Do I need managed model hosting or can I just run this on Kubernetes?

You can often just run it on Kubernetes — you don’t need managed model hosting unless you want the managed-service benefits.

Run on Kubernetes if you want:

• More control over infra, networking, scaling, and data locality
• Lower cost at steady/high utilization
• Custom runtimes or special dependencies
• To keep everything inside your own VPC / cluster

Use managed model hosting if you want:

• Faster setup and less ops work
• Automatic autoscaling, health checks, rollouts, and monitoring
• Easier handling of GPU allocation, model versioning, and multi-region setups
• A simpler path if your team doesn’t want to manage serving infrastructure

Kubernetes is a good fit when:

• You already have a K8s platform and team expertise
• You’re serving models with predictable traffic
• You need tight integration with existing services
• You’re okay owning deployment, scaling, and observability

Managed hosting is a good fit when:

• You’re early-stage and want to move quickly
• Your traffic is spiky or hard to predict
• You don’t want to manage GPU scheduling / serving stacks
• You need production reliability without building the platform yourself

Practical rule of thumb

• Prototype / early production: managed hosting is usually easier
• Established platform / cost optimization / custom requirements: Kubernetes is often better

If you want, I can help you decide based on your specific model type, traffic pattern, and whether you need GPUs.