What are the main differences between SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI?

SimplyRetrieve excels in Completely free and open source and Strong privacy focus - fully localized, scoring 82/100 in user ratings with 86% accuracy. Vertex AI leads in Industry-leading 2M token context window with Gemini models and Comprehensive ML platform covering entire AI lifecycle with 88/100 overall rating and 93% accuracy. Key technical difference: SimplyRetrieve focuses on Retrieval-Centric Generation (RCG) while Vertex AI emphasizes Gemini family models (1.5 Flash, 1.5 Pro, 2.0 Flash, 2.5 Pro/Flash).

Which is better for enterprises: SimplyRetrieve or Vertex AI?

Vertex AI offers SOC 2 compliance for enterprise security. HIPAA compliance is available in SimplyRetrieve. For scalability, Vertex AI supports on-premise deployment for maximum control. Vertex AI leads with 88/100 enterprise readiness score (94/100 enterprise features).

How much does SimplyRetrieve cost vs Vertex AI?

SimplyRetrieve starts at custom pricing/forever (open-source model), while Vertex AI begins at contact sales/per-token (usage-based model). Both offer free tiers to get started, and free trials are available. Pricing is relatively comparable. See our detailed pricing breakdown for complete tier comparisons.

Can I migrate from SimplyRetrieve to Vertex AI?

Migration from SimplyRetrieve to Vertex AI typically requires API-based data export/import, which Vertex AI provides. Vertex AI provides comprehensive API access excellent documentation for the migration process. Estimated migration time: 1-2 days for cloud setup. Contact Vertex AI support for migration assistance and best practices.

What integrations do SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI support?

SimplyRetrieve integrates with Hugging Face models, Gradio, PyTorch, FAISS, Various open-source LLMs (6 integrations total). Vertex AI supports BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Dataflow, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run (14 integrations available). Both offer REST APIs for custom integrations. Vertex AI provides 133% more integrations, with webhook support for real-time data sync.

What are the main differences between SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI?

SimplyRetrieve offers strong capabilities, scoring 0/100 in user ratings. Vertex AI provides unique strengths with 0/100 overall rating. Key technical difference: SimplyRetrieve focuses on advanced features while Vertex AI emphasizes specialized capabilities.

Which is better for enterprises: SimplyRetrieve or Vertex AI?

Both platforms provide enterprise-grade security. HIPAA compliance varies - contact vendors for details. For scalability, both offer cloud-based deployment options. Vertex AI leads with strong/100 enterprise readiness score.

How much does SimplyRetrieve cost vs Vertex AI?

SimplyRetrieve starts at custom pricing/month (subscription model), while Vertex AI begins at contact sales/month (subscription model). Both require paid plans. Pricing is relatively comparable. See our detailed pricing breakdown for complete tier comparisons.

Can I migrate from SimplyRetrieve to Vertex AI?

Migration from SimplyRetrieve to Vertex AI typically requires manual data transfer since API access may be limited. Vertex AI offers standard documentation for the migration process. Estimated migration time: 1-2 days for cloud setup. Contact Vertex AI support for migration assistance and best practices.

What integrations do SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI support?

SimplyRetrieve integrates with (multiple platforms). Vertex AI supports (various tools). API availability varies by plan. Integration coverage is comparable.

SimplyRetrieve vs Vertex AI

Make an informed decision with our comprehensive comparison. Discover which RAG solution perfectly fits your needs.

More about Vertex AI More about SimplyRetrieve Get Started Today

Priyansh KhodiyarDevRel at CustomGPT.ai

Fact checked and reviewed by Bill Cava

Published: 01.04.2025Updated: 25.04.2025

In this comprehensive guide, we compare SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI across various parameters including features, pricing, performance, and customer support to help you make the best decision for your business needs.

Overview

When choosing between SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI, understanding their unique strengths and architectural differences is crucial for making an informed decision. Both platforms serve the RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) space but cater to different use cases and organizational needs.

