATION_ID',
  'ADMIN_API_KEY'
)

records = []
algolia_client.browse_objects('INDEX_NAME') do |hit|
  records << hit
end

puts "Fetched #{records.length} documents from Algolia"

## Upload to Meilisearch
meili_client = MeiliSearch::Client.new('MEILI_HOST', 'MEILI_API_KEY')
meili_index = meili_client.index('MEILI_INDEX_NAME')

meili_index.add_documents_in_batches(records, BATCH_SIZE)
puts 'Migration complete'

​ Configure your index settings

Meilisearch’s default settings are designed to deliver a fast and relevant search experience that works for most use-cases. To customize your index settings, we recommend following this guide. To learn more about the differences between settings in Algolia and Meilisearch, read on.

​ Index settings vs. search parameters

One of the key usage differences between Algolia and Meilisearch is how they approach index settings and search parameters. In Algolia, API parameters are a flexible category that includes both index settings and search parameters. Many API parameters can be used either at indexing time (to set default behavior) or at search time (to override that behavior). In Meilisearch, index settings and search parameters are two distinct categories. Settings affect all searches on an index, while parameters affect the results of a single search. Some Meilisearch parameters require index settings to be configured beforehand. For example, you must first configure the index setting sortableAttributes to use the search parameter sort. However, unlike in Algolia, an index setting can never be used as a parameter and vice versa.

​ Settings and parameters comparison

The below table compares Algolia’s API parameters with the equivalent Meilisearch setting or search parameter. The Type column indicates whether the Meilisearch equivalent is a search parameter (param), an index setting (setting), or both.

​ Query and pagination

​ Filtering and sorting

​ Geo search

​ Highlighting and snippets

​ Attributes and ranking

​ Typo tolerance and language

​ AI and vector search

​ Other

​ API methods

This section compares Algolia and Meilisearch’s respective API methods, using JavaScript for reference.

​ Front-end components

InstantSearch is a collection of open-source tools maintained by Algolia and used to generate front-end search UI components. To use InstantSearch with Meilisearch, you must use . Instant Meilisearch is a plugin connecting your Meilisearch instance with InstantSearch, giving you access to many of the same front-end components as Algolia users. You can find an up-to-date list of in the GitHub project’s README.