How to choose an AI model without the hype
A practical guide to picking between frontier, mid, and nano models — vision needs, latency, and hosted credit cost — with a link to Vellio’s live compare table.
You don’t need every model. You need a small set that matches the jobs you actually run — drafting, coding, research, and the occasional multimodal pass.
Start from the job, not the brand
- Fast drafting / triage — smaller or “nano” / “flash” / “haiku” class models. Cheap enough to use often.
- Hard reasoning or long context — frontier mid/premium models when quality beats cost.
- Vision — only pick a vision-capable SKU when you attach images; otherwise you’re paying for capacity you won’t use.
Cost is a product decision
Hosted credit cost per message is an estimate (input + output length varies), but the relative ranking is useful. Prefer a model one tier down when the answer quality is “good enough” for that task — your monthly bill will thank you.
BYOK vs hosted credits
Bring your own keys when you already have provider spend and want full control. Use hosted credits when you want one balance across providers or you’re still exploring. Vellio supports both in the same workspace.
Use a live table, not a screenshot
Provider catalogs move. The Compare models page is generated from the same registry Vellio’s chat picker uses — provider, tier, vision support, and estimated credits per message — so it won’t drift from what you can actually select in the app.
Pair models with prompts
Model choice multiplies prompt quality. A sharp coding prompt like API endpoint designer on a mid-tier model often beats a vague prompt on the most expensive SKU. Browse Explore for templates, then run two models side by side in chat when you’re unsure.
Bottom line
Pick a default fast model, one strong generalist, and a vision-capable option if you need it. Revisit the compare table when new SKUs land — not every launch week.