Quick Decision Guide

Choose SimplyRetrieve if: you value completely free and open source
Choose Vertex AI if: you value industry-leading 2m token context window with gemini models

About SimplyRetrieve

SimplyRetrieve is lightweight retrieval-centric generative ai platform. SimplyRetrieve is an open-source tool providing a fully localized, lightweight, and user-friendly GUI and API platform for Retrieval-Centric Generation (RCG). It emphasizes privacy and can run on a single GPU while maintaining clear separation between LLM context interpretation and knowledge memorization. Founded in 2019, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the platform has established itself as a reliable solution in the RAG space.

Overall Rating

82/100

Starting Price

Custom

About Vertex AI

Vertex AI is google's unified ml platform with gemini models and automl. Vertex AI is Google Cloud's comprehensive machine learning platform that unifies data engineering, data science, and ML engineering workflows. It offers state-of-the-art Gemini models with industry-leading context windows up to 2 million tokens, AutoML capabilities, and enterprise-grade infrastructure for building, deploying, and scaling AI applications. Founded in 2008, headquartered in Mountain View, CA, the platform has established itself as a reliable solution in the RAG space.

Overall Rating

88/100

Starting Price

Custom

Key Differences at a Glance

In terms of user ratings, Vertex AI in overall satisfaction. From a cost perspective, pricing is comparable. The platforms also differ in their primary focus: RAG Platform versus AI Chatbot. These differences make each platform better suited for specific use cases and organizational requirements.

⚠️ What This Comparison Covers

We'll analyze features, pricing, performance benchmarks, security compliance, integration capabilities, and real-world use cases to help you determine which platform best fits your organization's needs. All data is independently verified from official documentation and third-party review platforms.

