Buyer's guide
AI platforms and infrastructure
A guide to notable AI platforms, spanning model marketplaces, fast inference clouds, local runtimes, and enterprise cloud services, grouped by deployment model.
Model marketplaces and gateways
| Name | Company | Category | Business model | Launched | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | OpenRouter | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
| Hugging Face | Hugging Face, Inc. | Platforms & Infrastructure | Freemium | 2016 | 2026-07-16 |
| Replicate | Replicate | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2019 | 2026-07-27 |
| Poe | Quora | Platforms & Infrastructure | Freemium | 2023-02 | 2026-07-24 |
Fast inference clouds
| Name | Company | Category | Business model | Launched | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groq | Groq | Platforms & Infrastructure | Freemium | 2024-02 | 2026-07-27 |
| Fireworks AI | Fireworks AI | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
| Together AI | Together AI | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
| Cerebras | Cerebras Systems | Platforms & Infrastructure | Freemium | 2024-08 | 2026-07-27 |
Local and self-hosted runtimes
| Name | Company | Category | Business model | Launched | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | Ollama | Platforms & Infrastructure | Open (open weights/source) | 2023-07 | 2026-07-27 |
| LM Studio | LM Studio | Platforms & Infrastructure | Free | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
| Jan | Menlo Research | Platforms & Infrastructure | Open (open weights/source) | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
| vLLM | vLLM Project | Platforms & Infrastructure | Open (open weights/source) | 2023-06 | 2026-07-27 |
| Open WebUI | Open WebUI | Platforms & Infrastructure | Open (open weights/source) | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
LLM app and agent builders
| Name | Company | Category | Business model | Launched | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dify | LangGenius | Platforms & Infrastructure | Open (open weights/source) | 2023 | 2026-07-27 |
Enterprise cloud AI services
| Name | Company | Category | Business model | Launched | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Bedrock | Amazon Web Services | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2023-09 | 2026-07-27 |
| Azure AI Foundry | Microsoft | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2024-11 | 2026-07-27 |
| Vertex AI | Platforms & Infrastructure | Paid | 2021-05 | 2026-07-27 |
Frequently asked questions
What are the best AI platforms and infrastructure?
This guide highlights OpenRouter, Hugging Face, Replicate, Poe, Groq, Fireworks AI.
How many tools does this guide cover?
It lists 17 tools across 5 categories.