When you need ecommerce search that works out of the box - not a developer framework.
| Feature | Algolia | BRADsearch |
|---|---|---|
| Built for ecommerce out of the box | Build it yourself (developer platform) | ✓ Purpose-built for ecommerce |
| PrestaShop | ✗ No official integration | ✓ One-click module |
| WooCommerce | Community plugin (unsupported) | ✓ Native |
| Shopify | ✓ Official | ✓ Native |
| Finds products despite typos, synonyms & product codes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search speed | ✓ Industry-leading | ✓ Fast |
| Runs without a developer | ✗ Needs developers, ongoing | ✓ Your team or ours |
| Time to go live | Days to weeks + front-end build | Same day; we can set it up for you |
| Search analytics incl. revenue from search | ✓ (history varies by plan) | ✓ Included |
| Pricing | Usage-based (records × searches) | ✓ Flat monthly, from €49 |
| Predictable monthly bill | Scales with usage | ✓ Smoothed on a 3-month average |
| Free trial on your live store | Free developer tier | ✓ 14 days, and we help prove the lift |
Algolia is an API-first search platform with sub-50ms query speeds and extensive customisation. It is developer-first by design - powerful, well-documented, and genuinely beloved by engineering teams. Many fast-growing tech companies with dedicated frontend engineers use it because it gives them maximum control over search behaviour and UI.
That developer-first model is exactly what makes it the wrong fit for most ecommerce merchants.
You are buying infrastructure, not a solution. Algolia gives you search APIs and indices. Getting from an Algolia account to a working search bar on your PrestaShop, WooCommerce, or Shopify store requires a custom build - UI components, indexing logic, facet configuration, and ongoing maintenance. That is a significant technical project, not an install.
Pricing grows faster than your business. Algolia charges per search operation and per indexed record. At moderate traffic and catalogue sizes, costs are manageable. At growth, they compound quickly - and the bill scales with usage, so a busy month costs more than a quiet one.
No native PrestaShop integration. Community plugins exist, but they are third-party and unsupported. For PrestaShop - and for WooCommerce - there is no official, maintained integration. On Shopify, Algolia offers an official integration, but you still build the storefront search experience yourself.
Developer dependency. Every meaningful configuration change - adjusting relevance, adding facets, changing indexing logic - requires developer involvement. Merchants who want to manage search without engineering support will find Algolia frustrating.
Purpose-built ecommerce, not building blocks. BRADsearch is a finished product. Instant results with images, product discovery, analytics, and merchandising are included and configured for your catalogue - not assembled from APIs by your team.
Native PrestaShop, WooCommerce, and Shopify integration. BRADsearch is built and maintained by the BRADsearch team. The integration is native, not a third-party overlay - a one-click module on PrestaShop, and native on WooCommerce and Shopify.
Smart matching, included. Search that finds the right product despite typos, synonyms, product codes, and sound-alikes is standard - not a premium add-on. Every merchant gets it from day one.
Flat, predictable pricing. From €49/month. No per-query fees, no per-record charges, no surprise overages - and the bill is smoothed on a 3-month average, so a seasonal peak doesn't spike it. You know what you pay before you sign.
Managed implementation. The BRADsearch team can handle setup, configuration, and ongoing support - your team or ours. You do not need a developer to go live or to make changes, and you can go live the same day.
Talk to the team or try BRADsearch on your store - no developer required.