Should I use an open-source LLM for coding?

There are 8 open-weight models available for coding. Open-weight LLMs like Llama and Mistral can be self-hosted for lower per-token costs at scale, but require infrastructure investment. For lower volumes, API-based providers often offer better value.

10 Best LLMs for Coding in 2026

Q: What is the cheapest LLM for coding?

The cheapest LLM suitable for coding is DeepSeek R1 0528 Qwen3 8B via Novita AI at $0.068 per million tokens (blended rate). There are 154 models in this category.

The 10 best LLMs for coding in 2026, ranked by Arena ELO and price. Compare Claude, GPT, Gemini, and open-weight models for code generation, debugging, and refactoring across 23+ providers.

154

Models Compared

$0.068

Cheapest

1358

Top ELO

154

ELO-Rated

What is the best LLM for coding?

The best LLM for coding is DeepSeek R1 0528 Qwen3 8B via Novita AI at $0.068 per million tokens. With an Arena ELO of 1358, it offers the best balance of quality and cost. 154 models are compared across all providers.

What Makes a Good LLM for Coding?

High Arena ELO for reasoning accuracy

Strong code completion and generation

Multi-language support (Python, TypeScript, Rust, Go)

Long context windows for large codebases

Coding Models — Ranked by Value

154 models

Sorted by value: models with higher Arena ELO and lower price rank first. Models without ELO scores are sorted by cheapest price.

#	Model	Provider	Input	Output	Quality	Released↓
112	Claude Sonnet 4.6 Default	Google Vertex AI	$3.00	$15.00	Frontier	Feb 5
113	Claude Sonnet 4.6	Google Vertex AI	$3.00	$15.00	Frontier	Feb 5
131	Claude Opus 4.6 Default	Google Vertex AI	$5.00	$25.00	Frontier	Feb 5
132	Claude Opus 4.6	Google Vertex AI	$5.00	$25.00	Frontier	Feb 5
136	Claude Opus 4.6 V1	AWS Bedrock	$5.50	$27.50	Frontier	Feb 5
54	Gemini 3 Flash Preview	Google	$0.500	$3.00	Frontier	Jan 1
91	Gemini 3 Pro	Replicate	$2.00	$12.00	Frontier	Jan 1
92	Gemini 3 Pro Image Preview	Google	$2.00	$12.00	Frontier	Jan 1
93	Gemini 3 Pro Preview	Google Vertex AI	$2.00	$12.00	Frontier	Jan 1
99	GPT 5.2 Chat Latest	OpenAI	$1.75	$14.00	Frontier	Dec 11
100	GPT 5.2 Chat	Azure OpenAI	$1.75	$14.00	Frontier	Dec 11
101	GPT 5.2 Codex	OpenAI	$1.75	$14.00	Frontier	Dec 11
102	GPT 5 2	Azure OpenAI	$1.75	$14.00	Frontier	Dec 11
151	GPT 5.2 Pro	Azure OpenAI	$21.00	$168.00	Frontier	Dec 11
12	DeepSeek: DeepSeek V3.2 Exp Open	Deepinfra	$0.210	$0.320	Frontier	Dec 1
17	DeepSeek V3.2	Deepinfra	$0.260	$0.380	Frontier	Dec 1
34	DeepSeek V3.2 Speciale	OpenRouter	$0.480	$1.44	Frontier	Dec 1
47	accounts/fireworks/models/deepseek-v3p2	Fireworks AI	$0.560	$1.68	Frontier	Dec 1
32	GPT 5.1 Codex Mini	OpenAI	$0.250	$2.00	Frontier	Nov 13
70	GPT 5.1 Codex Max	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Nov 13
71	GPT 5.1 Codex	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Nov 13
72	GPT 5 1	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Nov 13
73	GPT 5.1 Chat	Azure OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Nov 13
74	GPT 5.1 Chat Latest	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Nov 13
133	Claude Opus 4.5	Anthropic	$5.00	$25.00	Frontier	Nov 1
75	GPT 5 Search Api	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Oct 14
150	GPT 5 Pro	OpenAI	$15.00	$120.00	Frontier	Oct 6
114	Claude Sonnet 4.5	Google Vertex AI	$3.00	$15.00	Frontier	Sep 29
35	GPT 5 Mini	Replicate	$0.250	$2.00	Frontier	Aug 7
65	OpenAI: GPT-5 Image Mini	OpenRouter	$3.00	$2.40	Frontier	Aug 7
76	GPT 5 Chat	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Aug 7
77	GPT 5 Codex	Azure OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Aug 7
78	GPT 5 Chat Latest	Azure OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Aug 7
79	GPT 5	OpenAI	$1.25	$10.00	Frontier	Aug 7
137	OpenAI: GPT-5 Image	OpenRouter	$12.00	$12.00	Frontier	Aug 7
146	Claude Opus 4.1	Google Vertex AI	$15.00	$75.00	Frontier	Aug 5
85	O4 Mini Deep Research	OpenAI	$2.00	$8.00	Frontier	Jun 26
143	o3 Deep Research	Azure OpenAI	$10.00	$40.00	Frontier	Jun 26
149	O3 Pro	OpenAI	$20.00	$80.00	Frontier	Jun 10
16	Nex AGI: DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1	OpenRouter	$0.162	$0.600	Frontier	Jun 1
1	DeepSeek R1 0528 Qwen3 8B	Novita AI	$0.060	$0.090	Frontier	May 28
9	DeepSeek R1 0528 Distill Qwen3 8B	Fireworks AI	$0.200	$0.200	Frontier	May 28
20	DeepSeek: DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus Open	Deepinfra	$0.210	$0.790	Frontier	May 28
21	DeepSeek V3.1	Deepinfra	$0.210	$0.790	Frontier	May 28
25	DeepSeek: DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus (exacto) Open	OpenRouter	$0.252	$0.948	Frontier	May 28
48	accounts/fireworks/models/deepseek-v3p1	Fireworks AI	$0.560	$1.68	Frontier	May 28
50	DeepSeek: R1 0528 Open	Deepinfra	$0.500	$2.15	Frontier	May 28
117	Claude 4 Sonnet	Anthropic	$3.00	$15.00	Frontier	May 22
119	Claude Sonnet 4	AWS Bedrock	$3.00	$15.00	Frontier	May 22
147	Claude 4 Opus	Anthropic	$15.00	$75.00	Frontier	May 22

Best LLM for Other Use Cases

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Frequently Asked Questions

The #1 LLM for coding in 2026 is DeepSeek R1 0528 Qwen3 8B via Novita AI at $0.068 per million tokens. It has an Arena ELO of 1358, placing it among the highest-rated models. This top-10 ranking considers both quality (Arena ELO) and cost to find the best value across 23+ providers.