Open weight takes 71.5% of tokens and 23% of spend (vercel.com)

In October 2026, the AI Gateway Production Index revealed a significant shift in the AI landscape, with open-weight models now processing 71.5% of tokens and capturing nearly 23% of total spending. This marks an impressive quadrupling of their spend share since June, as teams increasingly diversify their AI toolkits and explore a wider range of models despite the overall market's rapid growth—spending surged 1,180% since December while the average price per token dropped by 47%. The trends indicate that organizations are adapting by spreading their budgets across both open-weight and closed-weight models, with nearly 70% of Chinese model spending routed through US-based providers, showcasing a collaborative and evolving market. Key developments include the swift adoption of models like Jev and Opus 5.5, with Jev achieving the fastest uptake in AI Gateway history by reaching 35% of paid teams within two weeks, despite accounting for only a small fraction of spending. Opus 5.5, however, quickly emerged as a financial leader, capturing more than 10% of total gateway dollars—a shift reflecting users' willingness to invest in higher-quality, performance-driven models. As companies enhance their AI capabilities, they are leaning towards models that suit their workloads while maintaining flexibility, which could redefine spending strategies and innovation in AI/ML ventures moving forward.