Database / Weaviate Vector database Interview questions
What are the main deployment options for Weaviate?
Weaviate can be deployed in a few different ways, matching different operational preferences and scale requirements, all running the same underlying open-source engine.
| Deployment option | Best suited for |
| Self-hosted (Docker / Kubernetes) | Full control, self-managed infrastructure, strict data residency needs. |
| Weaviate Cloud (managed) | Teams that want to avoid operating infrastructure themselves. |
| Embedded mode (experimental) | Local development and lightweight prototyping within a single application process. |
Because self-hosted deployments and Weaviate Cloud run identical code, a common pattern is prototyping or starting a project on the managed cloud service, then migrating to self-hosted infrastructure later if cost, compliance, or specific infrastructure requirements make that the better long-term fit, without needing to re-architect the application's query logic in the process.
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