Elasticsearch vs. CloudSearch: AWS Cloud Search Choices

SK Cloud
4 min readSep 13, 2021

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AWS cloud search is the most reliable and trustworthy search service provided by Amazon today. Even with other search engine competitors, AWS tops the list of offering top-notch and high-quality search analytics.

So, which is the best search service provider provided by AWS? Elasticsearch and CloudSearch top the list with some prominent features and cost-effective services.

Are you ready to get started with a fully managed search service? Read along to know more!

What Is Elasticsearch?

Elasticsearch is an open-source search engine provider that can efficiently store and harness valuable data. It takes care of the unorganized data and transforms it into an accessible format.

It is a fully regulated service that makes it easy for you to deploy, secure and manage Elasticsearch clusters. You will be able to get real-time analytics to run your website or application.

This cloud-based search solution is offered to the users by AWS but was originally developed by elastic.co. Hence, you can download this application independently without any external source or plugins.

Additionally, Elasticsearch is designed not for search solely but also for complex data analytics as well. This cost-effective search engine solution provider is highly productive for running searches across domains and is equipped with potent APIs.

Features of Elasticsearch

The following are the features of Elasticsearch:

  • Perform multiple searches
  • Assists to query our data
  • It is effortlessly scalable on varied platforms
  • Creates daily backups for added data backups
  • No upfront fee

What Is Amazon CloudSearch?

It is a very reliable cloud-based search engine provider run by Amazon Web Services. It lets you search for big data such as product information, webpages, complex documents, and more.

With CloudSearch, you can easily configure with the assistance of the management console. It also lets you scale your application and take control of it. This genius search engine domain seamlessly implements the search in your application.

You will be asked to present a few documents, and you can set up your search domain in no time. With CloudSearch, you need not worry about indexing or query processing yourself. Moreover, you don’t need to rewrite your codes every time you wish to add new features to your website.

Through CloudSearch, you will design a search domain based on your preferences and customer likings.

Features of Amazon CloudSearch

The highlighting features of Amazon CloudSearch include the following:

  • Options for indexing
  • Great scalability features
  • Supports around 34 language
  • Multiple zone options
  • Controls ranking of search results

Key Differences between Elasticsearch and CloudSearch

There are a few differences between Elasticsearch and CloudSearch based on their functionality and other parameters. Let us understand a few of them:

Upgrading of Softwares

Elasticsearch can get easily upgraded to the newer version from an older one. The upgrading process of Elasticsearch is manual and is not automated like CloudSearch.

However, in CloudSearch, Amazon directly alerts the software for any new updates. You do not have to worry about manually updating them whenever there is a new feature released. Although in a few instances, the updating process can get delayed by the Amazon Cloud Services.

Service Provided

Elasticsearch and CloudSearch are both backed by Amazon Cloud Services. Even though provided by AWS, Elasticsearch was developed initially by elastic.co. You can freely download this software with the help of Yum/apt.

CloudSearch is fully managed and developed by Amazon Cloud Service that manages the complete functionality of this software.

Backup Index

In Elasticsearch, you can backup the data with the help of Snapshot and save all the information. This process is generally manual, and you will need to back your stored data now and then.

CloudSearch, on the other hand, manages the index backup process as a whole automatically. Unlike Elasticsearch, you need not manually restore data and backup your vital information.

Data Security

AWS Elasticsearch comes with a plugin known as Shield that manages all the security and privacy functions of the software. Through this, the developers can carry out processes such as auditing and encryption. Additionally, you need to purchase Shield since it is a licensed software product.

CloudSearch is equipped with IAM (Identity and Access Management) to permit users to access the software.

Cost of Service

Since Elasticsearch is an open search engine solution, there is no additional cost included for the use of this service. You need not pay extra for its licensing at any point in time.

CloudSearch, however, is a paid search engine solution provider. It charges on an hourly basis depending on the search instances.

Final Thoughts

Businesses and firms, big and small, have implemented Elasticsearch or CloudSearch as their search engine domain. Elasticsearch has garnered many eyeballs due to its versatility and open-source nature. It has a wider functionality compared to the AWS CloudSearch.

The search domain of your application or website is a vital part of determining your relevance among customers. With this comprehensive search domain software, you can polish your search engine tool and offer a higher-quality search experience for your customers today!

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SK Cloud
SK Cloud

Written by SK Cloud

SK Cloud Technologies and Consulting LTD is a Registered Salesforce Partner, Offering a fully Managed Service along with QuickStart implementations.

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