Best of
Best AI models you can download for free
Xiaomi MiMo-V2.6-Pro is the smartest downloadable model we track; for running on your own computer, look at Qwen3.8 27B or Gemma 4 31B.
Costs here use the prices AI companies charge software developers, so they show relative cost, not your monthly bill. See what ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini charge you.
| Model and our take (editorial) | Type | Smartness | Reads at once* | Essay | Chat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MiMo-V2.6-Pro The smartest downloadable model we track, at a very low price. | Free to downloadfree to download | ★★★★☆ | 1,580 pages | <1¢ | $0.54 | $0.02 |
| Kimi K3 A very large downloadable model for complicated programming and long jobs. | Free to downloadfree to download | ★★★★☆ | 1,570 pages | $0.02 | $0.61 | $0.02 |
| GLM 5.3 A downloadable model for software work and long jobs, with very cheap input. | Free to downloadfree to download | ★★★★☆ | 1,570 pages | $0.01 | $0.19 | $0.01 |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813 DeepSeek's larger downloadable model at a low price. A cheap step up from DeepSeek V4.1 Flash. | Free to downloadfree to download | ★★★☆☆ | 1,570 pages | <1¢ | $0.84 | $0.02 |
| Muse Spark Open A downloadable Meta model tuned for programming. The one to watch if you want to run your own coding helper. | Free to downloadfree to download | Not rated yet | 1,570 pages | $0.01 | $1.60 | $0.04 |
| Qwen3.8 27B A mid-size downloadable model that understands pictures and video, and is realistic to run on your own hardware. | Free to downloadfree to download | ★★★☆☆ | 1,500 pages | <1¢ | $0.33 | $0.01 |
| Gemma 4 31B Google's downloadable model, small enough to run yourself. It understands pictures and video. A free listing exists on OpenRouter. | Free to downloadfree to download | ★☆☆☆☆ | 390 pages | <1¢ | $0.25 | $0.01 |
How we chose: Free to download does not mean easy to run: the biggest ones need a room full of computers.
Why each one
MiMo-V2.6-Pro
The smartest downloadable model we track, at a very low price.
The smartest downloadable model we track, at a very low price.
Kimi K3
A very large downloadable model for complicated programming and long jobs.
A very large downloadable model for complicated programming and long jobs.
GLM 5.3
A downloadable model for software work and long jobs, with very cheap input.
A downloadable model for software work and long jobs, with very cheap input.
DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813
DeepSeek's larger downloadable model at a low price. A cheap step up from DeepSeek V4.1 Flash.
DeepSeek's larger downloadable model at a low price. A cheap step up from DeepSeek V4.1 Flash.
Muse Spark Open
A downloadable Meta model tuned for programming. The one to watch if you want to run your own coding helper.
A downloadable Meta model tuned for programming. The one to watch if you want to run your own coding helper.
Qwen3.8 27B
A mid-size downloadable model that understands pictures and video, and is realistic to run on your own hardware.
A mid-size downloadable model that understands pictures and video, and is realistic to run on your own hardware.
Gemma 4 31B
Google's downloadable model, small enough to run yourself. It understands pictures and video. A free listing exists on OpenRouter.
Google's downloadable model, small enough to run yourself. It understands pictures and video. A free listing exists on OpenRouter.