# FastEmbed vs sentence-transformers

| Attribute | FastEmbed | sentence-transformers |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 56.9 (54% (medium)) | 58.9 (54% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 71 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 4 | 5,182 |
| adoption.github_stars | 3,244 | 19,174 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A Python library that creates vector embeddings from text and images using efficient, quantized model weights optimized for speed and local inference. Supports multiple embedding architectures including multilingual models and outperforms OpenAI's Ada-002 in accuracy. It is indexed under Embeddings Apis.","source":"https://qdrant.github.io/fastembed/","question":"What is FastEmbed?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. FastEmbed can be deployed on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://qdrant.github.io/fastembed/","question":"Can FastEmbed be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. FastEmbed is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed","question":"Is FastEmbed open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Python toolkit for generating semantic embeddings from text, images, audio, and video using transformer-based neural networks. Supports dense embedding models, cross-encoder rerankers for scoring and ranking, and late-interaction multi-vector models for advanced retrieval tasks. It is indexed under Embeddings Apis.","source":"https://www.sbert.net","question":"What is sentence-transformers?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"sentence-transformers is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.sbert.net","question":"Is sentence-transformers free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. sentence-transformers can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.sbert.net","question":"Can sentence-transformers be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. sentence-transformers is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers","question":"Is sentence-transformers open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | FastEmbed is a Python library that generates text and image embeddings using ONNX Runtime, eliminating the need for large PyTorch dependencies. It supports various embedding models including sparse embeddings, late-interaction models, and cross-encoders, making it suitable for serverless and resource-constrained environments. | Python toolkit for generating semantic embeddings from text, images, audio, and video using transformer-based neural networks. Supports dense embedding models, cross-encoder rerankers for scoring and ranking, and late-interaction multi-vector models for advanced retrieval tasks. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_weights","architecture_model":"open_weights_local","cross_encoder_reranker_api_offered":true,"mit_or_apache_permissive_oss_license":true,"late_interaction_architecture_colbert_v2":true,"multi_modal_image_and_text_joint_embeddings":true,"massive_context_window_greater_than_8k_tokens":true,"multilingual_support_across_100_plus_languages":true,"binary_and_scalar_quantization_for_memory_reduction":true,"task_specific_prefixes_query_vs_document_instructions":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_weights","architecture_model":"open_weights_local","cross_encoder_reranker_api_offered":true,"late_interaction_architecture_colbert_v2":true,"multi_modal_image_and_text_joint_embeddings":true}` |
| integrations.count | 3 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Qdrant"},{"name":"Langchain"},{"name":"Llama Index"}]` | `[{"name":"Hugging Face Hub"}]` |
| language.primary | Python | Python |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://qdrant.github.io/fastembed/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-13T20:06:10.444Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.sbert.net","retrievedAt":"2026-08-21T11:02:44.703Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 33 | 27 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.9.0","date":"2026-10-07T16:39:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.8.1","date":"2026-09-22T20:52:04Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.8.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.8.0","date":"2026-03-23T17:14:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.7.4","date":"2025-12-05T12:18:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.7.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.7.2","date":"2025-08-25T15:05:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.7.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.7.1","date":"2025-06-16T09:06:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.7.0","date":"2025-05-13T14:32:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.6.1","date":"2025-04-10T13:51:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.6.0","date":"2025-02-26T13:55:32Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.5.1","date":"2025-01-20T10:43:31Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.5.0","date":"2024-12-24T19:53:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.4.2","date":"2024-11-13T13:41:59Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.4.1","date":"2024-10-21T20:30:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.4.0","date":"2024-10-21T18:19:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.3.5","date":"2024-08-23T18:16:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.3.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.3.4","date":"2024-07-17T15:31:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.3.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.3.1","date":"2024-06-17T18:05:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.3.0","date":"2024-06-05T17:11:17Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.2.7","date":"2024-05-03T19:56:28Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.2.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/qdrant/fastembed/releases/tag/v0.2.6","date":"2024-04-01T15:30:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.2.6"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v6.1.0","date":"2026-09-18T10:44:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v6.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v6.0.1","date":"2026-08-31T07:50:59Z","type":"stable","version":"v6.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v6.0.0","date":"2026-08-18T13:46:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v6.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.7.0","date":"2026-08-06T12:12:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.6.1","date":"2026-07-23T14:42:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.6.0","date":"2026-06-16T14:02:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.5.1","date":"2026-05-20T07:37:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.5.0","date":"2026-05-12T14:06:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.4.1","date":"2026-04-14T13:35:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.4.0","date":"2026-04-09T13:41:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.3.0","date":"2026-03-12T14:54:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.2.3","date":"2026-02-17T14:06:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.2.2","date":"2026-01-27T11:11:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.2.1","date":"2026-01-26T14:48:31Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.2.0","date":"2025-12-11T14:12:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.1.2","date":"2025-10-22T13:00:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.1.1","date":"2025-09-22T11:28:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.1.0","date":"2025-08-06T13:49:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v5.0.0","date":"2025-07-01T13:56:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/huggingface/sentence-transformers/releases/tag/v4.1.0","date":"2025-04-15T13:47:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.1.0"}]` |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=fastembed&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=sentence-transformers&per_page=100","last_12m":1,"max_severity":"CRITICAL"}` |

## Capabilities (Embeddings Apis)

| Capability | FastEmbed | sentence-transformers |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Architecture model | Open weights local | Open weights local |
| Matryoshka representation learning for dimension truncation | - | - |
| Multilingual support across 100 plus languages | ✓ | - |
| Binary and scalar quantization for memory reduction | ✓ | - |
| Cross encoder reranker API offered | ✓ | ✓ |
| Late interaction architecture colbert v2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Massive context window greater than 8k tokens | ✓ | - |
| Multi modal image and text joint embeddings | ✓ | ✓ |
| Task specific prefixes query vs document instructions | ✓ | - |
| Zero data retention training opt out enterprise | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| Mit or apache permissive oss license | ✓ | - |
| Pricing model | Free open weights | Free open weights |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T18:26:44.842Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*