Find the best AI models for software development — code generation, debugging, refactoring, and code review. Ranked by coding benchmarks, speed, and cost-effectiveness.
| # | Model | Score | Benchmarks | Input $/M | Output $/M | Speed | TTFT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 84 | 100 | $1.25 | $10.00 | — | — | |
| 2 | 82 | 96 | $2.00 | $12.00 | 128 | 23.50s | |
| 3 | 82 | 91 | $0.50 | $3.00 | 191 | 5.48s | |
| 4 | GPT-5.2 (xhigh) OpenAI | 79 | 96 | $1.75 | $14.00 | 71 | 91.84s |
| 5 | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Google | 79 | 91 | $2.00 | $12.00 | 118 | 22.05s |
| 6 | GPT-5.1 (high) OpenAI | 78 | 90 | $1.25 | $10.00 | 94 | 19.82s |
| 7 | Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) Anthropic | 78 | 94 | $5.00 | $25.00 | 52 | 10.39s |
| 8 | 78 | 89 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | |
| 9 | GPT-5.4 mini (xhigh) OpenAI | 77 | 84 | $0.75 | $4.50 | 188 | 5.07s |
| 10 | GPT-5.2 (medium) OpenAI | 77 | 91 | $1.75 | $14.00 | — | — |
| 11 | 75 | 81 | $0.50 | $3.00 | 169 | 8.00s | |
| 12 | GPT-5 Codex (high) OpenAI | 75 | 82 | $1.25 | $10.00 | 166 | 7.27s |
| 13 | GPT-5.4 (xhigh) OpenAI | 75 | 93 | $2.50 | $15.00 | 76 | 169.08s |
| 14 | 75 | 80 | $0.25 | $2.00 | 174 | 3.89s | |
| 15 | 75 | 82 | $0.60 | $2.20 | 74 | 0.70s |
Models are scored using a weighted combination of benchmarks, pricing, and speed metrics relevant to this use case.
The best model depends on your use case. For raw coding ability, look at models with the highest Coding Index and LiveCodeBench scores. For cost-effective daily use, balance benchmark performance with pricing.
Use fast models (high tok/s) for autocomplete, quick fixes, and inline suggestions. Use stronger models for complex tasks like architecture design, debugging tricky issues, and code review.
A typical developer might use 2-5M tokens per day. At $3/M input and $15/M output for a flagship model, that's roughly $30-150/month. Faster, cheaper models can reduce this significantly.