kitio.aiChroma vs Ragas
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Ragas is completely free, while Chroma is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Simple Python and JS API
- Built-in embeddings
- Metadata filtering
- Full-text search
- Chroma Cloud
- RAG quality metrics
- Agent evaluation
- Synthetic test generation
- Framework integrations
- CI-friendly runs
| Feature | Chroma | Ragas |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source embedding database for building RAG apps quickly | Open-source metrics and test data for evaluating RAG and agents |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $250/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Chroma | Vibrant Labs |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Ragas is completely free, while Chroma is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Starter
Free
- Plus usage, $5 free credits
- 10 databases
- 10 team members
Team
$250/mo
- Plus usage, $100 credits
- 100 databases
- 30 team members
- SOC II, Slack support
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Configurable billing
- Volume-based discounts
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Chroma
- Very easy to start
- Default in many tutorials
- Free open-source version
- Fewer enterprise features
- Large-scale tuning is limited
- Cloud product is newer
Ragas
- Free and widely used
- Research-backed metrics
- Generates test data
- LLM-judge metrics cost tokens
- API changes between versions
- No hosted dashboard included
Which one should you choose?
Choose Chroma if you want:
- Very easy to start
- Default in many tutorials
- Free open-source version
Watch out: fewer enterprise features.
Choose Ragas if you want:
- Free and widely used
- Research-backed metrics
- Generates test data
Watch out: llm-judge metrics cost tokens.
Chroma vs Ragas FAQ
What is the difference between Chroma and Ragas?
Chroma: Open-source embedding database for building RAG apps quickly. Ragas: Open-source metrics and test data for evaluating RAG and agents. Both are models & apis tools.
Is Chroma or Ragas cheaper?
Ragas is completely free, while Chroma is freemium.
Do Chroma and Ragas have free plans?
Chroma: Yes. Ragas: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Chroma?
Chroma is made by Chroma, based in United States.
Who makes Ragas?
Ragas is made by Vibrant Labs.
Which should I choose, Chroma or Ragas?
Choose Chroma if you value very easy to start and default in many tutorials. Choose Ragas if you value free and widely used and research-backed metrics.