STAC Research Note: Performance And Efficiency Comparison Between Self-Hosted LLMs And API Services

Type: Research Note

Specs: STAC-AI™ LANG6

This study evaluates two methods of utilizing LLM, self-hosting or through an API provider, using the STAC-AI™ LANG6 (Inference-Only) Test Harness. The STAC-AI™ benchmark provides industry-standard testing to assess the performance, efficiency, and reliability of LLM inference infrastructure in real-world conditions. We analyze the latency performance and efficiency of pairs of self-hosted models and same or equivalent API models. We also analyzed potential latency performance variation of API services. These insights offer valuable guidance for firms optimizing their LLM infrastructure.