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Machine Learning & Data Science · head to head

Google Vertex AI vs Seldon

Google Vertex AI logo

Google Vertex AI

Machine Learning & Data Science

Unified ML platform to build, deploy, and scale AI models

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Seldon logo

Seldon

Machine Learning & Data Science

Deploy, scale, and monitor machine learning models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Seldon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Vertex AI vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem makes migration to other platforms difficult; Seldon production deployment requires a Kubernetes cluster, whether managed such as GKE, EKS or AKS, or on-premises such as OpenShift
  • They diverge on capability: Google Vertex AI covers AutoML, Seldon covers Model serving.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Vertex AI and Seldon actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Vertex AI and Seldon differ
AttributeGoogle Vertex AISeldon
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, WebLinux
Founded20082014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Machine Learning & Data Science).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Google Vertex AI

  • AutoML
  • Custom training
  • Feature Store
  • Model monitoring
  • Prediction serving
  • BigQuery
  • Cloud Storage
  • TensorFlow

Only in Seldon

  • Model serving
  • A/B testing
  • Canary deployments
  • Outlier detection
  • Model explainability
  • Kubernetes
  • Istio
  • Prometheus

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Google Vertex AI

  • Machine learningnot Seldon
  • Data analysisnot Seldon
  • Model trainingnot Seldon
  • Predictive analyticsnot Seldon

Seldon

  • Serving and routing machine learning models on Kubernetesnot Google Vertex AI
  • Building multi-step inference pipelines with A/B tests and explainersnot Google Vertex AI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Vertex AI

  • Vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem makes migration to other platforms difficult
  • Requires familiarity with Google Cloud Platform infrastructure and concepts
  • Cost can escalate quickly with large training and inference workloads

Seldon

  • Production deployment requires a Kubernetes cluster, whether managed such as GKE, EKS or AKS, or on-premises such as OpenShift
  • The documented components carry both minimum and maximum supported versions, so newer Kubernetes and dependency versions are not automatically supported
  • Dataflow Pipelines need an additional component that the docs recommend avoiding installing when pipelines are not used
  • The Docker Compose install is offered as a lightweight alternative for environments without Kubernetes rather than as a production path

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Vertex AI

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Vertex AI review.

Seldon

Free
  • Seldon CoreFree
    • Open source
    • Kubernetes deployment
    • Model serving
  • Seldon DeployFree
    • Enterprise features
    • GUI
    • Monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Vertex AI if

  • You need automl.
  • You work on Cloud, Web.
  • You also want custom training.
Google Vertex AI review

Choose Seldon if

  • You need model serving.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want a/b testing.
Seldon review

Questions people ask

Is Google Vertex AI or Seldon better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Vertex AI starts at On request and Seldon at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Vertex AI or Seldon?
Seldon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Google Vertex AI and Free for Seldon.
Does Google Vertex AI or Seldon run on more platforms?
Google Vertex AI runs on Cloud, Web. Seldon runs on Linux.
Can I use Seldon for free?
Yes. Seldon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Google Vertex AI starts at On request.
What is Google Vertex AI best used for?
Google Vertex AI is most often used for machine learning, data analysis, model training, predictive analytics. Of those, machine learning and data analysis are not what Seldon is typically brought in for.
What can Google Vertex AI do that Seldon cannot?
Google Vertex AI covers AutoML, Custom training, Feature Store, Model monitoring. Seldon covers Model serving, A/B testing, Canary deployments, Outlier detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Vertex AI: What is the pricing model for Google Vertex AI?

Vertex AI uses a pay-as-you-go model with no upfront costs or lock-in fees. Costs vary by service: training is billed by compute resources and time (30-second increments), online predictions by machine type per hour, and batch predictions by compute time or per-record for specific AutoML types.

Source
Google Vertex AI: What types of data can Vertex AI handle?

Vertex AI supports image, video, text, and tabular data types with tools for uploading, storing, and managing large datasets.

Source
Google Vertex AI: Does Vertex AI support custom model training?

Yes. Vertex AI supports both AutoML for automated machine learning and custom training code in Python, R, and other languages.

Source
Google Vertex AI: What deployment options are available in Vertex AI?

Vertex AI supports online predictions for real-time use cases and batch predictions for large-scale processing.

Source
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Related pages

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