Smerdoff
Smerdoff Technologies / pgvector

pgvector Consulting — Vector Search Inside Postgres

If your data already lives in Postgres, pgvector often means you don't need a separate vector database at all — one less system to run, back up, and keep in sync. It's not free performance, though: indexing strategy and query design decide whether it holds up past a demo. We handle that part.

pgvectorPostgreSQLVector SearchRAGNo New Infrastructure
10–30%
of a full build is what a lean first version costs on a modern stack — validate before you scale
MVP cost research
~3×
higher conversion for a 1-second site vs a 5-second one — the stack you build on decides this
Web design research

Why bring in pgvector specialists

Adding a vector column is easy — indexing it correctly at scale is the real work.

No new infrastructure

Vector search added to a database you already run, back up, and monitor — no separate vector store to keep in sync with your source of truth.

Index strategy that scales

HNSW or IVFFlat index configuration matched to your data size and recall requirements, not a default that degrades under real load.

Combined relational + vector queries

Queries that join vector similarity with your existing relational filters in a single query — something a separate vector store can't do as cleanly.

Migration path when you outgrow it

Honest guidance on when pgvector stops being enough and a dedicated vector database becomes worth the added operational cost.

What a pgvector engagement typically includes

Scoped to your existing Postgres setup.

Schema & indexing

Vector column design and HNSW/IVFFlat index tuning for your embedding dimensionality and dataset size.

Query & performance tuning

Combined relational and similarity queries optimized so vector search doesn't slow down the rest of your database.

RAG integration

Connecting pgvector-backed retrieval to your LLM application for grounded, retrieval-augmented answers.

Migration guidance

Clear signals for when to stay on pgvector versus move to a dedicated vector database as scale or query complexity grows.

FAQ

If your data already lives in Postgres and your vector volume is moderate, pgvector avoids running a second system entirely. If you need very high query throughput, billions of vectors, or advanced hybrid-search features, a dedicated store like Qdrant or Weaviate scales further. We look at your actual data volume before recommending either.

It depends on how much of your schema and query layer already exists — adding vector search to an existing Postgres database is typically cheaper than standing up a new vector store. We give a fixed estimate after a short scoping call.

RAG and semantic search for products already on Postgres, recommendation features that need to join vector similarity with relational data, and any case where avoiding a second database outweighs the ceiling on raw vector-search throughput.

Related

Get a free consultation for your pgvector project

Tell us what you're building and what's in your current Postgres setup — we'll scope an approach and a fixed estimate.