Detailed Feature Comparison

SimplyRetrieve	Vertex AI	CustomGPTRECOMMENDED
Data Ingestion & Knowledge Sources
File-Based Workflow – Drop PDFs, DOCX, PPTX, HTML into folder and embed via script GUI Knowledge Editor – Add documents on-the-fly through basic interface Manual Processing – ⚠️ No web crawler or automatic refresh capabilities Local Storage – ✅ All data stays on your machine for air-gapped deployments	Multi-format support – Structured/unstructured data from Google Cloud Storage (PDF, HTML, CSV) (Vertex AI Search) Google web-crawling – Automatically ingests relevant public website content into indexes (Towards AI) ✅ Continuous ingestion – Auto-indexing keeps knowledge base current without manual updates BigQuery integration – Direct connection to structured data sources for real-time analytics integration	1,400+ file formats – PDF, DOCX, Excel, PowerPoint, Markdown, HTML + auto-extraction from ZIP/RAR/7Z archives Website crawling – Sitemap indexing with configurable depth for help docs, FAQs, and public content Multimedia transcription – AI Vision, OCR, YouTube/Vimeo/podcast speech-to-text built-in Cloud integrations – Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive, Dropbox, Notion with auto-sync Knowledge platforms – Zendesk, Freshdesk, HubSpot, Confluence, Shopify connectors Massive scale – 60M words (Standard) / 300M words (Premium) per bot with no performance degradation
Integrations & Channels
Local Gradio GUI – Python scripts for queries with no pre-built channels No Native Integrations – ⚠️ No Slack, Teams, or website widgets out-of-box Custom Wrappers Required – Build your own connectors to forward messages	REST APIs & SDKs – Python, Java, JavaScript libraries for web/mobile/enterprise apps (API Docs) GCP ecosystem – Native BigQuery, Dataflow, Cloud Functions integration with unified billing (GCP Connectors) Low-code connectors – Logic Apps and PowerApps for non-developer integrations Flexible deployment – Custom front-ends, embedded widgets, or standalone conversational agents	Website embedding – Lightweight JS widget or iframe with customizable positioning CMS plugins – WordPress, WIX, Webflow, Framer, SquareSpace native support 5,000+ app ecosystem – Zapier connects CRMs, marketing, e-commerce tools MCP Server – Integrate with Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, Windsurf OpenAI SDK compatible – Drop-in replacement for OpenAI API endpoints LiveChat + Slack – Native chat widgets with human handoff capabilities
Core Chatbot Features
Open-Source RAG Bot – Runs on local LLMs with streaming responses Single-Turn Q&A – ⚠️ Limited multi-turn conversation and long-term memory Retrieval Tuning Module – Transparency layer showing answer construction process Basic Interactions – No lead capture or human handoff features	RAG-powered answers – Vertex AI Search + Conversation grounds responses in indexed data (RAG Engine) Google LLMs – PaLM 2 and Gemini models for context-aware reasoning Multi-turn context – Maintains conversation coherence across dialogue sessions ✅ Session memory – Stores interactions for personalized agent responses and continuity	✅ #1 accuracy – Median 5/5 in independent benchmarks, 10% lower hallucination than OpenAI ✅ Source citations – Every response includes clickable links to original documents ✅ 93% resolution rate – Handles queries autonomously, reducing human workload ✅ 92 languages – Native multilingual support without per-language config ✅ Lead capture – Built-in email collection, custom forms, real-time notifications ✅ Human handoff – Escalation with full conversation context preserved
Customization & Branding
Plain Gradio Interface – Minimal theming with developer-focused design Source Code Customization – Tweak code or build custom front-end for branding	UI customization – Cloud console settings for themes, logos, domain restrictions (Console) Design system integration – Tie into existing brand guidelines for consistent styling ⚠️ Limited no-code – Customization requires technical expertise, not full drag-and-drop builder	Full white-labeling included – Colors, logos, CSS, custom domains at no extra cost 2-minute setup – No-code wizard with drag-and-drop interface Persona customization – Control AI personality, tone, response style via pre-prompts Visual theme editor – Real-time preview of branding changes Domain allowlisting – Restrict embedding to approved sites only
L L M Model Options
WizardVicuna-13B Default – Instruction-tuned open-source model included Hugging Face Compatible – Swap any model with sufficient GPU resources Full Local Control – ✅ No external APIs or cloud dependencies Model Limitations – ⚠️ Smaller models won't match GPT-4 depth	Google models – PaLM 2, Gemini family; external LLM API support (Models) Flexible selection – Choose models balancing cost, speed, and quality per use case Prompt templates – Customize tone, format, citation rules through prompt engineering ⚠️ Limited diversity – No native Claude, GPT-4, or Llama support vs multi-model platforms	GPT-5.1 models – Latest thinking models (Optimal & Smart variants) GPT-4 series – GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-4o available Claude 4.5 – Anthropic's Opus available for Enterprise Auto model routing – Balances cost/performance automatically Zero API key management – All models managed behind the scenes
