--- title: Open Source vs Open Weight vs Closed AI Models | daily.dev description: Explains the differences between closed AI, open weight, and open source AI models using simple analogies. Closed models like ChatGPT and Gemini only let you... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/open-source-vs-open-weight-vs-closed-ai-models-evisazblm twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Open Source vs Open Weight vs Closed AI Models | daily.dev og:description: Explains the differences between closed AI, open weight, and open source AI models using simple analogies. Closed models like ChatGPT and Gemini only let you... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/open-source-vs-open-weight-vs-closed-ai-models-evisazblm og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/EViSazBlm.png og:image:alt: Open Source vs Open Weight vs Closed AI Models og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Open Source vs Open Weight vs Closed AI Models **[Abdullah Ramzan](https://daily.dev/sources/j1q8bx9xafeb2bciulvpz)** · [@1xcoder](https://daily.dev/1xcoder) · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Explains the differences between closed AI, open weight, and open source AI models using simple analogies. Closed models like ChatGPT and Gemini only let you use the AI via API or website without access to weights. Open weight models like Qwen, DeepSeek R1, and Gemma let you download and run trained weights yourself, but licensing may restrict deeper freedoms. Open source AI goes further, offering broader rights to study, modify, and share the system. Notes that open weight does not automatically mean open source, and readers should always check the specific license. ## Content When learning about AI and LLMs, you will often hear the words **closed AI, open weight, and open source**. They sound similar, but they mean different things. ### 🔴 Closed AI A closed AI model keeps its actual model weights private. You can use the model through a website or API, but you cannot normally download the trained model and run it yourself. **Examples:** ChatGPT's proprietary GPT models, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude. Think of it like using a restaurant. You can eat the food, but you do not get the recipe or the kitchen. ### 🟡 Open Weight An open weight model makes its **trained model weights** available for people to download. This means you can potentially run the model on your own computer or server using tools such as Ollama, depending on the model size, your hardware, and its license. **Examples:** Many Qwen models, DeepSeek R1, and Google Gemma models. Think of it like getting the finished cake. You can take it home and use it, but you may not have the complete recipe for making it. ### 🟢 Open Source Open source AI goes beyond only giving you the weights. It aims to provide broader access and freedoms to **study, understand, modify, and share** the AI system according to its license. A model can be both **open weight and open source**. ### 🧠 What are model weights? During training, an LLM learns from a huge amount of data. The training changes billions of numerical values inside the neural network. These values are called **weights or parameters**. The weights are what the trained model uses to understand patterns and generate answers. ``` training data ↓ training ↓ neural network ↓ learned weights ↓ trained model ``` ### The easiest way to remember **Closed AI** → Use the AI **Open Weight** → Get the trained model **Open Source** → Get broader access to study and change the AI One important point: **open weight does not automatically mean open source**, and open does not automatically mean "no rules". Always check the license of the exact model you are using. #ai #artificialintelligence #opensource #openweight #llm #machinelearning #generativeai #deeplearning #qwen #deepseek #gemma #chatgpt #gemini ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [What “open weights” means for AI models](https://daily.dev/posts/what-open-weights-means-for-ai-models-6vljntk5i) · Flavio Copes · 6 upvotes · 0 comments - [“Don’t use ‘open weight’ and ‘open source’ interchangeably”: Percona CEO on why AI terminology matters](https://daily.dev/posts/don-t-use-open-weight-and-open-source-interchangeably-percona-ceo-on-why-ai-terminology-matte-f7uabgutc) · The New Stack · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [What “Open Weight” Actually Means](https://daily.dev/posts/what-open-weight-actually-means-wlacoicak) · Medium · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [A deep dive into open-weight AI models](https://daily.dev/posts/a-deep-dive-into-open-weight-ai-models-5r7yufmf3) · Flavio Copes · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#machine-learning](https://daily.dev/tags/machine-learning), [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#llm](https://daily.dev/tags/llm), [#deepseek](https://daily.dev/tags/deepseek), [#qwen](https://daily.dev/tags/qwen) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/open-source-vs-open-weight-vs-closed-ai-models-evisazblm) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https://daily.dev/posts/open-source-vs-open-weight-vs-closed-ai-models-evisazblm","headline":"Open Source vs Open Weight vs Closed AI Models","text":"Explains the differences between closed AI, open weight, and open source AI models using simple analogies. 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