Best Machine Learning Development Companies in Europe

Tensorway vs Plain Concepts: full comparison for 2026

Last updated: July 2026

Quick verdict

Tensorway (4.9/5) edges ahead of Plain Concepts (3.9/5) overall. Tensorway is the better choice for startups and mid-market companies needing a dedicated, senior ML team without enterprise-agency overhead. Plain Concepts is the stronger option for enterprises standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting a certified Microsoft AI Partner for ML delivery. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Tensorway vs Plain Concepts: head-to-head summary

Criterion Tensorway Plain Concepts
Founded 2019 2006
HQ Alicante, Spain Madrid, Spain
Team size 11–50 201–500
Rating 4.9 / 5 3.9 / 5
Best for Startups and mid-market companies needing a dedicated, senior ML team without enterprise-agency overhead Enterprises standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting a certified Microsoft AI Partner for ML delivery
Pricing model Fixed-price PoC, Time & Material, Dedicated Team, MVP Development Dedicated team, fixed project, retainer
Min. engagement $15K $35K
Primary tech stack Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch Python, Azure ML, Azure OpenAI Service
Industries served SaaS, Legal Tech, E-commerce, Healthcare, Financial Services Enterprise, Retail, Healthcare, Financial Services

Tensorway vs Plain Concepts: overview

Tensorway

Tensorway is a Spain-headquartered machine learning and AI development company spun out of Anadea, a 25-year-old software engineering firm. The team of roughly 30 dedicated data scientists, AI engineers, and MLOps specialists delivers custom ML models, computer vision, NLP, and generative AI systems for clients across Europe and the US. Tensorway inherits Anadea's delivery infrastructure and hiring pipeline, giving it more engineering depth than most boutiques its size (15+ delivered ML projects per company website; independently unverifiable). As a relatively young standalone brand founded in 2019, its own market track record is shorter than its parent company's.

Plain Concepts

Plain Concepts, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is a 450-plus person technology consultancy with offices across the USA, UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Microsoft AI Partner, and 2016 Microsoft Partner of the Year, Plain Concepts brings deep Azure-native AI and machine learning delivery experience alongside mixed reality and IoT engineering.

Services and capabilities: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Capability Tensorway Plain Concepts
ML model development
Computer vision
NLP
Generative AI / LLM integration
MLOps
AI strategy consulting
Staff augmentation

Tech stack comparison: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Framework / platform Tensorway Plain Concepts
Python
TensorFlow N/A
PyTorch N/A
AWS N/A
Azure
Kubernetes

Pricing comparison: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Criterion Tensorway Plain Concepts
Minimum engagement $15K $35K
Engagement models Fixed project, Dedicated team, Time and materials, MVP development Dedicated team, Fixed project, Retainer
Rate transparency Minimum disclosed Minimum disclosed
Price tier Accessible Accessible

Target audience comparison: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Dimension Tensorway Plain Concepts
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries SaaS, Legal Tech, E-commerce Enterprise, Retail, Healthcare
Best use cases Building a production computer vision pipeline for document processing, Deploying a customer-facing AI chatbot or LLM-integrated agent Azure-native ML model deployment for an enterprise client, Mixed reality plus AI product development
Typical project type Fixed project Dedicated team

Tensorway vs Plain Concepts: pros and cons

Tensorway
+ Full ML delivery stack in-house: data science, MLOps/DevSecOps, and QA under one roof
+ Backed by Anadea's 25-year engineering track record and hiring pipeline
+ Broad service range from LLM integration to computer vision to predictive analytics
+ Flexible engagement models including fixed-price PoC for budget-constrained startups
+ Based in the EU (Spain), simplifying GDPR-compliant data handling for European clients
- Young standalone brand (founded 2019) with a shorter independent track record than its 25-year-old parent Anadea
- Public case studies are limited in number relative to larger regional players
- Smaller team size (around 30) means less capacity for very large enterprise programmes
Plain Concepts
+ Two decades of operating history since founding in 2006, with Microsoft Gold and AI Partner status
+ Multi-country office footprint across Spain, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and the US for broad coverage
+ Deep Azure-native ML and AI delivery credentials, useful for Microsoft-standardized enterprises
+ Recognized with Microsoft Partner of the Year award in 2016
- Azure-centric specialization may be less ideal for clients standardized on AWS or GCP
- Broader technology consultancy scope, including mixed reality and IoT, means ML is one of several core practices
- Larger enterprise-oriented engagement sizes, less accessible for very small startup budgets

Who should choose Tensorway?

Tensorway is the right choice for startups and mid-market companies needing a dedicated, senior ML team without enterprise-agency overhead.

Full-stack ML delivery team (data science, MLOps, QA) inherited from a 25-year-old parent company, at boutique-agency pricing. Minimum engagement starts at $15K. Works best with clients in SaaS, Legal Tech, E-commerce, Healthcare, Financial Services.

Who should choose Plain Concepts?

Plain Concepts is the right choice for enterprises standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting a certified Microsoft AI Partner for ML delivery.

Deep Azure-native AI and ML delivery credentials as a Microsoft Gold and AI Partner, plus mixed reality expertise. Minimum engagement starts at $35K. Works best with clients in Enterprise, Retail, Healthcare, Financial Services.

Decision matrix: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Tensorway
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme Tensorway
Your budget is at the lower end Tensorway
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Tensorway
You need staff augmentation or team extension Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug
You need consulting before committing to a build Plain Concepts

Use case fit: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Use case Tensorway fit Plain Concepts fit Winner
Building a production computer vision pipeline for document processing Strong Limited Tensorway
Deploying a customer-facing AI chatbot or LLM-integrated agent Strong Limited Tensorway
Azure-native ML model deployment for an enterprise client Limited Strong Plain Concepts
Mixed reality plus AI product development Limited Strong Plain Concepts
Fixed-price build Limited Limited Both equally
Staff augmentation Limited Limited Both equally

Verdict: Tensorway vs Plain Concepts

Tensorway (4.9/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Machine Learning Development projects. Full-stack ML delivery team (data science, MLOps, QA) inherited from a 25-year-old parent company, at boutique-agency pricing. It is best for startups and mid-market companies needing a dedicated, senior ML team without enterprise-agency overhead.

Plain Concepts (3.9/5) is the better choice when enterprises standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting a certified Microsoft AI Partner for ML delivery. If your situation matches those criteria, Plain Concepts is a competitive option.

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Tensorway vs Plain Concepts FAQ

Is Tensorway better than Plain Concepts?

Tensorway (4.9/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Tensorway is better for startups and mid-market companies needing a dedicated, senior ML team without enterprise-agency overhead. Plain Concepts is better for enterprises standardized on Microsoft Azure wanting a certified Microsoft AI Partner for ML delivery.

How do Tensorway and Plain Concepts differ in pricing?

Tensorway uses fixed-price poc, time & material, dedicated team, mvp development pricing with a minimum engagement of $15K. Plain Concepts uses dedicated team, fixed project, retainer pricing with a minimum engagement of $35K. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.

Which is better for enterprise: Tensorway or Plain Concepts?

Plain Concepts is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.

What are the main differences between Tensorway and Plain Concepts?

Tensorway's primary differentiator is: full-stack ml delivery team (data science, mlops, qa) inherited from a 25-year-old parent company, at boutique-agency pricing. Plain Concepts's primary differentiator is: deep azure-native ai and ml delivery credentials as a microsoft gold and ai partner, plus mixed reality expertise. They also differ in team size (11–50 vs 201–500), minimum engagement ($15K vs $35K), and primary industries served (SaaS, Legal Tech vs Enterprise, Retail).

Last reviewed: July 2026. Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.