Developer Experience ( A P I & S D Ks)
Python Script Interface – No formal REST API or SDK Subprocess Integration – Call scripts directly or build custom wrapper Open Source Access – ✅ Full code access for modification	REST APIs & SDKs – Python, Java, JavaScript libraries with comprehensive documentation (SDK Docs) Sample notebooks – Quick-start guides, Jupyter notebooks, and GitHub examples for rapid integration IAM security – Google Cloud IAM for secure API calls and access control ✅ CLI tooling – Command-line interface for local development and automation workflows	REST API – Full-featured for agents, projects, data ingestion, chat queries Python SDK – Open-source `customgpt-client` with full API coverage Postman collections – Pre-built requests for rapid prototyping Webhooks – Real-time event notifications for conversations and leads OpenAI compatible – Use existing OpenAI SDK code with minimal changes
Performance & Accuracy
Slower Inference – ⚠️ 3-10+ seconds per reply on single GPU Decent Accuracy – Good when relevant docs found, struggles with complexity FAISS Vector Search – Fast retrieval using Facebook's library	✅ Millisecond responses – Global infrastructure delivers sub-second query performance worldwide (RAG Engine) Hybrid search – Combines semantic vectors with keyword (BM25) matching for accuracy Advanced reranking – Multi-stage pipeline reduces hallucinations and ensures factual consistency Consistency scoring – Returns factual-consistency score with every answer for reliability assessment	Sub-second responses – Optimized RAG with vector search and multi-layer caching Benchmark-proven – 13% higher accuracy, 34% faster than OpenAI Assistants API Anti-hallucination tech – Responses grounded only in your provided content OpenGraph citations – Rich visual cards with titles, descriptions, images 99.9% uptime – Auto-scaling infrastructure handles traffic spikes
Customization & Flexibility ( Behavior & Knowledge)
Deep Parameter Control – Tweak retrieval params, system prompts, knowledge weighting Embedding Model Swap – Replace multilingual-e5-base with alternatives Pipeline Modification – ✅ Full source access for custom logic	Fine-grained indexing – Control chunk sizes, metadata tags, retrieval parameters (Search APIs) Generation controls – Adjust temperature, max tokens, prompt templates for domain-specific responses Custom skills – Integrate custom cognitive processing or open-source models for specialized requirements ✅ Semantic weighting – Balance semantic and keyword search per query type for optimal retrieval	Live content updates – Add/remove content with automatic re-indexing System prompts – Shape agent behavior and voice through instructions Multi-agent support – Different bots for different teams Smart defaults – No ML expertise required for custom behavior
Pricing & Scalability
MIT Licensed – ✅ Completely free with no subscription fees Infrastructure Costs – Pay only for GPU hardware or cloud servers Manual Scaling – ⚠️ Spin up and manage your own hardware	Pay-as-you-go – Charges for storage, queries, model compute; $300 free tier (Pricing) ✅ Autoscaling – Global infrastructure automatically adjusts resources, prevents overprovisioning Enterprise discounts – Volume discounts and committed use for GCP enterprise agreements ⚠️ Cost monitoring needed – Requires careful tracking to prevent unexpected costs at scale	Standard: $99/mo – 60M words, 10 bots Premium: $449/mo – 300M words, 100 bots Auto-scaling – Managed cloud scales with demand Flat rates – No per-query charges
Security & Privacy
100% Local Execution – ✅ Perfect for sensitive data and air-gapped environments No External Transmission – All processing stays on-premises DIY Security – ⚠️ No built-in auth, you implement access controls	✅ Enterprise encryption – TLS 1.3 in transit, AES-256 at rest, fine-grained IAM (Compliance) SOC/ISO/HIPAA/GDPR – Comprehensive certifications with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) Private Link – Private network connectivity for on-premise to GCP network isolation Audit logs – Cloud Audit Logs track all API calls and configuration changes	SOC 2 Type II + GDPR – Third-party audited compliance Encryption – 256-bit AES at rest, SSL/TLS in transit Access controls – RBAC, 2FA, SSO, domain allowlisting Data isolation – Never trains on your data
Observability & Monitoring
Analysis Tab – Shows retrieved docs and query construction process Console Logging – Basic logs printed to terminal No Dashboard – ⚠️ Add your own monitoring for stats	✅ Operations Suite – Real-time monitoring, logging, alerting via Google Cloud (Monitoring) Performance dashboards – Query latency, index health, resource usage metrics with custom analytics APIs Log exports – Export logs and metrics for compliance or deep-dive analysis needs Trace integration – Cloud Trace provides comprehensive agent behavior and performance tracking	Real-time dashboard – Query volumes, token usage, response times Customer Intelligence – User behavior patterns, popular queries, knowledge gaps Conversation analytics – Full transcripts, resolution rates, common questions Export capabilities – API export to BI tools and data warehouses
