When should you move from pgvector to a dedicated vector database?

Move to a dedicated vector database when dataset size exceeds what fits in Postgres memory comfortably, typically 50 to 100 million vectors, when query latency under filters becomes unacceptable, when you need features like learned sparse retrieval or GPU acceleration, or when vector workload consumes resources other Postgres queries need. Stay on pgvector when your data is smaller, when integration with relational data matters, or when operating one database matters more than the last 30 percent of performance available from specialized systems.