{"id":"wasm-edge-small-models","slug":"wasm-edge-small-models","name":"Edge / WASM-adjacent small-model inference","shortName":"Edge small models","problemStatement":"Run small LLMs/embedders next to users on edge runtimes for privacy and TTFT — not full frontier chat.","whenNotTopPick":"Need LPU-class latency on larger open models (Groq), or Workers AI frontier SKUs require Workers Paid you will not buy.","categoryIds":["cat-inference-apis"],"depotPickProviderId":"cloudflare-workers-ai","depotPickRationale":"Distinct from `edge-llm-inference` emphasis: small/on-device-adjacent catalog + WASM/isolates. Confidence: high for CF Workers AI neuron table freshness.","runnersUpIds":["groq","fireworks","deno-deploy","openrouter"],"weights":{"capabilityFit":0.18,"pricePerformance":0.32,"latencyReliability":0.14,"developerDx":0.12,"privacyPosture":0.08,"lockInRisk":0.08,"maturity":0.08},"methodologyNotes":"Distinct from `edge-llm-inference` emphasis: small/on-device-adjacent catalog + WASM/isolates. Confidence: high for CF Workers AI neuron table freshness.","tags":["edge","wasm","small-models","privacy"],"depth":{"whenNotToUse":{"text":"Need LPU-class latency on larger open models (Groq), or Workers AI frontier SKUs require Workers Paid you will not buy.","source":"editorial `whenNotTopPick` (data/jtbds.json)"},"whenNotToUseReason":null,"runnerUp":{"providerId":"groq","name":"Groq","overallForJob":8.07,"pickOverallForJob":7.8,"beatsPickOn":["capabilityFit","pricePerformance","developerDx"],"source":"first resolvable entry of the job's editorially ranked `runnersUpIds`; scores are stored job-weighted scores"},"runnerUpReason":null,"lockIn":{"pickLockInRisk":4.5,"runnerUpLockInRisk":5,"scale":"0–10 stored curated estimate; higher = more lock-in (worse)","pickExitSignals":["OpenAI-compatible API (provider tag `openai-compat`)"],"runnerUpExitSignals":["serves open-weight models (provider tag `open-models`)"],"pickNotes":[],"selfHostFallback":[{"id":"gemma-terms-of-use","name":"Gemma models under the Gemma Terms of Use","license":"Gemma Terms of Use","sourceUrl":"https://ai.google.dev/gemma/terms"}],"migration":"The pick has lower stored lock-in risk than runner-up Groq (4.5 vs 5). Pick exit signals: OpenAI-compatible API (provider tag `openai-compat`). Self-host fallback listed for this job: Gemma models under the Gemma Terms of Use.","migrationReason":null,"derivedFrom":"stored lockInRisk scores, provider tags (oss, self-host, openai-compat, open-models), free rows that list this job, and verbatim provider notes. No migration guide was invented."}},"freshness":{"pick":{"score":{"asOf":"2026-09-14","ageDays":43,"stale":true,"staleAfterDays":30,"reason":null},"lastReviewed":{"asOf":"2026-09-14","ageDays":43,"stale":true,"staleAfterDays":30,"reason":null},"sourceCheck":{"checkedAt":"2026-10-27","sourceUrls":3,"sourcesReachable":3,"pricingRows":123,"pricingRowsReconfirmed":99,"note":"A source re-check confirms the page is reachable and, for pricing rows, that the stored amount and SKU name appear on it. It does not re-derive or change the score.","reason":null}}}}