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 May 1, 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 support and can handle complex programming tasks efficiently.
These models are well-suited for generating human-like responses and handling customer inquiries.
These models excel at analyzing and extracting information from large documents.
These models are capable of generating creative and engaging written content.
These models are optimized for data analysis and research tasks, providing accurate insights.
These models can power autonomous agents with their strong reasoning and decision-making capabilities.
These models support multimodal inputs, allowing for tasks that require both text and image processing.
These models are equipped with strong reasoning capabilities, ideal for logical and mathematical problem-solving.
Cost Tiers Explained
Token pricing varies wildly — here's how to think about each tier.
Use this tier when budget is a primary concern and performance requirements are minimal.
Choose this tier for cost-effective solutions with moderate performance needs.
Opt for this tier when you need a balance between cost and performance.
Select this tier for high-performance tasks where cost is less of a concern.