Which LLM Should You Use?

A practical comparison of frontier language models for business applications. Cut through the marketing and find the right model for your specific needs.

Last updated: January 2026

Model Comparison

Model	Context	API Pricing (in/out)	Consumer Access
Claude Opus 4.5 Anthropic	200K tokens	$15 / $75 per 1M tokens	Claude Pro $20/mo
Claude Sonnet 4.5 Anthropic	200K tokens	$3 / $15 per 1M tokens	Claude Pro $20/mo
GPT-5.2 OpenAI	256K tokens	$10 / $30 per 1M tokens	ChatGPT Plus $20/mo
Gemini 3 Pro Google	1M tokens	$7 / $21 per 1M tokens	Gemini Advanced $20/mo
Llama 4 Maverick Meta	128K tokens	Self-hosted / varies	API only (open weights)
DeepSeek V3.2 DeepSeek	128K tokens	$0.55 / $2.19 per 1M tokens	API only

Strengths & Limitations

Claude Opus 4.5

Anthropic

Strengths

Exceptional reasoning and analysis
Strong coding across all languages
Nuanced, thoughtful responses
Excellent at complex multi-step tasks

Limitations

Higher API costs
Slower than smaller models
No image generation

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Anthropic

Strengths

Excellent speed-to-quality ratio
Strong coding capabilities
Good for production workloads
Reliable instruction following

Limitations

Less nuanced than Opus
May miss subtle requirements
No image generation

GPT-5.2

OpenAI

Strengths

Broad general knowledge
Strong multimodal capabilities
Large ecosystem of tools
Good at creative tasks

Limitations

Can be verbose
Inconsistent on complex reasoning
Rate limits on API

Gemini 3 Pro

Google

Strengths

Massive context window
Native multimodal processing
Strong at research synthesis
Good Google integration

Limitations

Variable quality on coding
Less consistent outputs
Weaker on nuanced analysis

Llama 4 Maverick

Strengths

Open weights for full control
No API dependency
Fine-tuning flexibility
Cost-effective at scale

Limitations

Requires infrastructure
Less capable than frontier models
No official support

DeepSeek V3.2

DeepSeek

Strengths

Exceptional value for cost
Strong reasoning abilities
Good coding performance
Competitive with frontier models

Limitations

Data privacy concerns
Less established provider
Limited ecosystem

Use Case Recommendations

Different tasks demand different trade-offs. Here are our recommendations based on common business scenarios.

Use Case	Recommended	Alternatives	Notes
Complex Analysis & Research	Claude Opus 4.5	GPT-5.2Gemini 3 Pro	When accuracy and depth matter more than speed
Production Applications	Claude Sonnet 4.5	GPT-5.2DeepSeek V3.2	Balance of quality, speed, and cost for real workloads
Long Document Processing	Gemini 3 Pro	Claude Opus 4.5Claude Sonnet 4.5	1M context window handles entire codebases or books
Budget-Conscious Projects	DeepSeek V3.2	Llama 4 MaverickClaude Sonnet 4.5	Strong performance at fraction of the cost
On-Premise / Air-Gapped	Llama 4 Maverick	DeepSeek V3.2	When data cannot leave your infrastructure
Creative Writing	Claude Opus 4.5	GPT-5.2Claude Sonnet 4.5	Nuanced, authentic prose without AI clichés
Code Generation	Claude Sonnet 4.5	Claude Opus 4.5DeepSeek V3.2	Fast iteration with strong accuracy
Multimodal (Images/Video)	GPT-5.2	Gemini 3 ProClaude Sonnet 4.5	Native image understanding and generation

The Model is Only Part of the Equation

Choosing the right LLM matters, but how you architect your system, design your prompts, and integrate AI into your workflows determines success. We help organisations move from model selection to production deployment.

Discuss Your AI Project

* Pricing reflects January 2026 rates and may change. Check provider websites for current pricing.

* Model capabilities and context windows are based on publicly available documentation.

* Recommendations reflect our experience across client engagements. Your specific requirements may differ.

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