Empathy Platform is an AI-powered search and discovery platform created for retailers who require enterprise-grade relevance, control, and scalability. On this page, you can compare Empathy with other search solutions across key dimensions such as AI maturity, generative experiences, performance, merchandising, analytics, and privacy, to understand which approach best fits your business needs and operational model.
Pricing
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Deal size (€/year) | < 10,000 € | 10,000 - 200,000 € | 30,000 - 500,000 € |
AI
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| AI semantic search | Not available | Advanced | Advanced |
| Machine learning | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
Generative AI
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| AI product | AI Assistant | AI Mode | Agent Studio |
| AI experience | Natural chat-to-filter flow | Out-of-the-box conversational shopping experience + extensible FE templates | Build-your-own agent flows |
| LLM strategy | External LLMs (OpenAI, Vertex, etc.) | Owned private LLM | External LLMs (OpenAI, Bedrock, Vertex, etc.) |
| AI pricing model | Unpredictable. Two bills: search + token-based LLM usage | Transparent unified pricing | Unpredictable. Two bills: search + token-based LLM usage |
| Vendor dependency (LLMs) | Dependent on third-party LLM APIs | Independent from external LLM APIs | Dependent on third-party LLM APIs |
| Curation & controls | Basic | Single stack, merch-first controls (context, guardrails) | Low. Orchestrate across tools & models |
| AI data governance | Shared with LLM vendors | Private, ethical, no big-tech LLM | Shared with LLM vendors |
| AI integration model | Integrated chatbot layer | AI layered into search UX | Agent framework over retrieval platform |
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Search latency | +/- 100 ms | < 50 ms | < 10 ms |
| Enterprise scalability | Limited | Advanced | Unlimited |
| Personalized result limit | 100 max | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Infrastructure | SaaS (Multitenant) | SaaS (Single or Multitenant) + on-premise | SaaS (Single or Multitenant) |
Personalization
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Purchase history | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
| Preference-based search | Not supported | Supported, delegated in 1st-party data | Supported, tracking-based |
Merchandising
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Boost / bury / pin products | Limited | Supported | Supported |
| AI curation | Not supported | Machine Learning + default prompt curation | Not supported |
Analytics
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Analytics dashboard | Limited | Advanced | Advanced |
| Ranking explainability | Not supported | Native | Limited |
| A/B testing | Not supported | Via third party AB | Native |
| Search opportunities | Not supported | E-commerce specific | Limited |
| ROI tracking | Limited | Supported | Supported |
Support
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Support response times | 48-72 h | 4 h | 2 h |
| Account manager | Not available | Dedicated KAM or search expert | Limited |
| SLAs | Limited | 99.9% | 99.99% |
Privacy
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Privacy-first (zero tracking) | Limited | Advanced | Not available |
| Cookie banner required | Yes | No | Yes |
Setup
| Feature | Doofinder | Empathy | Algolia |
|---|
| Ease of deployment | Easy | Moderate (archetype) | Complex (API-heavy) |
| Ease of use | Very easy | Easy | Easy |
