What is our primary use case?
Qdrant's main use case is to fetch data through the vector database to populate my RAG AI. When I input data into the RAG AI, Qdrant stores the text, images, or other data as embeddings, or vectors, and it helps the RAG system retrieve the most semantically relevant information based on user input. The most common data types could be text, images, audio, or any data that can be converted into a vector. Once I put the user input, it provides an output through those embeddings.
That is the main workflow I've been using Qdrant for the past year. I've also been using it in LangChain because it works really well with LangChain. Beyond that, I use Qdrant to upload snapshots as well.
What is most valuable?
Qdrant's most important feature is that it is very fast because it tends to give the results quickly. It is also very compatible with Python because Qdrant has first-class Python support. I can quickly install it on my machines with a PIP install Qdrant client, allowing me to work smoothly.
The other important feature is its cloud capability. Qdrant offers self-hosting, and I am using it from Docker, which is a significant advantage. It has high performance and is good for flexible deployment. Another main advantage is that it is very cost-efficient since it is open source.
The biggest importance I have seen in Qdrant is its high performance. It is a Rust-based engine with very low latency and HNSW indexing. High performance is a big plus when using Qdrant, especially when I need to fetch data through the vector database for RAG AI, as it tends to provide outputs quickly. Since I use Python, it is very fast and API friendly, and that is one of the best things I have experienced.
Qdrant works well with LLM web frameworks, especially with native support in LangChain, where the integration is pretty easy from the LangChain perspective.
Qdrant has improved my efficiency and is really easy to integrate. It is self-hosted, so integration is straightforward. I believe it offers many advantages compared to what I have used alternatively before.
Qdrant has saved a lot of time and has improved efficiency and reduced costs since it is open source and very cost-effective. Although I cannot specify a particular number, I estimate that I have saved about 50 to 60 percent of the time by using Qdrant. There is no extra charge since it is open source, which is a significant benefit.
What needs improvement?
I can suggest several improvements for Qdrant. The first one is better native embedding and re-ranking support. Qdrant currently functions as a storage plus retrieval engine, not as a reasoning system, so built-in embedding generation or built-in re-ranker models, or a smarter query understanding layer could reduce dependency on external machine learning services. Additionally, fast large-scale filtering operations could be implemented, such as automatic index suggestions, adaptive query planning, and smart indexing of metadata fields, which would make Qdrant even more efficient. Another observed limitation is a metadata filtering strategy where users can filter by user ID, document type, time, or domain, which reduces noise significantly.
Another needed improvement is deduplication plus versioning, as it can enhance quality by removing duplicate chunks and versioning embeddings when documents update. From a production perspective, addressing retrieval latency and embedding drift by observing failed queries would be important, allowing Qdrant to fit OpenTelemetry perfectly as well.
One of the key limitations is that Qdrant does not have built-in role-based access control, and while being self-hosted is a benefit, it can also be improved. There is also no automatic governance policy, so I must design my own access rules, retention rules, or versioning. Additionally, there is no native encryption of payload fields to manage at the infrastructure or app level.
It would be a perfect 10 if Qdrant could reduce noise, especially by eliminating duplicate chunks. Another thing would be having built-in re-ranker models. If these improvements were made, I would give it a 10.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Qdrant for nearly one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In my experience, Qdrant is very stable. It is easy to use whether on LangChain or on its own, and it performs well in hosting and retrieving outputs without causing much difficulty, making it a good option for anyone looking for a vector database.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Qdrant handles growing workloads and data volumes well for me, which was a significant reason for my shift from other popular alternatives to Qdrant.
How are customer service and support?
I have not interacted much with customer support because I have not encountered significant issues from a developer's perspective that required me to reach out for help. My operations team also has not had many questions regarding pricing or usage, so I have not experienced major problems needing customer support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Qdrant, I tried several alternatives such as Pinecone, which also manages vector databases but is more expensive at scale and closed source, and ChromaDB, which is suitable for prototyping but does not perform well for production scaling. In contrast, Qdrant is fast, offers strong filtering, allows easy self-hosting, provides good cloud options, and is simpler to use than Milvus, Weaviate, or Pinecone.
I evaluated several other options, including Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus, and ChromaDB. They each have downsides, particularly in production scaling, complexity of architecture, or being more resource-intensive compared to Qdrant.
What was our ROI?
I have seen a significant return on investment from using Qdrant because it is very easy to integrate and highly efficient, saving a lot of time in my day-to-day operations, which ultimately saves money as well. It is productive as I can do more work in less time.
What other advice do I have?
Regarding Qdrant's governance and security, I think it does a decent job because I have not encountered many problems with it. Qdrant runs as an HTTP plus gRPC service, and my advice is never to expose it directly to the internet. Instead, put it behind an NGINX or API Gateway or use a VPN or VPC only access to protect your data from a network security perspective. On authentication or access control, since Qdrant is self-hosted, it lacks built-in role-based access control by default, which is an important limitation. Therefore, you must implement a reverse proxy, JSON Web Token, OAuth 2, or API keys for network-level restrictions to enhance security.
In terms of accuracy and reliability of output, Qdrant retrieves relevant vectors from the documents and chunks I provide, but it does not produce intelligent output, so it does not exhibit AI accuracy. Its accuracy depends on embedding quality, indexing quality, and query formulation quality. On reliability, I think it is very stable and consistent with high availability design, making its behavior predictable. Unlike LLMs, Qdrant does not hallucinate or guess answers; it only returns stored vectors. With the embeddings I have provided, it performs well and exceeds my expectations.
One of the key limitations is that Qdrant does not have built-in role-based access control, and while being self-hosted is a benefit, it can also be improved. There is also no automatic governance policy, so I must design my own access rules, retention rules, or versioning. Additionally, there is no native encryption of payload fields to manage at the infrastructure or app level.
If someone is looking for a vector database that can be easily hosted and integrated with Python to provide outputs quickly while being cost-effective, Qdrant would be a great option. It is also effective when handling large sets of data and fits well with LLM models such as LangChain, making it a top choice for anyone needing a vector database.
Qdrant is an excellent vector database that anyone would want to use with RAG AI. I believe users will benefit significantly from Qdrant, and while they may explore other vector databases, I think they will notice a substantial difference with Qdrant compared to the alternatives. I would rate this product a 9 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?