Choose GPT, Claude, Gemini or Kimi API access by workload, protocol and budget. A brand name alone does not establish the quality or capabilities of a specific model version. Model, upstream and group limits can differ.
Build a task-specific checklist
| Workload | Check | Evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Coding and agents | Client protocol, tools, code quality | A small task with explicit acceptance criteria and recorded cost |
| Writing and classification | Language quality, output format, token prices | Identical samples and output limits |
| Images and multimodal | Required inputs, outputs and endpoint | The specific model documentation, not general chat compatibility |
| Long documents and retrieval | Context limits, retrieval quality, cache costs | Real document sizes and input, cache and output usage |
Choose the protocol before the model
For an OpenAI-compatible SDK or application, use the API integration guide. For Claude Code, use the Messages gateway guide. Availability in a web chat product does not establish support for every API endpoint.
Why does my key show fewer models?
Keys have group-specific permissions. The public catalog describes the service; your key access depends on its configuration and GET /v1/models. Use exact returned IDs rather than display aliases from another platform.
Compare real costs
Record ordinary input, output, cache and other billed units separately. Check whether a displayed price is a base rate or already includes a group multiplier. Payment amounts and response character counts are not enough to compare costs. See token billing.
Does a listing guarantee a successful request?
No. Credits, rate limits, permissions and upstream availability also affect requests. A timeout, rate limit or ordinary 503 response does not by itself establish that a model was removed. Use the error guide to investigate.
Start with your application
Check the current catalog and account pricing, create a dedicated key and evaluate a small request before increasing usage. Review the buying guide before adding credits.