Support & Ecosystem
Community-Driven – GitHub issues and lightweight documentation Research Foundation – Academic paper (arXiv 2308.03983) on RCG approach No Paid Support – ⚠️ No SLA or enterprise help desk	Enterprise support – 24/7 support tiers with SLAs and dedicated account managers (Support) Community & training – Forums, sample projects, certification paths, hands-on labs ✅ Partner ecosystem – Robust network of consulting, implementation, and managed service partners Regular updates – Continuous R&D investment in RAG and generative AI capabilities	Comprehensive docs – Tutorials, cookbooks, API references Email + in-app support – Under 24hr response time Premium support – Dedicated account managers for Premium/Enterprise Open-source SDK – Python SDK, Postman, GitHub examples 5,000+ Zapier apps – CRMs, e-commerce, marketing integrations
A I Models
WizardVicuna-13B – Default uncensored instruction-tuned model Any Hugging Face Model – Llama 2, Falcon, Mistral with GPU capacity No Vendor Lock-In – ✅ Complete flexibility without API limits Performance Trade-Off – ⚠️ Open models slower than managed cloud APIs	PaLM 2 & Gemini family – Gemini 2.5 Pro/Flash, 2.0 Flash optimized for enterprise workloads Gemini 2.5 Pro – $1.25-$2.50/M input, $10-$15/M output for advanced multimodal reasoning Gemini 2.5 Flash – $0.30/M input, $2.50/M output for cost-effective high-speed inference Gemini 2.0 Flash – $0.15/M input, $0.60/M output for ultra-low-cost deployment External LLM support – Call external APIs if preferring non-Google models ⚠️ Limited diversity – No native Claude, GPT-4, Llama vs multi-model platforms	OpenAI – GPT-5.1 (Optimal/Smart), GPT-4 series Anthropic – Claude 4.5 Opus/Sonnet (Enterprise) Auto-routing – Intelligent model selection for cost/performance Managed – No API keys or fine-tuning required
R A G Capabilities
Retrieval-Centric Generation – Research-backed approach separating LLM from knowledge memorization Mixtures-of-Knowledge-Bases – Multiple knowledge bases with intelligent routing Explicit Prompt-Weighting – Control retrieved content influence on answers Retrieval Transparency – ✅ Visual debugging showing document selection FAISS Search – Fast approximate nearest neighbor retrieval	✅ Hybrid search – Semantic vectors + keyword (BM25) matching for strong retrieval accuracy Advanced reranking – Multi-stage pipeline reduces hallucinations, ensures factual consistency scores Google web-crawling – Automatically ingests public website content into indexes Fine-grained control – Chunk sizes, metadata tags, semantic/lexical weighting per query type Multi-format support – BigQuery structured data and unstructured docs (PDF, HTML, CSV) Custom skills – Integrate custom processing or open-source models for specialized requirements	GPT-4 + RAG – Outperforms OpenAI in independent benchmarks Anti-hallucination – Responses grounded in your content only Automatic citations – Clickable source links in every response Sub-second latency – Optimized vector search and caching Scale to 300M words – No performance degradation at scale
Use Cases
Air-Gapped Environments – ✅ Defense, classified research requiring offline operation Healthcare PHI Compliance – HIPAA organizations needing 100% data isolation RAG Research – Developers learning internals with full transparency Zero-Cost RAG – Teams with GPU infrastructure avoiding subscriptions Data Sovereignty – Strict data residency preventing cloud processing	✅ GCP-native orgs – Unified AI with BigQuery, Cloud Functions, Dataflow, unified billing Global deployments – Multi-region with millisecond responses worldwide via Google's infrastructure Multimodal AI – Gemini processes text, images, videos, code for rich content analysis Workspace integration – Gmail, Docs, Sheets for content-heavy workflows in Workspace ecosystem Regulated industries – Healthcare, finance, government with SOC/ISO/HIPAA/GDPR compliance and CMEK	Customer support – 24/7 AI handling common queries with citations Internal knowledge – HR policies, onboarding, technical docs Sales enablement – Product info, lead qualification, education Documentation – Help centers, FAQs with auto-crawling E-commerce – Product recommendations, order assistance
Security & Compliance
