lucene-solr
Apache Lucene and Solr are mature, open-source search and information-retrieval libraries. This repository is now largely historical—active development has moved to separate Apache repositories for Lucene and Solr, with this shared repo maintained only for 8.11.x bugfixes.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | apache/lucene-solr |
| Owner | apache |
| Primary language | Unknown |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 4.4k |
| Forks | 2.6k |
| Open issues | 230 |
| Latest release | Unknown |
| Last updated | 2026-05-15 |
| Source | https://github.com/apache/lucene-solr |
What lucene-solr is
Lucene is a Java-based full-text search library providing indexing, querying, and ranking APIs. Solr is a distributed search server built on Lucene. This unified repository is deprecated; new features and releases occur in apache/lucene and apache/solr.
Get the lucene-solr source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/apache/lucene-solr.gitcd lucene-solr# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Clone from apache/lucene or apache/solr repositories instead of lucene-solr; this repository is no longer primary development.
- Lucene requires careful schema design, analyzer configuration, and query optimization—not a plug-and-play library.
- JVM memory and GC tuning are essential for production indexing and search performance, especially at scale.
- Integration typically involves embedding Lucene in applications or deploying Solr as a service; both require operational overhead.
- Testing must cover index corruption scenarios, shard rebalancing, and failover behavior in production environments.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- You need active development on this repository — This lucene-solr repository is no longer the main development home. Feature work and latest releases occur in apache/lucene and apache/solr instead. Only 8.11.x bugfixes remain here.
- You require non-Java full-text search — Lucene and Solr are Java-centric. If your stack is primarily Go, Rust, Python, or JavaScript, integration complexity and operational overhead may outweigh benefits.
- You need turnkey, minimal-config search — Both Lucene and Solr require careful tuning of indexing strategies, query syntax, and JVM configuration. Simpler alternatives exist for basic keyword matching.
- You cannot manage Java infrastructure — Solr requires JVM management, heap sizing, garbage collection tuning, and operational monitoring. Organizations without Java expertise should evaluate hosted or lower-overhead alternatives.
License & commercial use
Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0): permissive OSI-approved license. Allows commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution and liability disclaimer.
Commercial use is permitted under Apache-2.0. No license fee or commercial restriction exists. You must include the Apache-2.0 license text and NOTICE file in distributions. Consult legal counsel if distributing modified versions for compliance confirmation.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Moderate |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | High |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | Medium |
Both projects are Java-based; follow standard JVM security practices: keep dependencies and JVM runtime patched, restrict network access to Solr HTTP endpoints, use authentication/TLS in production, and validate query input to prevent injection. No specific vulnerabilities are claimed here; consult CVE databases and security advisories for the version you evaluate.
Alternatives to consider
Elasticsearch
Distributed search engine built on Lucene with REST API, automatic sharding, and lower operational overhead than Solr for many teams. Requires license review for commercial use.
Meilisearch or Typesense
Modern, lightweight, open-source search engines with simpler APIs and lower deployment complexity than Lucene/Solr. Better suited to teams without deep Java expertise.
PostgreSQL/MySQL full-text search
If you already use relational databases, native FTS may suffice for moderate workloads, avoiding additional infrastructure and operational burden.
Build on lucene-solr with DEV.co software developers
Lucene and Solr are powerful but operationally demanding. Our engineering team can help evaluate fit, migration paths from legacy systems, and integration strategies. Contact us to discuss your search infrastructure requirements.
Talk to DEV.coRelated on DEV.co
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lucene-solr FAQ
Should I clone lucene-solr or apache/lucene and apache/solr?
Is Solr a drop-in replacement for Lucene?
What are typical deployment models?
Can I use this in a microservices architecture?
Software developers & web developers for hire
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Assess Lucene/Solr for Your Search Stack
Lucene and Solr are powerful but operationally demanding. Our engineering team can help evaluate fit, migration paths from legacy systems, and integration strategies. Contact us to discuss your search infrastructure requirements.