8 Best eCommerce Search Engines in 2025 (Ranked & Compared)

1. Clerk.io’s Search Solution

If you’re out looking for an AI eCommerce search engine, then you’re in the right place. Clerk’s cookieless solution is the best way for you to stay safe in this age of growing scrutiny of data compliance. 

Features

• Smart Search: Autocomplete, typo-tolerance, and synonym handling.
  
  
• AI-Driven Relevance: Prioritizes results most likely to convert.
  
  
• Unified Commerce Platform: Integrated with Clerk.io’s product recommendations, personalization, and email marketing tools.
  
  
• Merchandising Controls: Easily boost or demote products in results.
  
  
• Actionable Analytics: Insights on search queries, conversion impact, and revenue attribution.
  
  

Pros

• Designed to increase sales per search, not just match keywords.
  
  
• Quick integration with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and more.
  
  
• Combines search, recommendations, and personalization in one ecosystem.
  
  
• Non-technical teams can manage and tune search easily.
  
  

Cons

• Not intended for self-hosting or heavy backend customization.
  
  
• Works best as part of Clerk.io’s full product suite.
  
  

Compared with others:

‍Clerk.io blends AI personalization similar to Bloomreach with the ease of setup offered by Klevu or Doofinder and speed comparable to Algolia. While competitors may excel in one or two areas, Clerk.io’s all-in-one approach makes it unique—it delivers search, recommendations, and merchandising in a unified package that reduces the need for multiple tools and simplifies operations for retailers.

2. Algolia

Algolia is one of the top search engines for eCommerce platforms. However, due to its shortcomings a lot of people look for alternatives to Algolia. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at its features. 

Features

• Lightning-fast, as-you-type search.
  
  
• Typo tolerance, synonyms, and faceting.
  
  
• Multi-language support.
  
  
• Flexible APIs for custom front-end search experiences.
  
  

Pros

• Market-leading speed.
  
  
• Rich developer ecosystem and documentation.
  
  
• Scales well for high-volume eCommerce.
  
  

Cons

• Pricing can escalate with heavy traffic.
  
  
• Requires configuration to achieve conversion-focused ranking.
  
  

Compared with others:

‍Algolia outpaces nearly all competitors in raw search speed, often returning results faster than Bloomreach, Klevu, or Doofinder can process. However, it requires more developer input than Clerk.io or Doofinder, which offer turnkey setups. Compared to Elastic or Solr, Algolia is far easier to deploy, but those platforms can surpass it in deep customization if you have the technical resources.

3. Elastic (OpenSearch)

Features

• Open-source, highly customizable search engine.
  
  
• Full-text search, filtering, and analytics.
  
  
• Scalable distributed architecture.
  
  

Pros

• Full control over indexing and ranking logic.
  
  
• No vendor lock-in.
  
  
• Can be adapted to multiple search scenarios, not just eCommerce.
  
  

Cons

• Requires experienced search engineers.
  
  
• High operational overhead compared to SaaS options.
  
  

Compared with others:

Elastic delivers far greater flexibility than Clerk.io, Algolia, or Bloomreach when it comes to building highly tailored search logic, but the trade-off is significantly higher complexity. While it edges out Solr in terms of modern tooling and active community support, it lacks the AI-driven personalization capabilities that Clerk.io and Bloomreach offer out of the box, requiring custom development for similar results.

4. Solr

Features

• Built on Apache Lucene.
  
  
• Rich faceting, real-time indexing, and customizable schema.
  
  
• Enterprise-proven stability.
  
  

Pros

• Very reliable for large-scale, complex deployments.
  
  
• Open-source with long history.
  
  

Cons

• Steep learning curve.
  
  
• Requires substantial DevOps resources.
  
  

Compared with others:

‍Solr offers a level of enterprise stability that even Elastic struggles to match in certain large-scale deployments, but it is generally more complex to configure and maintain. It doesn’t approach the speed and instant responsiveness of Algolia, nor does it match the turnkey AI personalization found in Clerk.io or Bloomreach, making it a better fit for organizations with existing search engineering teams.

5. Swiftype (by Elastic)

Features

• Hosted search platform with autocomplete and analytics.
  
  
• Simple relevance tuning UI.
  
  
• Built-in typo handling.
  
  

Pros

• No infrastructure management.
  
  
• Easier to set up than Elastic or Solr.
  
  

Cons

• Less backend flexibility.
  
  
• Premium pricing for higher volumes.
  
  

Compared with others:

‍Swiftype is much easier to set up than Elastic or Solr, removing the infrastructure burden entirely while still providing solid search capabilities. However, its backend flexibility is reduced compared to its self-hosted counterpart. While it’s simpler for non-technical teams than Algolia, it doesn’t quite match Clerk.io or Bloomreach in delivering integrated personalization and merchandising capabilities for revenue optimization.

6. Bloomreach Search & Merchandising

Features

• AI-driven product discovery.
  
  
• Personalization and merchandising tools.
  
  
• A/B testing for search performance.
  
  

Pros

• Enterprise-grade personalization.
  
  
• Combines search and merchandising.
  
  

Cons

• Premium price.
  
  
• Longer onboarding and data preparation.
  
  

Compared with others:‍

Bloomreach surpasses Algolia, Swiftype, and Klevu in advanced AI personalization and merchandising control, making it a top contender for large-scale, data-driven retailers. It rivals Clerk.io in personalization depth, but with greater implementation complexity and cost. Compared to more lightweight options like Doofinder or Klevu, Bloomreach can seem overwhelming unless you’re operating at enterprise scale with the resources to manage it.

7. Klevu

Features

• AI-powered search with NLP.
  
  
• Autocomplete, autocorrect, and recommendations.
  
