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RAG build vs buy

Every THE D[AI]LY BRIEF article on RAG build vs buy — enterprise AI analysis, benchmarks, vendor comparisons, and ROI frameworks for technology and business leaders. Updated as new coverage publishes.

RAG build vs buy

RAG Build vs Buy: Buy the Index. Build the Eval Set.

At 5M chunks and 200,000 queries a month, a managed retrieval API costs about $400 a month and a per-seat search product lists at about $80,000. Neither number decides it — who owns permission sync does.

August 21, 2026 · 16 min read