Cheap but powerful
#34 Gemini 2.5 Flash • #37 Gemini 2.0 Flash • #31 GPT‑4o (Mar ’25)
Rankings • 2025
The Top 49 LLMs of 2025 — Part 1: Countdown 26–49
We tested dozens of AI models under one clear system. This chapter shares ranks 26–49 with context size, score, price, speed, and where each one fits.
Why This List Matters
In 2025, there are hundreds of AI language models. Many claim to be the best, which makes real choices harder. This series cuts through noise with one test setup so you can compare models fairly.
We split the results into three parts to make decisions easier:
- Part 1 (26–49): Fast, affordable, practical workhorses.
- Part 2 (11–25): Strong all‑rounders used widely in business.
- Part 3 (Top 10): The most powerful AIs of 2025.
This page covers Part 1: ranks 26–49. They won’t always make headlines, but they keep products moving.
How the Scoring Works
We used the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v2.2 to score each model out of 100. Weighting:
- General knowledge & reasoning (37.5%)
- Math (12.5%)
- Coding (25%)
- Instruction following (12.5%)
- Long‑context reasoning (12.5%)
We also consider real‑world signals: price, speed, context window, and reliability. That shows not just knowledge but day‑to‑day usefulness.
Quick Picks
Huge memory
#42 Gemini 1.5 Pro (2M tokens) • #45 Llama 4 Scout (10M tokens)
Open source
#40 DeepSeek V3 (Dec ’24) • #30 Llama 4 Maverick
Great at live search
#44 Perplexity Sonar • #46 Sonar Pro • #29 Grok 3
Countdown: Models 26–49
OpenAI GPT‑4.1
Balanced model with strong multimodal skills.
Best for: creative writing, business tasks, and analysis with big memory.
Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking (Experimental)
Early “thinking” features offered free for research.
Best for: testing new reasoning tools without cost.
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
Low‑cost reasoning with solid math skills.
Best for: education tools and research helpers.
Grok 3
Real‑time information and trend awareness.
Best for: media, marketing, and social apps.
Llama 4 Maverick
Open‑source model with robust fundamentals and community support.
Best for: custom projects and OSS ecosystems.
GPT‑4o (March ’25)
Reliable multimodal model with strong latency and quality.
Best for: apps where speed and vision/voice matter.
Gemini 2.0 Pro (Experimental)
Research access to a massive 2M‑token context window.
Best for: research and legal document testing.
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B
Strong reasoning for its size and price.
Best for: learning tools, analysis bots, and support systems.
Gemini 2.5 Flash
Blazing speed and excellent cost efficiency.
Best for: bulk chat, moderation, and high‑volume workflows.
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B
Distilled from a large model; strong at coding tasks.
Best for: developer tools and technical documentation.
Claude 3.7 Sonnet
Safe, polished long‑form writing and analysis.
Best for: reports, policy docs, and careful writing.
Gemini 2.0 Flash
Fast and budget‑friendly for real‑time apps.
Best for: startups and live apps.
Reka Flash 3
Balanced, with solid multimodal chops.
Best for: enterprise trials.
Gemini 2.0 Flash (Experimental)
Fast research‑only version for prototyping.
Best for: school projects and prototypes.
DeepSeek V3 (Dec ’24)
Open‑source with a proven track record.
Best for: low‑cost coding help.
Qwen2.5 Max
Strong multilingual performance.
Best for: Asian markets and enterprise apps.
Gemini 1.5 Pro (Sept)
Huge memory window for deep retrieval.
Best for: knowledge bases and long‑form QA.
Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Oct)
Careful, ethical writing and analysis.
Best for: consulting, teaching, and compliance.
Sonar
Strong live search and synthesis.
Best for: research, journalism, and business tracking.
Llama 4 Scout
Processes truly massive inputs like books or large codebases.
Best for: entire books, giant codebases, or case files.
Sonar Pro
Deeper web search with more detail.
Best for: professional research, strategy, and investigations.
QwQ 32B‑Preview
Purpose‑built for question answering.
Best for: FAQs, help desks, and student quizzes.
Nova Premier
Great for AWS‑native stacks and compliance needs.
Best for: cloud apps and regulated workloads.
GPT‑4o (Nov ’24)
Proven multimodal model with stable performance.
Best for: steady reliability across modalities.
How to Choose from 26–49
- Need speed? Gemini 2.5 Flash (#34) or Gemini 2.0 Flash (#37)
- Need giant memory? Llama 4 Scout (#45) or Gemini 1.5 Pro (#42)
- Low budget, solid reasoning? DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B (#28)
- Need live info? Perplexity Sonar (#44, #46) or Grok 3 (#29)
- Want customization? Llama 4 Maverick (#30) or DeepSeek V3 (#40)
If you’re unsure, start with Gemini 2.5 Flash (#34) for speed and cost, then pair a specialist like Claude 3.7 (#36) for careful long‑form work.
What This Means for the Future
The lower half of the list shows a clear direction: faster, cheaper, and much larger contexts. Expect layered systems where a quick, low‑cost model handles easy steps and passes complex parts to a smarter one. Open source will keep expanding in coding, math, and multilingual support.
Top 49 LLMs — Part 1: FAQ
How were these ranks calculated?
We used the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v2.2: a weighted blend of reasoning, math, coding, instruction following, and long‑context performance, plus practical signals like price and speed.
Do lower ranks (26–49) still make sense to use?
Yes. Many are faster and cheaper workhorses for production tasks or high‑volume workflows where top‑10 quality isn’t required.
Why are some models marked “Experimental” or “Preview”?
Vendors often release experimental builds for research access. We include them for context but flag pricing or availability caveats where relevant.
What should I pick if I need speed over accuracy?
Start with Gemini 2.5 Flash (#34) or Gemini 2.0 Flash (#37), then pair with a careful writer like Claude 3.7 Sonnet (#36) for the hard parts.