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[ARTICLE · art-139091] src=bestmodelforyourbudget.terrydjony.com ↗ pub= topic=large-language-models verified=true sentiment=· neutral

Best LLM for every budget, updated daily

A GitHub Actions cron job fetches Artificial Analysis's free data API daily to plot every model on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index against its blended API price, identifying the "value frontier" where no cheaper model is also smarter. The tracker, with code and data at github.com/terryds/bestvaluemodel, publishes a budget lookup table using blended cost per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input-to-output ratio, plus a daily diff of new, removed, re-scored and re-priced models. Each model row lists Intelligence, Coding and Math scores alongside blended, input and output pricing, tokens per second and time to first token.

read1 min views2 publishedSep 24, 2026

Every model on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index plotted against its blended API price. Models on the value frontier are the ones where nothing cheaper is also smarter; everything else is beaten on both counts by a point on the line. By default only the best variant of each model is shown and low scorers are hidden; use the filters to widen the field.

Blended cost per 1M tokens (3:1 input:output, log scale) against the Intelligence Index. Hover or tab to a point for details.

The frontier as a lookup table. Find the row your budget falls in; the pick is the highest-scoring model you can get at that price, and the runner-up is the next best that also fits.

| Budget per 1M tokens | Pick | Score | Price | Runner-up |

|---|---|---|---|---| Ignoring cost entirely.

Diff between consecutive daily fetches: new models, removed models, and re-scored or re-priced ones.

Click a column header to sort. Names link to the model's Artificial Analysis page.

| Model | Maker | Intelligence | Coding | Math | Blended $/1M | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | Tokens/s | TTFT s |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Source: [Artificial Analysis](https://artificialanalysis.ai/) free data API, fetched daily by a GitHub Actions cron. Code and data: [github.com/terryds/bestvaluemodel](https://github.com/terryds/bestvaluemodel).
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