# Pinecone — Managed vector and knowledge platform with retrieval, grounded RAG, and customer-cloud deployment. > Source: The Agents Index — https://theagentsindex.com/pinecone (structured, researched, re-verified) Pinecone is a managed AI knowledge platform centered on vector, full-text, and hybrid retrieval for applications and agents. Its Database, Assistant, Nexus, and BYOC options combine hosted retrieval, grounded RAG services, and customer-cloud deployment. **Best for:** Developers and enterprises building AI agents, search, and recommendation systems | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Website | https://pinecone.io/ | | Category | Vector databases | | Open source | Partly | | Price | Free | | Price source | https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/ | | Price checked | 29 October 2026 | | MCP server | Yes | | API | Not stated | | Self-host | Partly | | Facts | 20 facts from 11 sources | | Facts checked | 29 October 2026 | Screenshot of Pinecone: https://theagentsindex.com/img/1920/screenshots/pinecone.webp, captured 30 October 2026 **What we checked** - Pages last read: 29 October 2026 - Facts checked: 20 facts (From 11 sources) - AI answers: Named in 1 of 151 (Our October check) ## What we checked on Pinecone ### Which models it runs on **Open models** · Yes — Pinecone hosts the open-source bge-reranker-v2-m3 model as an available multilingual reranking model. > This is an open source, high performance, multilingual model. > — https://docs.pinecone.io/models/bge-reranker-v2-m3 · bge-reranker-v2-m3 overview, checked 29 October 2026 **Model choice** · Partly — Enterprise Nexus BYOC lets buyers independently choose generation, embedding, and rerank providers. > Every model is BYOM and configurable. > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/nexus/byoc/reference · Data flows and residency, inference models, checked 29 October 2026 ### Whose machine it runs on **Self-hosted** · Partly — The pg_pinecone extension runs inside customer-managed PostgreSQL, while the main platform is hosted. > It runs on PostgreSQL 17 and 18 servers you manage yourself > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/pg-pinecone/overview · pg_pinecone overview, introductory paragraph, checked 29 October 2026 **Open source** · Partly — pg_pinecone is open source, but Pinecone also sells a separate proprietary hosted platform. > pg_pinecone is an open-source PostgreSQL extension, licensed under Apache 2.0 > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/pg-pinecone/overview · pg_pinecone overview, introductory paragraph, checked 29 October 2026 **Open-source runtime** · Partly — The pg_pinecone native engine works inside Postgres without a Pinecone account or network access. > It runs in your database without an account or network access. > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/pg-pinecone/overview · Features, Filtered search, checked 29 October 2026 **Runs in your cloud** · Partly — Enterprise customers can deploy Pinecone's data plane in their own AWS, GCP, or Azure account. > You deploy the Pinecone data plane in your own cloud account (AWS, GCP, or Azure) > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/production/bring-your-own-cloud · BYOC overview, introductory section, checked 29 October 2026 ### Building with it **SDK languages** · Yes — Official SDK documentation covers Python, TypeScript, Go, and Java client libraries for Pinecone APIs. > Install and use the Pinecone Node.js and TypeScript SDK > — https://docs.pinecone.io/reference/sdks/node/overview · Node.js SDK page, opening description, checked 29 October 2026 **Tracing and evals** · Partly — Nexus records a per-query trace, while Assistant evaluations are separately limited to higher plans. > Every query is recorded as a trace that shows how Pinecone Nexus reached an answer > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/nexus/query-tracing · Query tracing, opening paragraph, checked 29 October 2026 ### What it costs to run **How it meters** · Yes — Builder is a fixed monthly plan, while Standard and Enterprise apply monthly minimums and metered usage. > $50/month min. usage — You'll be charged a minimum of $50/month. Once your usage exceeds this amount, you'll pay as you go. > — https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/ · Standard plan card, checked 29 October 2026 **Free tier** · Yes — The standing Starter plan is free and includes Database, Inference, Assistant, and community support. > Free > — https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/ · Starter plan card, price, checked 29 October 2026 **MCP server** · Yes — Pinecone's MCP server lets compatible agents search docs, manage indexes, and query indexed data. > The Pinecone MCP server enables AI agents to interact directly with Pinecone's functionality and documentation > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/operations/mcp-server · Use the Pinecone MCP server, introduction, checked 29 October 2026 **Bring your own key** · Partly — Enterprise Nexus BYOC permits independently configured model providers, including models a buyer hosts or controls. > To keep all customer content inside your trust boundary, repoint each of these at a model you host or otherwise control. > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/nexus/byoc/reference · Data flows and residency, inference models, checked 29 October 2026 ### Buying it for a team **A company can buy it** · Yes — Pinecone sells organization