kitio.aiMLflow vs dstack
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. MLflow is completely free, while dstack is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Experiment tracking
- Model registry
- GenAI tracing
- LLM evaluation
- Framework autologging
- GPU provisioning
- Training and inference jobs
- Dev environments
- Multi-cloud and on-prem fleets
- Kubernetes support
| Feature | MLflow | dstack |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source platform for ML experiments, models and GenAI tracing | Open-source control plane for provisioning and orchestrating GPUs |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | Databricks | dstack |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
MLflow is completely free, while dstack is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
MLflow
- Free and widely adopted
- Covers classic ML and GenAI
- Managed options on many clouds
- Self-hosting needs setup
- UI less polished than SaaS tools
- GenAI features still maturing
dstack
- Open source and self-hostable
- Works across many GPU providers
- Avoids hand-written Kubernetes setup
- Aimed at ML engineers, not casual users
- You still pay your compute providers
- Homepage gives little pricing detail
Which one should you choose?
Choose MLflow if you want:
- Free and widely adopted
- Covers classic ML and GenAI
- Managed options on many clouds
Watch out: self-hosting needs setup.
Choose dstack if you want:
- Open source and self-hostable
- Works across many GPU providers
- Avoids hand-written Kubernetes setup
Watch out: aimed at ml engineers, not casual users.
MLflow vs dstack FAQ
What is the difference between MLflow and dstack?
MLflow: Open-source platform for ML experiments, models and GenAI tracing. dstack: Open-source control plane for provisioning and orchestrating GPUs. Both are models & apis tools.
Is MLflow or dstack cheaper?
MLflow is completely free, while dstack is freemium.
Do MLflow and dstack have free plans?
MLflow: Yes, fully free. dstack: Yes.
Who makes MLflow?
MLflow is made by Databricks, based in United States.
Who makes dstack?
dstack is made by dstack.
Which should I choose, MLflow or dstack?
Choose MLflow if you value free and widely adopted and covers classic ml and genai. Choose dstack if you value open source and self-hostable and works across many gpu providers.