Complete Data Isolation – ✅ Ideal for classified, PHI, PII data No Third-Party APIs – Zero external calls to cloud providers Open-Source Auditing – Full code transparency for security reviews Self-Managed Security – ⚠️ You control all security layers	✅ Enterprise encryption – TLS 1.3 in transit, AES-256 at rest, fine-grained IAM SOC 2/3, ISO 27001/17/18 – Comprehensive security controls and international standards compliance HIPAA & GDPR – Healthcare BAAs for PHI, EU data residency options CMEK & Private Link – Customer-managed keys, private on-premise to GCP connectivity Audit logs & VPC – Cloud Audit Logs track all changes; VPC/on-prem deployment options	SOC 2 Type II + GDPR – Regular third-party audits, full EU compliance 256-bit AES encryption – Data at rest; SSL/TLS in transit SSO + 2FA + RBAC – Enterprise access controls with role-based permissions Data isolation – Never trains on customer data Domain allowlisting – Restrict chatbot to approved domains
Pricing & Plans
MIT License – ✅ Free with no subscription or API charges GPU Costs Only – Hardware or cloud compute are sole expenses Unlimited Queries – No per-request pricing or rate limits	Pay-as-you-go – Storage, queries, model compute; $300 free tier for experiments Gemini 2.5 Pro – $1.25-$2.50/M input, $10-$15/M output for advanced reasoning Gemini 2.5 Flash – $0.30/M input, $2.50/M output for cost-effective inference Gemini 2.0 Flash – $0.15/M input, $0.60/M output for ultra-low-cost scale ✅ Unified billing – Single GCP bill for all services; enterprise volume discounts available ⚠️ Cost monitoring needed – Requires tracking to prevent unexpected costs at scale	Standard: $99/mo – 10 chatbots, 60M words, 5K items/bot Premium: $449/mo – 100 chatbots, 300M words, 20K items/bot Enterprise: Custom – SSO, dedicated support, custom SLAs 7-day free trial – Full Standard access, no charges Flat-rate pricing – No per-query charges, no hidden costs
Support & Documentation
GitHub Repository – Code, docs, and examples at RCGAI/SimplyRetrieve Academic Paper – arXiv 2308.03983 explaining RCG architecture Community Support – GitHub Issues for troubleshooting No Paid Support – ⚠️ Community-driven only, no SLAs	Enterprise support tiers – Basic to Premium with SLAs, 24/7 support, 15-min P1 response ✅ Comprehensive docs – Detailed guides at cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/docs covering APIs, SDKs, tutorials Sample projects – Pre-built examples, Jupyter notebooks, GitHub quick-starts for rapid integration Training & certification – Hands-on labs, certification paths for Vertex AI and ML Partner ecosystem – Robust network offering consulting, implementation, managed services	Documentation hub – Docs, tutorials, API references Support channels – Email, in-app chat, dedicated managers (Premium+) Open-source – Python SDK, Postman, GitHub examples Community – User community + 5,000 Zapier integrations
Limitations & Considerations
Developer-Only Tool – ⚠️ Requires Python, GPU, and technical expertise GPU Infrastructure Required – ⚠️ Dedicated hardware or cloud GPU needed Basic UI – Gradio interface needs custom front-end for production Manual Scaling – ⚠️ No auto-scaling, you manage load balancing No Enterprise Features – Missing multi-tenancy, user management, analytics Slower Inference – ⚠️ 3-10+ seconds vs sub-second cloud APIs	⚠️ GCP ecosystem dependency – Strongest value for GCP users; less compelling for AWS/Azure-native orgs ⚠️ No full no-code builder – Agent Builder (2024) added GUI but limited vs specialized platforms ⚠️ Google models only – PaLM 2/Gemini only; no native Claude, GPT-4, Llama support ⚠️ Technical expertise required – Customization needs developer skills, not for non-technical teams ⚠️ Vendor lock-in – Deep GCP integration creates switching costs to alternative providers ⚠️ Overkill for simple cases – Enterprise capabilities unnecessary for basic FAQ bots	Managed service – Less control over RAG pipeline vs build-your-own Model selection – OpenAI + Anthropic only; no Cohere, AI21, open-source Real-time data – Requires re-indexing; not ideal for live inventory/prices Enterprise features – Custom SSO only on Enterprise plan
Core Agent Features
Retrieval-Centric Generation – Research approach separating reasoning from knowledge Retrieval Tuning Module – ✅ Developer transparency showing document selection Knowledge Base Mixing – Route queries across multiple sources Single-Turn Focus – ⚠️ Limited multi-turn conversation memory No Chatbot UI – ⚠️ Gradio for developers only No Production Features – ⚠️ No lead capture, handoff, or multi-channel support	Agent Engine – Autonomous agents with short/long-term memory for session management and personalization Agent Builder (2024) – Visual drag-and-drop, LlamaIndex/LangChain integrations, RAG with real-time retrieval ✅ Multi-turn context – Sessions store interactions for coherent dialogue and context persistence Human handoff – Interaction summaries, citations, conversation history for AI-to-human transitions Agent orchestration – Cross-system context, dynamic capability discovery, automated back-end interactions ⚠️ No native lead capture – Focuses on enterprise AI, not marketing automation features	Custom AI Agents – Autonomous GPT-4/Claude agents for business tasks Multi-Agent Systems – Specialized agents for support, sales, knowledge Memory & Context – Persistent conversation history across sessions Tool Integration – Webhooks + 5,000 Zapier apps for automation Continuous Learning – Auto re-indexing without manual retraining
