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Comparison
RAG vs Fine-Tuning
How to get your knowledge into an LLM.
RAG
Fine-tuning
Knowledge grounding
Strong — cites sources
Learns patterns, no citations
Updating content
Instant — reindex
Retrain required
Cost
Lower
Higher
Latency
Slightly higher (retrieval)
Lower
Style/behavior control
Limited
Strong
Best for
Questions over your documents
Consistent tone/domain behavior
The verdict
RAG is the right default for knowledge work — cheaper, updatable, auditable. Fine-tuning complements it when you need consistent style or domain behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we use both?
Yes — many production systems fine-tune for style and use RAG for knowledge. We design the right mix.
Which is faster to ship?
RAG, typically 3–8 weeks vs 8–16 for fine-tuning with evaluation.