COMPARISON
RAG vs Fine-tuning
This comparison explains architectural roles and responsibilities; it does not imply every organization must separate systems this way.
| Dimension | RAG | Fine-tuning |
|---|---|---|
| Changes model weights | No | Yes |
| Primary purpose | Provide retrieved context/knowledge at answer time | Adapt model behavior or task performance through training |
| Knowledge freshness | Can retrieve updated approved sources | Training data becomes part of a model version |
| Key controls | Source access, retrieval quality, citation, evaluation | Training data, versioning, evaluation, release controls |
Important: Final design depends on products, policy, existing systems, data ownership and operating model.