# Serverless Meilisearch

> Run Meilisearch in the cloud in seconds. HTTPS REST endpoint, web search console, standard Meilisearch clients work unchanged. Also on Desktop and CLI.

Canonical: https://layerbase.com/db/meilisearch
Last updated: 2026-08-26

Instant search with typo tolerance, faceted filters, and a REST endpoint that just works. Cloud, desktop, or self-host with the Layerbase CLI.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Engine | Meilisearch |
| Category | Search |
| Upstream project | [Meilisearch](https://www.meilisearch.com/) |
| Layerbase Cloud | Yes |
| Free tier | No |
| Pricing | Pro plan, $15/mo flat, no meters |
| Default version | 1.52 |
| Versions for new databases | 1.33, 1.52 |
| Layerbase Desktop | Yes |
| SpinDB (local CLI) | Yes |
| Best for | Product search, autocomplete, faceted catalogs, in-app search experiences that need ranking and typo tolerance without a search-team-sized commitment. |

## Use cases

- Wire instant product search into a Next.js or React app via the official client
- Replace Elasticsearch for in-app search use cases without the operational weight
- Add typo tolerance and faceted filters to existing catalogs
- Hand HTTPS endpoints to serverless apps that cannot hold TCP connections
- Self-host on your own hardware with the Layerbase CLI when latency or compliance requires it

## Cloud features

| Feature | Available |
| --- | --- |
| Always-on option | Yes |
| TLS encryption | Yes |
| HTTP access | Yes |
| IP allowlisting | Yes |
| Web query console | Yes |
| Sleeps when idle, wakes on connect | Yes |
| Automatic backups | Yes |
| Pooled connections | No |
| Direct connections | Yes |
| Serverless HTTP driver | No |

## Common Meilisearch questions

### What is Meilisearch?

Meilisearch is an open-source search engine built for instant, typo-tolerant search with faceted filters and configurable ranking, aimed at product and in-app search rather than log analytics. It is the open-source path for teams that want Algolia-style results without a search-team-sized commitment. Layerbase runs it as a managed HTTPS endpoint with a web search console and dashboard-managed API keys, so the official clients work unchanged.

### How much does managed Meilisearch hosting cost?

Meilisearch is a Pro engine on Layerbase Cloud, so the floor is the $15/mo Pro plan; it is not on the Free plan. Pricing is flat with no per-search or per-record meter, and the cost preview in the create flow shows the monthly cost before you provision anything.

### Will my Meilisearch client library work?

Yes. meilisearch-js, meilisearch-python, and the other official clients connect to the published HTTPS endpoint with the dashboard-provided API key.

### How do I manage indexes?

Through the dashboard search console or via the client library directly. The console is a UI over the REST API and surfaces the same operations.

### How do Meilisearch API keys and security work on Layerbase?

The connection panel surfaces three keys: a search key, an admin key, and the master key. Use the search key in the browser, and keep the admin and master keys in server-side code (the master key is for index and key management).

### Can I restrict my Meilisearch endpoint to specific IP addresses?

Yes. The firewall panel restricts the endpoint to specific IPs or CIDR ranges.

### Is there a free Meilisearch tier on Layerbase?

No. Meilisearch is a Pro engine on Cloud, so the floor is the $15/mo Pro plan. It is a Standard engine, so it sleeps after 6 hours with no requests and wakes on the next HTTPS request, or you can pin it always-on with 256 MB of your pool. The Free plan covers the Standard free-tier engines for prototyping, and Meilisearch is free to run locally with the Layerbase CLI or Layerbase Desktop.

### Can I run Meilisearch locally?

Yes. The Layerbase CLI and Layerbase Desktop both run Meilisearch with the same workflow as the cloud version.

## Links

- [Meilisearch on Layerbase](https://layerbase.com/db/meilisearch)
- [Create a Meilisearch database](https://layerbase.com/create/meilisearch)
- [Connecting to Meilisearch](https://layerbase.com/docs/cloud/connecting/meilisearch)
- [Pricing](https://layerbase.com/pricing) (markdown: https://layerbase.com/pricing.md)