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Running AI at scale

Chroma

A database that lets AI apps store information and search it by meaning, not just exact words.

Widely used

What it does

Chroma is a database built for AI. It stores text along with "embeddings", number codes that capture what the text means, so an app can find content that is similar in meaning to a question.

This is a key part of many chatbots that answer from your documents. Its makers say the core takes only four functions to use, and it handles turning text into embeddings for you.

You can run it yourself for free, or use the paid hosted service, Chroma Cloud.

Who it's for

Developers building AI apps that need to search their own data.

Can I use it without coding?

Developers only. Used as a Python or JavaScript library, or run as a server. New to this? Start here.

Can I run it?

Cost
Free, with optional paid extrasThe open-source version is free; the makers also sell a hosted or pro version.
Runs on
Server, Cloud
Privacy
Your choice: run it on your device or use an online service
API key
Not needed

Try it

Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?

Before you install

  • Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
  • License (Apache-2.0): Permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
  • More on staying safe

Where people are talking about it