Start with open-weight deployment control
If deployment control is non-negotiable, evaluate open-weight options and be honest about the ops/evals you’ll own (inference, monitoring, safety, upgrades).
- Recommendation: Meta Llama, Mistral AI
Recommended starting points
Based on your constraints, these products typically fit best. Read each decision brief to confirm pricing behavior and limits match your reality.
Meta Llama
Open-weight model family enabling self-hosting and flexible deployment, often chosen when data control, vendor flexibility, or cost constraints outweigh managed convenience.
Mistral AI
Model provider with open-weight and hosted options, often shortlisted for cost efficiency, vendor flexibility, and European alignment while still supporting a managed API route.
Why this recommendation
If deployment control is non-negotiable, evaluate open-weight options and be honest about the ops/evals you’ll own (inference, monitoring, safety, upgrades).