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# More notable AI models launched behind an API than with open weights in 2025: 55 vs 45
- URL: https://aiadoption.org/data/how-notable-ai-models-are-released/
- Published: 2026-10-19T14:39:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T06:03:00.000Z
- Description: In 2025, 55 notable AI models were released through an API or hosted product and 45 with open weights. Only 7 were kept unreleased.
- Author: Manu
- Tags: Data, AI Models, Open Source AI, #chart, #ai-index-2026, #hub-models

55

of 2025's 107 notable models were available only through an API or hosted product; 45 had open weights

API or hosted access55

Open weights45

Unreleased7

## What the chart shows

Of the 107 notable models released in 2025, 55 were available only through an API or a hosted product and 45 had downloadable weights. API access has been the most common route since 2024, when it overtook open weights (43 vs 39).

Fewer notable models are now kept entirely private: 7 in 2025, down from 36 in 2023.

## Key numbers

| Measure                    | Value |
| -------------------------- | ----- |
| API or hosted access, 2025 | 55    |
| Open weights, 2025         | 45    |
| Unreleased, 2025           | 7     |
| Unreleased, 2023           | 36    |

## How to read it

- Open weights combines unrestricted, restricted-use and non-commercial licences. API or hosted access includes hosted products without an API and limited access.
- Release status for many pre-2020 models is unknown in Epoch’s data.

**Source:** [Epoch AI](https://aiadoption.org/sources/#epoch-ai), [Data on AI models](https://epoch.ai/data/ai-models?ref=aiadoption.org) (CC BY 4.0), accessed 19 October 2026\. Analysis and chart by AI Adoption, following the method of the AI Index Report 2026 (Stanford HAI), figure 1.1.8, with access types grouped into four categories.  
Numbers checked against the published data on 19 October 2026.  
[Download the data (CSV)](https://charts.aiadoption.org/ai-index/csv/how-notable-ai-models-are-released.csv?ref=aiadoption.org) · [Cite this chart](#source)