shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Chroma?

Open-source search infrastructure for AI - trychroma.com

Depends. Buy if you're a developer team that wants free self-hosted vector search or cheaper managed hosting than Pinecone. Skip if you lack DevOps to patch CVEs or need hands-on vendor support.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 15 public sources; unrelated 'Chroma' companies (Indian electronics retailer, Chroma ATE, filters, image model) were identified and excluded.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support reviews for this Chroma found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Self-hosted (open source)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Chroma CloudUsage-based

Best for

  • AI teams building RAG and semantic search
  • Developers wanting a free, self-hosted vector DB
  • Startups fleeing Pinecone's $50 minimum spend
  • Prototype-to-production embedding workloads

Not for

  • Non-technical teams wanting plug-and-play search
  • Ops-light teams that can't chase CVE patches
  • Enterprises needing vendor SLAs and dedicated support
  • Anyone whose scale fits pgvector on existing Postgres

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

CVE-2026-92782: versions through 1.5.9 fail tenant and database validation — patch before exposing

high

CVE-2026-45829: unauthenticated RCE in ChromaDB Python server exposed AI infrastructure

medium

Chroma Cloud bills per logical GiB written — write-heavy workloads can get expensive fast

low

Only 6 public reviews — very thin track record to judge reliability

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free to self-host under its open-source license
  • G2 users call cloud deployment hassle-free
  • Cheaper managed path after Pinecone's $50 minimum spend
  • Simple, usage-based cloud pricing per official docs

Cons

  • Low 3.3/5 rating, based on only 6 reviews
  • Multiple 2026 CVEs: auth bypass and unauthenticated RCE
  • Self-hosting means you own patching, scaling, and ops

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 15 sources - Known 2026 CVEs: tenant-authorization bypass through v1.5.9 and unauthenticated Python-server RCE — patch fast and never expose unauthenticated.

official x5review x6security x3news x1
  • CVE-2026-92782 — Authorization bypass, Chroma through 1.5.9 fails to validate tenant and database access, per Rapid7.
  • CVE-2026-45829 — Unauthenticated RCE, ChromaDB Python server RCE exposed unauthenticated AI infrastructure, per Cloud Security Alliance Labs.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 15

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free self-host; undercuts Pinecone's $50 minimum
  • Ease of use: 4/5. G2 users report hassle-free cloud deployment
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Open-source core, managed cloud, fast and scalable
  • Support quality. No support reviews for this Chroma found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Two 2026 CVEs, including unauthenticated RCE
  • 3.3/5 Review rating 6 reviews on rfp.wiki comparison
  • $0 Starting price Self-host free; Cloud $2.50/logical GiB written
  • Yes Free tier Open-source self-hosting
  • $18M Funding Seed round, April 2023

Pricing

Self-hosted (open source)

$0

  • Free under open-source license
  • You manage hosting, scaling, and patches

Chroma Cloud

Usage-based

  • $2.50 per logical GiB written
  • Managed, simple usage-based pricing

Security

Known 2026 CVEs: tenant-authorization bypass through v1.5.9 and unauthenticated Python-server RCE — patch fast and never expose unauthenticated.

  • CVE-2026-92782 — Authorization bypassChroma through 1.5.9 fails to validate tenant and database access, per Rapid7.11
  • CVE-2026-45829 — Unauthenticated RCEChromaDB Python server RCE exposed unauthenticated AI infrastructure, per Cloud Security Alliance Labs.12

What users say

reviews are sparse: G2 users praise hassle-free cloud deployment, but overall ratings sit at 3.3/5 across just 6 reviews.

“Hassle free cloud deployment of chroma as a d...”
G2 review
“Pinecones $50 minimum spend forces me to migrat...”
Developer blog comparison
Full analysis

Based on 15 public sources; unrelated 'Chroma' companies (Indian electronics retailer, Chroma ATE, filters, image model) were identified and excluded.

Great free vector DB for dev teams; thin reviews and fresh CVEs mean you need ops muscle to run it safely.

Methodology

Based on 15 public sources; unrelated 'Chroma' companies (Indian electronics retailer, Chroma ATE, filters, image model) were identified and excluded.

Sources

  1. Chroma — open-source search infrastructure for AItrychroma.com
    official
  2. Pricing - Chromatrychroma.com
    official
  3. Pricing - Chroma Docs (Cloud)docs.trychroma.com
    official
  4. Security | Chromatrychroma.com
    official
  5. chroma-core/chroma on GitHubgithub.com
    official
  6. Chroma Vector Database Reviews — G2g2.com
    review
  7. Chroma vs Writer (2026) — rfp.wikirfp.wiki
    review
  8. Chroma vector database review: pricing and fit — PE Collectivepecollective.com
    review
  9. Is Chroma Cloud the Best Pinecone Alternative?maxrohde.com
    review
  10. CVE-2026-92782: Chroma Authorization Bypass — SentinelOnesentinelone.com
    security
  11. Chroma through 1.5.9 tenant validation flaw — Rapid7rapid7.com
    security
  12. ChromaDB RCE Exposes Unauthenticated AI Infrastructure — CSA Labslabs.cloudsecurityalliance.org
    security
  13. Chroma raises $18M seed round — SiliconANGLEsiliconangle.com
    news
  14. chroma Alternatives: 24 Open-Source & API Options (2026) — Infrabaseinfrabase.ai
    review
  15. Top Chroma Alternatives — Respan market maprespan.ai
    review

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