# Serverless Weaviate

> Run Weaviate in the cloud in seconds. REST and GraphQL endpoints over HTTPS, the standard Weaviate clients work unchanged. Also on Desktop and CLI.

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

Open-source vector and hybrid search with a real schema. GraphQL and REST endpoints, the same Weaviate clients, cloud or self-host.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Engine | Weaviate |
| Category | Vector |
| Upstream project | [Weaviate](https://weaviate.io/) |
| Layerbase Cloud | Yes |
| Free tier | No |
| Pricing | Pro plan, $15/mo flat, no meters |
| Default version | 1.38 |
| Versions for new databases | 1.35, 1.38 |
| Layerbase Desktop | Yes |
| SpinDB (local CLI) | Yes |
| Best for | Hybrid vector and keyword search, schema-driven semantic search, RAG pipelines, and apps that need Weaviate-specific modules (text2vec, ref2vec). |

## Use cases

- Build a RAG pipeline with hybrid vector and keyword retrieval
- Replace a Pinecone or hosted-Weaviate prototype with self-host-friendly infra
- Spin up a per-environment Weaviate that mirrors production schema and modules
- Hand HTTPS endpoints to serverless and edge runtimes for search
- Self-host on your own hardware with the Layerbase CLI

## 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 Weaviate questions

### What is Weaviate?

Weaviate is an open-source vector database with a declared schema and hybrid search that combines vector similarity with keyword matching. It sits behind RAG pipelines and semantic search where a plain vector index is not enough on its own. Layerbase runs it as a managed HTTPS endpoint exposing both REST and GraphQL, with a web search console, and the official weaviate-client libraries connect with the dashboard-provided API key.

### How much does managed Weaviate hosting cost?

Weaviate 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-query or per-vector meter, and the cost preview in the create flow shows the monthly cost before you provision anything.

### Does Layerbase Weaviate support gRPC?

REST and GraphQL are stable on Cloud. gRPC is in active rollout (see status updates); for most workloads, the REST and GraphQL paths cover the same operations.

### Will the Weaviate client work?

Yes. weaviate-client (Python, JS, Go, Java) connects to the published HTTPS endpoint with the dashboard-provided API key.

### How do I manage the Weaviate schema?

Through the dashboard search console or directly via the client. The console reflects the same schema shape your code sees.

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

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

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

No. Weaviate is a Pro engine on Cloud, so the floor is the $15/mo Pro plan, and creating one draws 768 MB from your always-on pool. The Free plan covers the Standard engines for prototyping, and Weaviate is free to run locally with the Layerbase CLI or Layerbase Desktop.

### Can I run Weaviate locally?

Yes. The Layerbase CLI and Layerbase Desktop both run Weaviate with the same install workflow as cloud.

## Links

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