chooseaimodel

Which AI model should you use?

Answer three questions in plain language — no tokens, no math. We'll recommend a model and show what it would cost, with a runner-up to compare.

1. What are you building?
2. How much will you use it?
3. What matters most?
Flagshipbest answers, highest cost

DeepSeek R1

DeepSeek

For a balance of quality and cost, DeepSeek R1 is the pick for chatbot / assistant — about $0.0015 per request, or $29.20/mo at 20,000 / month. That's 42% cheaper than the next option, Grok 4.3.

Per request
$0.0015
At your volume
$29.20/mo

What it excels at: Chain-of-thought reasoning competitive with closed flagship models on math and logic benchmarks, at open-weight pricing.

Grok 4.3$50.00/mo

Higher-tier at $50.00/mo — worth it if you need more capability than the top pick offers.

Based on a typical chatbot / assistant request (1,200 in + 400 out tokens) at vendor list rates. Adjust the numbers in the calculator.