AI Model Selection — FAQ
7 common questions about choosing an LLM. General reference; specs change over time.
Frequently asked questions (7)
Which AI model is best for coding?
For pure coding quality, Claude Opus 4.8 leads, with Claude Fable 5 and GPT-5.5 close behind. On a tight budget, the open-weight DeepSeek V4 delivers near-frontier coding far more cheaply. Pick the coding task plus your budget and context in this tool, and it computes the right top pick for your situation.
What is the cheapest AI model API?
Among capable models, GPT-5 nano and Gemini 3 Flash are cheapest per token, followed by open-weight options such as Llama 4 Maverick, Qwen 3 Max, and DeepSeek V4. Set the budget to free or budget and the priority to cost, and the best value model for your task rises to the top.
Which model has the largest context window?
Gemini 3.1 Pro is largest at about 2M tokens. Claude Fable 5, Opus 4.8, and Sonnet 4.6 provide 1M tokens, and Gemini 3 Flash and Llama 4 Maverick also reach 1M. If you need to load a whole book or a large codebase at once, select the 1M+ context requirement.
Should I use Claude, GPT, or Gemini?
There is no single winner — it depends on the task. Claude excels at coding, agents, and reasoning; GPT-5.5 is strong at creative and multimodal work; Gemini 3.1 Pro wins on huge-context and multimodal analysis. This tool matches your task, budget, and context rather than crowning a universal best model.
Can these models generate images?
Image generation is supported by GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash, and Grok 4.3. Claude models (Fable 5, Opus 4.8, Sonnet 4.6, Haiku 4.5) read images as input but do not generate them. Selecting the image generation task in this tool automatically excludes text-only models.
Are there any free models I can use?
Yes. GPT-5 nano, GPT-5.5 mini, and Gemini 3 Flash offer free tiers, and DeepSeek V4, Llama 4 Maverick, and Qwen 3 Max are open weights you can self-host with no API cost. Choosing the free budget narrows the recommendation to just these options.
Are the prices and specs accurate?
Claude pricing and context are reflected accurately (Fable 5 $10/$50 at 1M, Opus 4.8 $5/$25, Sonnet 4.6 $3/$15, Haiku 4.5 $1/$5 at 200K). Other vendors use plausible 2026 estimates that may change, so always confirm on the provider pricing page before you commit.