Biology and chemistry

AlphaFold 3

The reference model for the structure of biomolecules and their complexes. Weights are provided for non-commercial research only; companies need commercial access via Google Cloud or open alternatives (Boltz, OpenFold3).

Developer
Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, UK
First release
Nov 2024
Latest release
Nov 2024
Sizes
a single set of weights
License
Non-commercial onlyCode — Apache 2.0, weights — Google's own terms: non-commercial use by non-profit organizations only; for business — paid access via Google Cloud
Running
On your own serverNeeds a GPU
Industries
Healthcare, Science and research
Deploy on your server GitHub

What it does

  • Academic research on protein and complex structures
  • Benchmarking open alternatives against the reference on your own targets

Where it is used

Universities and non-profit institutes

Hardware requirements

LaptopLaptop or regular PC, up to 8 GB of VRAM — smaller versions
no versions
1 GPUOne GPU with 16–80 GB — mid-size versions
fits
ClusterServer with several GPUs — flagship versions
no versions

Versions

  1. AlphaFold 3

How to run it

On your own serverWeights are downloaded from Hugging Face and served with vLLM (load and API) or llama.cpp (modest hardware). The model then runs in a closed network with no per-request fees.
How much hardware you needCalculate the VRAM for the model size, context length and number of concurrent requests.Open the hardware calculator

I can set this up end to end: pick the model size, deploy it on your server and connect it to your systems.

Frequently asked questions

Can AlphaFold 3 be used in a commercial project?

No. License: Code — Apache 2.0, weights — Google's own terms: non-commercial use by non-profit organizations only; for business — paid access via Google Cloud. A commercial product needs a different model or a separate agreement with the rights holder.

What hardware does AlphaFold 3 need?

At minimum: One GPU with 16–80 GB — mid-size versions. Without a GPU the model is not practical. You can calculate the exact VRAM for your model size and context in the hardware calculator.

Does AlphaFold 3 support Russian?

Language does not matter for this model: it does not work with text.

Where can I download AlphaFold 3 and what does it cost?

The AlphaFold 3 weights are open and free to download. You only pay for the hardware it runs on and for the setup. Source links are at the bottom of this page.

How I deploy it for clients

  1. SelectionI pick the model size for your task and hardware and test it on your examples.
  2. DeploymentI deploy it on your server or in a closed network and provide an API.
  3. Fine-tuningI fine-tune it on your data (LoRA) or connect a knowledge base — whichever is cheaper for the task.
  4. IntegrationI connect it to your CRM, ERP, bot, website or team chat and set up monitoring.

Similar models

Biology and chemistryBoltz (Boltz-1, Boltz-2, BoltzGen)MIT (Jameel Clinic) and Recursion · USACommercial use allowed

An open MIT-licensed alternative to AlphaFold 3: predicts structures of protein, DNA and small-molecule complexes; Boltz-2 estimates binding strength, BoltzGen designs new binding proteins.

DetailsBiology and chemistryOpenFold / OpenFold3AlQuraishi Lab (Columbia University) and the OpenFold consortium · USACommercial use allowed

A fully open reproduction of AlphaFold 2 and then AlphaFold 3 under Apache 2.0, with training data. OpenFold3 predicts complexes of proteins, nucleic acids and ligands.

DetailsBiology and chemistryESM (ESM-2, ESM3, ESM C, ESMFold2)EvolutionaryScale / Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (ESM-2 — Meta AI) · USACommercial use allowed

Protein language models: they understand amino acid sequences, predict structure (ESMFold2) and help with protein design. Since 2026 all open versions are under MIT.

Details

Source: github.com/google-deepmind/alphafold3/blob/main/WEIGHTS_TERMS_OF_USE.m. Data checked against the model card on 22 Sep 2026. Have a lawyer review the license before commercial launch.