plans, including Builder, Standard, and Enterprise, with organization management features. > Upgrade your Pinecone organization to the Builder, Standard, or Enterprise plan > — https://docs.pinecone.io/admin/billing/upgrade-billing-plan · Upgrade your billing plan, opening description, checked 29 October 2026 **Seat model** · No — Builder is billed as a flat monthly plan rather than per seat, although plans limit users. > The Builder plan is a flat $20/month plan with higher quotas than Starter and no usage overages. > — https://docs.pinecone.io/admin/billing/upgrade-billing-plan · Upgrade to the Builder plan, checked 29 October 2026 **Admin controls** · Partly — Standard and Enterprise administrators can assign custom permissions to API keys; lower tiers allow only All. > Users on the Starter and Builder plans can set the permissions to All only. To customize the permissions further, upgrade to the Standard or Enterprise plan. > — https://docs.pinecone.io/admin/projects/manage-api-keys · Manage API keys, Create an API key, checked 29 October 2026 **Audit log** · Partly — Audit Logs are listed on Enterprise, rather than on Starter, Builder, or Standard plans. > Audit Logs | — | — | — | ✓ > — https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/ · Plan comparison, Security and Compliance table, checked 29 October 2026 **Single sign-on** · Partly — SAML 2.0 single sign-on is available to Standard and Enterprise organizations, not entry plans. > SSO (SAML 2.0) | — | — | ✓ | ✓ > — https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/ · Plan comparison, Org Management table, checked 29 October 2026 ### What happens to your code **Opt out of training** · Yes — Pinecone says customer data is used only to service API calls, rather than to train models. > Your data remains isolated and protected, and is only used for servicing API calls. > — https://www.pinecone.io/security/ · Trust and Security FAQ, How does Pinecone protect my data?, checked 29 October 2026 **Data residency** · Partly — Enterprise BYOC keeps vectors, metadata, and queries in a buyer's cloud environment and supports residency requirements. > Your vectors, metadata, and queries never leave your environment > — https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/production/bring-your-own-cloud · BYOC overview, introductory section, checked 29 October 2026 **Certifications** · Partly — SOC 2 is included across listed plans, while GDPR, ISO 27001, and HIPAA vary by tier or add-on. > Pinecone is SOC2 Type II certified, HIPAA compliant (with BAA available upon request), and GDPR-ready. > — https://www.pinecone.io/security/ · Trust and Security FAQ, What compliance certifications does Pinecone have?, checked 29 October 2026 ## Pinecone price and terms **Terms** - Free plan: Yes — Starter is a standing free plan with Pinecone Database On-Demand, Inference, Assistant, console metrics, and community support. **What needs a higher plan** - Enterprise: Model choice, Runs in your cloud, Bring your own key, Audit log, Data residency - Standard and Enterprise: Admin controls, Single sign-on ## For AI agents - MCP server: Yes Pricing page as we captured it: https://theagentsindex.com/img/1920/screenshots/pinecone/pricing.webp, captured 30 October 2026 Read on https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/, 29 October 2026. ## Pinecone alternatives - [Qdrant](https://theagentsindex.com/qdrant) · Free plan: Open-source vector database with managed, hybrid, and private-cloud deployment choices. It publishes a price. [1 alternative](https://theagentsindex.com/pinecone/alternatives/) ## Questions about Pinecone ### How much does Pinecone cost? Pinecone is free to use. From pinecone.io/pricing, checked 29 October 2026. ### Does Pinecone have an API or an MCP server? It has an MCP server. ### Is Pinecone open source, and can you host it yourself? Part of it is open source. You can host part of it yourself. ### What have we checked on Pinecone? 20 facts, under these headings: Which models it runs on, whose machine it runs on, building with it, what it costs to run, buying it for a team, what happens to your code. ### How do we check Pinecone? We hold 20 facts on Pinecone, quoted from 11 pages. Facts and price last checked 29 October 2026. How we check every listing: https://theagentsindex.com/methodology/ ## Sources and changes Last changed 30 October 2026 **Sources** (11) - https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/pg-pinecone/overview, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/admin/billing/upgrade-billing-plan, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/nexus/byoc/reference, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/production/bring-your-own-cloud, read 29 October 2026 - https://www.pinecone.io/security/, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/admin/projects/manage-api-keys, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/nexus/query-tracing, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/operations/mcp-server, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/models/bge-reranker-v2-m3, read 29 October 2026 - https://docs.pinecone.io/reference/sdks/node/overview, read 29 October 2026 ## Is this yours? AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude opened The Agents Index pages 2,746 times in September. Claim Pinecone: https://theagentsindex.com/claim/pinecone Report an error if a fact is wrong: hello@theagentsindex.com, subject "Report an error: Pinecone (pinecone)".