Models / Use cases
Best AI models for reasoning
Reasoning-heavy tasks reward the frontier tier: extended thinking, reliable self-correction, and long chains of tool calls. Here is where each frontier model earns its price, and where a cheaper model is enough.
Ranked
The picks
Claude Opus 4.6
$15/Mtok inThe deep-reasoning ceiling — the pick when the answer has to be right the first time.
$15 / M input · $75 / M output
GPT-5.5
$5/Mtok inOpenAI's flagship reasoning line — the benchmark pick for hard planning and math.
$5 / M input · $20 / M output
Gemini 3.1 Pro
$2/Mtok inFrontier reasoning plus a huge context window — built for analysis over massive source material.
$2 / M input · $8 / M output
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a reasoning model worth the price for everyday tasks?
Usually not — route everyday extraction and summarization to a fast tier and reserve reasoning models for planning and verification steps. One balance across both makes the split trivial.
One key. Every model. Exact prices.
Route every pick on this page through one key. Free starter credits included — no subscription required.