  
• Pre-built integrations for Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce.
  
  

Pros

• Quick deployment for smaller stores.
  
  
• Decent AI features at lower cost.
  
  

Cons

• Limited customization depth.
  
  
• Best suited for mid-sized catalogs.
  
  

Compared with others:

‍Klevu is easier to deploy than Elastic, Solr, or Bloomreach and offers decent AI-powered features for its price point. However, it cannot match Algolia’s raw search speed or the deep personalization capabilities of Clerk.io or Bloomreach. While it competes closely with Doofinder for SMB appeal, Klevu’s natural language processing makes it slightly more advanced for nuanced search queries.

8. Doofinder

Features

• Hosted search with autocomplete and multi-language support.
  
  
• Faceting, analytics, and merchandising rules.
  
  

Pros

• Very easy to set up.
  
  
• Affordable plans.
  
  

Cons

• Limited AI capabilities.
  
  
• Fewer enterprise-level features.
  
  

Compared with others:

‍Doofinder is one of the simplest and most affordable hosted search engines, outpacing Elastic, Solr, and even Algolia in ease of deployment for non-technical teams. However, it falls behind Clerk.io, Bloomreach, and Klevu in AI-driven personalization, and its scalability for very large catalogs is more limited. It works well as an entry-level solution but may require upgrading as your store grows.

Competitors vs Competitors: Head-to-Head Analysis

Speed

Winner: Algolia
Close contenders: Clerk.io, Klevu
Slower options: Solr, Elastic (self-hosted latency), Bloomreach (depends on implementation).

AI & Personalization

Winners: Clerk.io and Bloomreach (tie)
Strong contenders: Klevu, Algolia (requires tuning)
Limited: Elastic, Solr, Doofinder.

Scalability

Winner: Elastic
Strong contenders: Solr, Algolia
Moderate: Clerk.io, Bloomreach
Limited: Doofinder, Klevu.

Cost Efficiency

Winner: Doofinder
Strong contenders: Klevu, Clerk.io
Premium pricing: Algolia, Swiftype
Enterprise-level: Bloomreach.

Ease of Setup

Winners: Clerk.io, Doofinder, Klevu
Moderate: Algolia, Swiftype
Complex: Elastic, Solr, Bloomreach.

How to Choose the Best Search Engine for eCommerce in 2025

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, providing a great shopping experience that converts is paramount. 

One of the most critical components of this experience is your webshop’s search engine. Whether shoppers are browsing on desktop or mobile, making misspelling errors or typos in their queries, or searching for specific items, your search functionality must be reliable, fast, and accurate to meet their needs.

In this blog, we’ll uncover the top three must-haves for your e-commerce search engine in 2025 to improve your customers’ shopping experience and maximize your sales.

1. Your E-Commerce Search Engine Must Be Mobile-Friendly

Mobile-friendly search optimization isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must for all e-commerce businesses in today’s competitive landscape.

A significant number of customers rely on mobile devices for online shopping. In fact, mobile commerce is experiencing rapid growth, as the total sales in this segment are predicted to reach $647 billion in the US by 2025 (Statista). Thus, if your webshop’s search functionality isn’t optimized for mobile users, you risk losing a large portion of your potential sales. 

By delivering a consistent and efficient search experience across all devices and screens, you ensure that customers can find what they’re looking for, leading to higher conversion rates.

Get started by using a search engine that’s optimized for all screens and devices. Our new Omnisearch feature was specifically designed with mobile users in mind while still delivering a seamless experience on desktop.‍

2. Your Search Engine Must Correct Spelling Mistakes

Imagine a customer visiting your webshop in search of a specific product. They accidentally misspell the item’s name, and your search engine responds with, “no results found.” Frustrated, the customer leaves your site to shop elsewhere, potentially at one of your competitor’s site. This is a scenario no retailer wants.

To prevent this, implementing a predictive search engine is essential. Our predictive search recognizes and corrects spelling errors, offering relevant results even when a query isn’t perfectly typed. 

By reducing the friction caused by human error, you improve the shopping experience and significantly lower abandonment rates. Customers will appreciate the intuitiveness of a search engine that works with them, not against them.

3. Your Search Engine Needs to Know What You Mean, Not Just What You Type

Another game-changer for e-commerce businesses is incorporating semantic search technology. Unlike traditional search engines, which rely solely on exact keyword matches, semantic search understands the intent behind a query. 

For example, if a customer searches for “sleep issues,” our semantic search engine can recognize the broader context and recommend products such as blue-light glasses.

This context-aware functionality makes searching more intuitive and aligns with how customers naturally think and speak. By delivering smarter, more relevant results, you not only improve user satisfaction but also open the door to cross-selling opportunities.

Final Verdict

Every search engine here has its place:

• Clerk.io – Best all-rounder for conversion-focused AI search with integrated personalization.
  
  
• Algolia – Best for lightning-fast, developer-friendly search experiences.
  
  
• Elastic – Best for technical teams that want total control.
  
  
• Solr – Best for highly customized, enterprise deployments.
  
  
• Swiftype – Best for Elastic’s power without the hosting burden.
  
  
• Bloomreach – Best for large-scale, enterprise personalization.
  
  
• Klevu – Best for quick AI search in mid-sized eCommerce.
  
  
• Doofinder – Best for budget-friendly hosted search.
  
  

If you want a solution that balances speed, AI, scalability, and simplicity, Clerk.io is the only platform that merges smart search with personalization and marketing tools in a single, easy-to-manage system—making it a strategic choice for growth-focused eCommerce businesses.

Ready to see how a great search engine makes a difference? Book a demo today to learn how our predictive and semantic search engine works. 

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