Celestial AI vs Vespa.ai
Which Infrastructure AI tool is better in 2026?
Celestial AI
Photonic Fabric optical interconnect for AI infrastructure
Vespa.ai
Big-data serving engine for vector and lexical search
Side-by-side
Celestial AI is the more established option (raised $515M), but Vespa.ai is cheaper to start.
| Metric | Celestial AI | Vespa.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Taglinei | Photonic Fabric optical interconnect for AI infrastructure | Big-data serving engine for vector and lexical search |
| Foundedi | 2020🏆 | 2023 |
| HQi | Santa Clara, United States | Trondheim, NO |
| Employeesi | — | 51-100🏆 |
| Neuron scorei | 77🏆 | 53 |
| Total fundingi | $515M🏆 | $31M |
| Latest roundi | Series C1 · Mar 2025 | Series A · Nov 2023 |
| Valuationi | — | —🏆 |
| Cheapest paid plani | Pricing not disclosed | Pricing not disclosed🏆 |
| Free plani | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free triali | ✗ | ✓ |
| Top tier pricei | Pricing not disclosed | Pricing not disclosed |
| Pricing summaryi | Custom | Free |
| Categoriesi |
Capability matrix
Developer-facing capabilities and access signals for Celestial AI and Vespa.ai.
| Capability | Celestial AI | Vespa.ai |
|---|---|---|
| MCP support | ✗ | ✗ |
| Public API | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| OAuth 2.0 | ✗ | ✓ |
| SDK languages | — | 3 (python, java, rest) |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free trial | ✗ | ✓ |
| Verified | ✗ | ✗ |
| Active deal | ✗ | ✓ |
🟢 Strengths of Celestial AI
- Has raised more capital ($515M vs $31M)
- Higher Neuron score (77 vs 53)
- More mature (2020)
🔵 Strengths of Vespa.ai
- Offers a free plan
- Offers a free trial
- Newer company (2023)
Which should you choose?
Choose Vespa.ai if price matters most — it starts at Free, which is friendlier for teams watching burn. Both AI Infrastructure tools ship core features, so the cost delta often decides it for small teams and solo operators.
Choose Celestial AI if you want the most established option — it has raised $515M, suggesting more runway for enterprise features, support, and long-term roadmap. For mission-critical workflows or larger teams, that stability often outweighs a lower monthly price.
💸 Deals
Vespa Cloud — $300 in free trial credits
New Vespa Cloud accounts get $300 in trial credits to spin up production-grade vector + lexical search.
Terms: New accounts only. Expires after 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
Celestial AI vs Vespa.ai — which is better?
It depends on your priority. Celestial AI has raised more capital and is the more established option; Vespa.ai is cheaper to start. See the side-by-side table above.
Is Celestial AI cheaper than Vespa.ai?
No — Vespa.ai's cheapest paid plan is Free, while Celestial AI's is Custom.
Do Celestial AI and Vespa.ai offer free plans?
Celestial AI: Paid only. Vespa.ai: Yes, has a free plan.
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