Best In-App AI Search 2025: Algolia vs OpenAI vs Elasticsearch
When fintech startup Spendesk built their MVP, Algolia looked ideal: a quick-to-integrate SDK, lightning-fast search under 50 ms, and setup measured in minutes, not hours. Initially, this worked great. But as traffic grew, the cost became unsustainable—Algolia alone began to cost more monthly than their entire app infrastructure combined.