What problem does it solve?
Chroma provides an open-source, self-hosted vector database to store embeddings and metadata and enable fast, scalable semantic and full-text retrieval for RAG and document search workflows, removing reliance on managed vector services.
Core Features & Use Cases
- Embedding storage and retrieval: Persist embeddings and associated metadata for similarity search and document retrieval.
- Vector and full-text search: Combine nearest-neighbor search with filters and full-text capabilities for precise results.
- Metadata filtering & logical queries: Narrow searches using exact matches, comparison and logical operators, and tag inclusion.
- Persistence and server modes: Run in-process for notebooks or as a persistent server for multi-user deployments, with integrations for LangChain and LlamaIndex.
- Use Case: Index product manuals or support articles locally, then power a RAG pipeline that returns context-aware answers filtered by source, category, or date.
Quick Start
Create a persistent Chroma client at ./chroma_db, index your documents with embeddings, and run a semantic query to fetch the top relevant passages.