LLM vs VLM: How Language and Vision Models Differ
A visual guide to language models, vision-language models, their strengths, and how to choose the right one for a task.
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Choose the model around the input you actually have
Large language models (LLMs) work primarily with text. Vision-language models (VLMs) combine images with text so they can describe screenshots, read documents, answer questions about charts, and return a written response.
The slides in this guide summarize the difference, common use cases, and a practical decision rule. Use them as a quick reference, then test a model with representative examples from your own workflow.
What is a vision-language model?
A VLM accepts images or screenshots alongside text and produces a language answer grounded in what it sees. Image quality, context, and visual detail still affect its accuracy.
Use a VLM when the important evidence is visual: a screenshot, invoice, diagram, chart, scan, or photograph.
LLM strengths and everyday use cases
How to choose between an LLM and a VLM
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