Which AI Model is Right for You?
A decision framework built from real-world experience — not marketing copy. Use the framework to understand the trade-offs, or answer 6 quick questions to get a personalised recommendation.Data updated every 2 weeks. Last refreshed June 15, 2026.
AI Model Evaluation Framework
Work through these 5 phases before shortlisting specific models — the answers eliminate bad fits fast.
DEFINE BEFORE YOU EVALUATE
Chat, RAG, agents, code gen, classification, extraction? Each demands different benchmarks and model families.
HIPAA, GDPR, ITAR, SOC2? Determines whether on-prem is required vs optional, and which providers are in scope.
Real-time (<500ms), interactive (<5s), or batch? Rules out certain model sizes and inference stacks entirely.
Requests/day or concurrent users? Determines GPU count, context caching strategy, and rate limit headroom.
English-only or multilingual? Single-language use cases rarely need Qwen's breadth or mGPT variants.
Domain-specific training? Affects which base model and licence you pick — some prohibit fine-tuned commercial use.
Best Model by Use Case
Production picks updated every 2 weeks — or use the finder tab for a personalised recommendation.
These models offer strong coding capabilities with varying cost and open-source options.
These models are optimized for fast and reliable customer support interactions.
These models excel in analyzing and extracting insights from large documents.
These models provide excellent language generation capabilities for creative tasks.
These models are well-suited for data analysis and research tasks.
These models support the development of intelligent autonomous agents.
These models offer strong multimodal capabilities for tasks involving text and images.
These models excel in logical reasoning and mathematical problem-solving.
Cost Tiers Explained
Token pricing varies wildly — here's how to think about each tier.
Use this tier for open-source projects or when budget constraints are a primary concern.
Choose this tier for cost-effective solutions with moderate capabilities.
Opt for this tier when you need a balance between cost and performance.
Use this tier for high-stakes applications where performance is critical.