Chroma Cloud Wind-Down: Export Before December 22, 2026

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TL;DR

Chroma Cloud writes stop on December 7, 2026. The service then has a 15-day read-only period before reads stop on December 22. Open-source ChromaDB remains available under Apache 2.0. Export to a local server with the official chroma copy CLI, check record counts and sample queries, then update the application to use HttpClient. Keep port 8000 private or protected, persist /data and rotate Cloud credentials before the final deadline. Chroma gives no official CPU or RAM minimum for the container; sizing must be tested against your data and traffic.

How this article was made: This article is research-based. Chroma's announcement, current wind-down timeline, CLI guide and container guide were checked on November 6, 2026 at 10:34 Taipei time. We did not run a Cloud export or load-test a VPS. Server sizes below are planning estimates, not Chroma requirements. Display name: CommX.

Chroma Cloud writes stop on December 7, 2026. Reads stop on December 22. This is the current official timeline, and the write deadline differs from the LIVE Chinese page checked for this mirror.

Chroma announced its agreement to join Replit on October 23. The hosted service is winding down. Open-source ChromaDB remains available under Apache 2.0.

Current official timeline

Date Cloud change Action before it
December 7, 2026 Writes disabled; Cloud becomes read-only Redirect writes, move active workloads and begin validated exports
Following 15 days Existing data remains readable Finish exports and verify applications on the new deployment
December 22, 2026 Reads disabled Confirm no Cloud endpoint remains and remove or rotate Cloud credentials

Chroma's older joining announcement describes a roughly 60-day transition. Use the dedicated wind-down page for the actual dates.

Export and cutover checklist

  1. Deploy the destination first. Use another Chroma deployment or another database. Keep the Cloud service unchanged until the copy passes checks.
  2. Copy collections with the official CLI. For all collections from a named Cloud database to the default local server:
chroma copy --from-cloud --all --db YOUR_DATABASE

Use --host http://HOST:PORT for a non-default server or --path LOCAL_DATA_DIRECTORY for a local data path. The CLI uses the database in your active profile and prompts if --db is absent.

  1. Validate before redirecting traffic. Compare collection counts. Run known queries on both systems. Check that the application uses the same embedding model and function as the original collection.

  2. Change the client. Point the application to HttpClient on the new host. Send a heartbeat and test reads and writes before changing production traffic.

  3. Clean up Cloud access. Search environment variables, CI secret stores and container secrets for Cloud credentials. Replace the application configuration, then revoke or rotate the old Cloud credentials before December 22.

Self-hosting and a cautious VPS starting point

The official container guide mounts ./chroma-data at /data and maps port 8000. Use the image name from the current guide and a container registry available to your server.

docker run -v ./chroma-data:/data -p 8000:8000 chromadb/chroma

Do not expose unauthenticated port 8000 to the internet. Restrict it to a private network or place it behind authenticated access with TLS. Back up the persistent directory separately. Deleting a container without preserving its volume can remove the copied database.

Workload Planning start Status
Export checks and a light test instance 2 vCPU, 4 GiB RAM Test estimate; not an official Chroma minimum
Agent application plus a small separate vector database 4 vCPU, 8 GiB RAM Existing AgentComm planning tier; load-test before production
Growing data or concurrent queries More RAM and storage based on measurements Chroma gives no fixed sizing table

The right disk size depends on your documents, vectors, metadata and backup retention. Add application and operating-system headroom. Do not copy a generic VPS size into a production plan without measuring the migrated collection.

For a separate platform migration, see the Zeabur alternatives guide. It covers general application and persistent-volume moves, not Chroma Cloud, and is not a translated pair for this page.

Check the current Chroma Cloud timeline

Read the official chroma copy guide

Sources (checked November 6, 2026, Taipei)

FAQ

When does Chroma Cloud stop accepting writes?

December 7, 2026, according to Chroma's current official timeline checked on November 6. Existing data stays readable for the following 15-day period. The LIVE Chinese page still says November 22, so recheck the official page before planning.

When does Chroma Cloud stop reads?

December 22, 2026. Complete exports, application migration and credential removal or rotation before that date.

Is open-source ChromaDB shutting down?

No. Chroma says the wind-down applies only to its existing hosted Cloud service. Open-source ChromaDB remains available under Apache 2.0, and Replit will continue contributing.

What server size does self-hosted Chroma need?

Chroma's container guide does not state a minimum CPU or RAM. A 2 vCPU, 4 GiB VPS is a light starting point for testing, while 4 vCPU and 8 GiB is a more cautious starting point for an agent plus a small separate vector database. These are planning estimates, not official Chroma requirements.

Key takeaways

  • Chroma Cloud writes stop on December 7, 2026.
  • The service then has a 15-day read-only period before reads stop on December 22.
  • Open-source ChromaDB remains available under Apache 2.0.

SourcesCheck the current Chroma Cloud timeline · Read the official chroma copy guide · trychroma.com/blog/chroma-joins-replit · docs.trychroma.com/guides/deploy

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Cite this pageChroma Cloud Wind-Down: Export Before December 22, 2026 — https://www.agentcomm.net/articles/chroma-cloud-wind-down-migrate-cloud-server/