Quality is the LMArena score for each task, built from blind side by side human votes. Where a model is listed at several effort levels we use its best one. Value divides the score above the 50th ranked model on that leaderboard by the blended price, (3 x input + output) / 4 per 1M tokens, and only counts models at or above the median score of the models we price. Local picks use the same Text Arena score and the Q4 download size. Close scores are often inside the margin of error, so treat ranks 1 to 3 as a shortlist, not a final verdict.

Other good references: SWE-bench for fixing real code issues, Aider leaderboards for code editing, and each provider's model card.

Scores from the LMArena leaderboard dataset (CC BY 4.0). Checked Oct 16, 2026. Also see API prices and the local model finder.

FAQ

What is the best AI model overall?

It depends on the task. Right now Claude Opus 5.5 leads coding and Gemini 4 Argon leads writing among models with public API prices.

Where do the scores come from?

LMArena public leaderboards, published under CC BY 4.0. We keep only the scores for models we track and link every number to its leaderboard.