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TiDB vs Alopex DB
TiDB's VECTOR type, vector index, and TiFlash requirement. Also explains how it differs from Alopex DB.
Updated: Oct 12, 2026
What TiDB is
TiDB is a MySQL-compatible distributed SQL database. It has a VECTOR type and vector search.
How it works
- Availability: vector search runs on Self-Managed v8.4.0 or later (v8.5.0 or later recommended) and TiDB Cloud Starter.
- Index: the vector index uses HNSW.
- TiFlash: a vector index needs TiFlash nodes deployed in advance. The index relies on the table’s TiFlash replica.
Main features
MySQL-compatible SQL stores and searches vectors.
Limits
- The documentation says vector search is in public preview and may change without notice.
- A vector index covers one vector column only. It cannot be composite, a primary key, or a unique index.
- The index supports cosine and L2 distance.
- Queries that filter with WHERE first do not use the vector index.
How it differs from Alopex DB
Both have SQL and vector search and run on multiple nodes.
Alopex DB starts as an embedded single file and becomes a cluster with the same core through the related product Chirps. The vector index needs no separate kind of node.
Alopex DB lays out the path from a small start to a cluster with the same SQL. You can try it from the quickstart.