kitio.aiAI SDK vs Viam
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. AI SDK is completely free, while Viam is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Unified provider API
- Streaming responses
- Tool calling
- Structured output
- Built-in fallbacks
- Framework UI hooks
- Vendor-neutral hardware APIs
- Model training on robot data
- Over-the-air deployment
- Fleet monitoring and rollouts
- Viam Registry
- Python, Go, C++ and TypeScript SDKs
| Feature | AI SDK | Viam |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Vercel's open-source TypeScript toolkit for AI apps and agents | Software platform for building, deploying and running robots with AI |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | Vercel | Viam |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
AI SDK is completely free, while Viam is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Developer Platform
Free
- First $5 of cloud services free each month
- No credit card required
- Open-source SDKs
Usage-based
$0.0025 / second compute
- $0.25 per GB of tabular data a month
- $0.05 per GB of image and video storage
- $0.15 per GB uploaded
Hardware + software
Contact sales
- Hardware, software and support
- Priced per deployment
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
AI SDK
- Swap model providers easily
- Works across many JS frameworks
- Free and open source
- TypeScript and JavaScript only
- Fast-moving API between versions
- Model usage is billed by providers
Viam
- Open-source on-device server
- Same code across hardware vendors
- First $5 of cloud use each month is free
- Usage pricing spans many separate meters
- Hardware solutions need a sales conversation
- Assumes developer and robotics skills
Which one should you choose?
Choose AI SDK if you want:
- Swap model providers easily
- Works across many JS frameworks
- Free and open source
Watch out: typescript and javascript only.
Choose Viam if you want:
- Open-source on-device server
- Same code across hardware vendors
- First $5 of cloud use each month is free
Watch out: usage pricing spans many separate meters.
AI SDK vs Viam FAQ
What is the difference between AI SDK and Viam?
AI SDK: Vercel's open-source TypeScript toolkit for AI apps and agents. Viam: Software platform for building, deploying and running robots with AI. Both are coding tools.
Is AI SDK or Viam cheaper?
AI SDK is completely free, while Viam is freemium.
Do AI SDK and Viam have free plans?
AI SDK: Yes, fully free. Viam: Yes.
Who makes AI SDK?
AI SDK is made by Vercel, based in United States.
Who makes Viam?
Viam is made by Viam, based in United States.
Which should I choose, AI SDK or Viam?
Choose AI SDK if you value swap model providers easily and works across many js frameworks. Choose Viam if you value open-source on-device server and same code across hardware vendors.