R A G-as-a- Service Assessment
NOT RAG-AS-A-SERVICE – Open-source research project for local experimentation Academic Foundation – Published research tool from RCGAI (arXiv 2308.03983) Self-Hosted Only – ⚠️ No managed infrastructure, APIs, or SLAs Developer-First Design – Python with GPU infrastructure requirements 100% Local Execution – ✅ Perfect for air-gapped and classified environments No Service Features – ⚠️ No auth, multi-tenancy, analytics, or SaaS conveniences	✅ TRUE RAG-as-a-Service – Fully managed orchestration with developer-first APIs for production-ready implementations RAG Engine (GA 2024) – Streamlines vector search, chunking, embedding, retrieval automatically API-first design – Comprehensive APIs with VPC-SC security, CMEK support for rapid prototyping Customization depth – Various parsing, chunking, embedding, vector storage options with open-source integration Enterprise readiness – SOC/ISO/HIPAA/GDPR, CMEK, Private Link, audit logs, Operations Suite monitoring ⚠️ GCP lock-in – Strongest for GCP customers; less compelling for AWS/Azure vs platform-agnostic options	Platform type – TRUE RAG-AS-A-SERVICE with managed infrastructure API-first – REST API, Python SDK, OpenAI compatibility, MCP Server No-code option – 2-minute wizard deployment for non-developers Hybrid positioning – Serves both dev teams (APIs) and business users (no-code) Enterprise ready – SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, WCAG 2.0, flat-rate pricing
Competitive Positioning
Market Position – MIT open-source local RAG for on-premises deployment Target Customers – Developers experimenting locally, strict data isolation orgs Key Competitors – LangChain, LlamaIndex, PrivateGPT, LocalGPT Advantages – ✅ Free MIT license, 100% local, full model control Best For – Offline environments, GPU infrastructure teams, zero cloud costs	Market position: Enterprise-grade Google Cloud AI platform combining Vertex AI Search with Conversation for production-ready RAG, deeply integrated with GCP ecosystem Target customers: Organizations already invested in Google Cloud infrastructure, enterprises requiring PaLM 2/Gemini models with Google's search capabilities, and companies needing global scalability with multi-region deployment and GCP service integration Key competitors: Azure AI Search, AWS Bedrock, OpenAI Enterprise, Coveo, and custom RAG implementations Competitive advantages: Native Google PaLM 2/Gemini models with external LLM support, Google's web-crawling infrastructure for public content ingestion, integrated GCP services (BigQuery, Dataflow, Cloud Functions), hybrid search with advanced reranking, SOC/ISO/HIPAA/GDPR compliance with customer-managed keys, global infrastructure for millisecond responses worldwide, and Google Cloud Operations Suite for comprehensive monitoring Pricing advantage: Pay-as-you-go with free tier for development; competitive for GCP customers leveraging existing enterprise agreements and volume discounts; autoscaling prevents overprovisioning; best value for organizations with GCP infrastructure wanting unified billing and managed services Use case fit: Best for organizations already using GCP infrastructure (BigQuery, Cloud Functions), enterprises needing Google's proprietary models (PaLM 2, Gemini) with web-crawling capabilities, and companies requiring global scalability with multi-region deployment and tight integration with GCP analytics and data pipelines	Market position – Leading RAG platform balancing enterprise accuracy with no-code usability. Trusted by 6,000+ orgs including Adobe, MIT, Dropbox. Key differentiators – #1 benchmarked accuracy • 1,400+ formats • Full white-labeling included • Flat-rate pricing vs OpenAI – 10% lower hallucination, 13% higher accuracy, 34% faster vs Botsonic/Chatbase – More file formats, source citations, no hidden costs vs LangChain – Production-ready in 2 min vs weeks of development
Additional Considerations
N/A	Factual scoring – Hybrid search returns consistency scores with every answer for reliability Deployment flexibility – Public cloud, VPC, or on-premise for data-residency compliance ✅ Continuous innovation – Google's ongoing R&D investment in RAG and generative AI	Time-to-value – 2-minute deployment vs weeks with DIY Always current – Auto-updates to latest GPT models Proven scale – 6,000+ organizations, millions of queries Multi-LLM – OpenAI + Claude reduces vendor lock-in
No- Code Interface & Usability
N/A	Cloud console – Manage indexes and search settings via browser interface ⚠️ No drag-and-drop builder – Agent Builder (2024) added visual interface, but limited vs specialized platforms Low-code connectors – PowerApps, Logic Apps simplify basic integrations for non-developers ⚠️ Technical expertise required – Deeper customization needs GCP and developer skills	2-minute deployment – Fastest time-to-value in the industry Wizard interface – Step-by-step with visual previews Drag-and-drop – Upload files, paste URLs, connect cloud storage In-browser testing – Test before deploying to production Zero learning curve – Productive on day one

