Technology · comparison
Open weights vs hosted models: a buyer’s comparison
The decision is less about ideology than about control, cost, and who is on the hook when it fails.
Key takeaways
- Hosted APIs buy speed and ops; you rent the risk model.
- Open weights buy control and portability; you inherit security and eval work.
- Most organisations will run both, with a router in the middle.
If you need a rule of thumb
Use a hosted API when the task is bursty and the data is not uniquely sensitive. Use open weights when you must keep prompts inside a boundary you control.
Any statement about pricing is directional. We will not publish a price as fact unless a public primary source lists it.