Not just the cheapest—the best value. We rank 319 AI models by quality-per-dollar using live pricing data from 85 providers.
Historical snapshot
This page is a dated monthly snapshot. For the live version that is better aligned to current rankings and search intent, use Best AI Models (Live) or jump to Best Open Source LLM.
Value Score = Quality Index ÷ Price per Million Tokens
Value Score
3650.0
DeepSeek via CoreWeave
Value Score
524.4
Meta via DeepInfra (Turbo, FP8)
Value Score
495.0
Alibaba via DeepInfra FP8
| Rank | Model | Value | Quality | Price/M | Speed | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeepSeek V4 Flash (Non-reasoning) DeepSeek | 3650.0 | 36.5 | $0.010 | 82 tok/s | CoreWeave |
| 2 | Llama 3.1 Instruct 8B Meta | 524.4 | 11.8 | $0.022 | 75 tok/s | DeepInfra (Turbo, FP8) |
| 3 | Qwen3.5 0.8B (Non-reasoning) Alibaba | 495.0 | 9.9 | $0.020 | 163 tok/s | DeepInfra FP8 |
| 4 | Qwen3.5 4B (Reasoning) Alibaba | 451.7 | 27.1 | $0.060 | 202 tok/s | DeepInfra (FP8) |
| 5 | gpt-oss-120B (high) OpenAI | 433.9 | 33.3 | $0.077 | 36 tok/s | DeepInfra |
| 6 | gpt-oss-20B (high) OpenAI | 426.1 | 24.5 | $0.058 | 86 tok/s | DeepInfra |
| 7 | Qwen3.5 4B (Non-reasoning) Alibaba | 376.7 | 22.6 | $0.060 | 182 tok/s | DeepInfra FP8 |
| 8 | Qwen3.5 2B (Non-reasoning) Alibaba | 367.5 | 14.7 | $0.040 | 332 tok/s | DeepInfra FP8 |
| 9 | Qwen3 235B A22B 2507 Instruct Alibaba | 319.5 | 25 | $0.078 | 16 tok/s | DeepInfra |
| 10 | gpt-oss-20B (low) OpenAI | 308.1 | 20.8 | $0.068 | 93 tok/s | Novita |
Top models for high-volume, cost-sensitive workloads.
Self-hostable models with best API value when you can't self-host.
DeepSeek V4 Flash (Non-reasoning)
DeepSeek via CoreWeave
$0.010
Value: 3650.0
Llama 3.1 Instruct 8B
Meta via DeepInfra (Turbo, FP8)
$0.022
Value: 524.4
Qwen3.5 0.8B (Non-reasoning)
Alibaba via DeepInfra FP8
$0.020
Value: 495.0
Qwen3.5 4B (Reasoning)
Alibaba via DeepInfra (FP8)
$0.060
Value: 451.7
gpt-oss-120B (high)
OpenAI via DeepInfra
$0.077
Value: 433.9
Use our interactive explorer to compare pricing across all 85 providers. Filter by quality, speed, and price to find your perfect model.
As of January 2026, DeepSeek V4 Flash (Non-reasoning) offers the best value under $1/M at $0.010/M with a quality index of 36.5. For absolute lowest cost, open source models like DeepSeek and Qwen can be self-hosted for near-zero marginal cost after infrastructure.
DeepSeek V4 Flash (Non-reasoning) currently offers the best quality-per-dollar with a value score of 3650.0(Quality Index 36.5 at $0.010/M). This means you get more "intelligence" per dollar spent than any other model.
For most production workloads, no. Models like DeepSeek V3.2 and Gemini Flash deliver 85-95% of GPT-5's quality at 1/10th to 1/20th the cost. Use GPT-5 for: (1) complex multi-step reasoning, (2) tasks where error cost is high, (3) when you need specific OpenAI features. Use budget models for: high-volume chat, content generation, and routine tasks.
Use API if: you have <1M tokens/day, need instant scaling, or lack GPU infrastructure.Self-host if: you have >10M tokens/day (break-even point), need data privacy, or want to fine-tune. At current GPU prices, self-hosting DeepSeek V3 becomes cheaper than API around 5-10M tokens/day depending on your setup.
Self-hostable models
💻LiveCodeBench leaders
🤖Tool use & agents
🏆Expert picks
Data sources: Pricing from Artificial Analysis (live API data). Quality Index from AA Intelligence Index. Updated daily via automated pipeline.See methodology →