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Final Thoughts

Final Verdict: SimplyRetrieve vs Vertex AI

After analyzing features, pricing, performance, and user feedback, both SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI are capable platforms that serve different market segments and use cases effectively.

When to Choose SimplyRetrieve

You value completely free and open source
Strong privacy focus - fully localized
Lightweight - runs on single GPU

Best For: Completely free and open source

When to Choose Vertex AI

You value industry-leading 2m token context window with gemini models
Comprehensive ML platform covering entire AI lifecycle
Deep integration with Google Cloud ecosystem

Best For: Industry-leading 2M token context window with Gemini models

Migration & Switching Considerations

Switching between SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI requires careful planning. Consider data export capabilities, API compatibility, and integration complexity. Both platforms offer migration support, but expect 2-4 weeks for complete transition including testing and team training.

Pricing Comparison Summary

SimplyRetrieve starts at custom pricing, while Vertex AI begins at custom pricing. Total cost of ownership should factor in implementation time, training requirements, API usage fees, and ongoing support. Enterprise deployments typically see annual costs ranging from $10,000 to $500,000+ depending on scale and requirements.

Our Recommendation Process

Start with a free trial - Both platforms offer trial periods to test with your actual data
Define success metrics - Response accuracy, latency, user satisfaction, cost per query
Test with real use cases - Don't rely on generic demos; use your production data
Evaluate total cost - Factor in implementation time, training, and ongoing maintenance
Check vendor stability - Review roadmap transparency, update frequency, and support quality

For most organizations, the decision between SimplyRetrieve and Vertex AI comes down to specific requirements rather than overall superiority. Evaluate both platforms with your actual data during trial periods, focusing on accuracy, latency, ease of integration, and total cost of ownership.

📚 Next Steps

Ready to make your decision? We recommend starting with a hands-on evaluation of both platforms using your specific use case and data.

• Review: Check the detailed feature comparison table above
• Test: Sign up for free trials and test with real queries
• Calculate: Estimate your monthly costs based on expected usage
• Decide: Choose the platform that best aligns with your requirements

Last updated: December 28, 2025 | This comparison is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the latest platform capabilities, pricing, and user feedback.

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Priyansh Khodiyar

DevRel at CustomGPT.ai. Passionate about AI and its applications. Here to help you navigate the world of AI tools and make informed decisions for your business.

SimplyRetrieve vs Vertex AI