Analysis
Questions we answer with our own data. The figures are recalculated every time the data updates.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026The best AI you can run at home, by graphics cardWhich rated open AI models fit on 8, 12, 16, 24 or 32 GB of memory, and how close they come to the best cloud models. From our data on 148 open models.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026Same AI model, different prices: why where you buy it mattersOpen models are sold by many hosts. For 57 rated models, the most expensive host charges 2.2× the cheapest (median). What explains the gap, and how to choose a host.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026Where AI models come from: the US, China and Europe comparedWe grouped 136 rated AI models by their maker’s home country. American models hold the top of the ranking; Chinese ones are cheaper and more often open.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026The AI model market in numbers341 models from 45 companies, 220 of them new in the last 12 months. How many are open, how many reason, and what a typical model costs.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026What is a token? We measured it in 15 languagesA token is the unit AI models read, write and bill. In English, 1,000 tokens hold about 890 words; in most other languages, fewer. Measured with 7 tokenizers.
- 4 min read · Sep 26, 2026The language tax: how much more AI costs outside EnglishWe measured the same texts in 15 languages with 7 public tokenizers. Hindi needs 2.8× as many tokens as English, and the right model family can cut the surcharge sharply.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026What an AI chatbot really costs to runThree everyday workloads priced with live data. The same support bot costs $3,000 a month with the top-rated model and $10.92 with a cheaper one that still scores above the median.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026How much intelligence does a dollar buy?Across 136 rated AI models, prices differ by 3,103× while scores differ far less. Where the best value is, and when paying more is worth it.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026Open-weight models: how far behind are they?The best open model scores 8.9 points below the best closed one, ranks #12, and costs 3.3× less. The numbers, and what they mean for your choice.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026Reasoning models: what does the thinking cost?70% of AI text models can now think before answering, including all of the 20 highest-rated. The hidden tokens they write can multiply the price of an answer by 15×.
- 3 min read · Sep 30, 2026How much can an AI model read? Context windows in numbersAcross 328 text models, the median can read 256K tokens at once, about 492 pages, and 32% read a million or more. What that means, and what it costs.