The top AI models for research, ranked by a research-weighted composite score. Models are scored with bonuses for large context windows (processing full papers), web search (finding and citing sources), reasoning (complex analysis), and vision (reading charts and figures). Updated hourly from 328+ models.
303
Total Models
56
Web Search
145
With Reasoning
237
128K+ Context
23
Free Models
| # | Model | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GPT-5.4 ProOpenAI | 125 |
| 2 | GPT-5.4OpenAI | 125 |
| 3 | GPT-5.4 MiniOpenAI | 124 |
| 4 | GPT-5.2 ProOpenAI | 124 |
| 5 | GPT-5.2OpenAI | 124 |
| 6 | Claude Opus 4.6Anthropic | 123 |
| 7 | GPT-5 ProOpenAI | 123 |
| 8 | o3 Deep ResearchOpenAI | 123 |
| 9 | Claude Opus 4.5Anthropic | 121 |
| 10 | GPT-5OpenAI | 121 |
| 11 | Claude Sonnet 4.6Anthropic | 120 |
| 12 | Claude Sonnet 4.5Anthropic | 120 |
| 13 | o3 ProOpenAI | 119 |
| 14 | Grok 4.1 FastxAI | 118 |
| 15 | Grok 4xAI | 117 |
| 16 | Grok 4.20 BetaxAI | 117 |
| 17 | o3OpenAI | 117 |
| 18 | GPT-5.1OpenAI | 116 |
| 19 | GPT-5.4 NanoOpenAI | 116 |
| 20 | GPT-5.3-CodexOpenAI | 116 |
| 21 | GPT-5.2-CodexOpenAI | 116 |
| 22 | GPT-5.1-Codex-MaxOpenAI | 116 |
| 23 | Sonar Pro SearchPerplexity | 116 |
| 24 | o4 Mini Deep ResearchOpenAI | 116 |
| 25 | o4 Mini HighOpenAI | 116 |
| 26 | o4 MiniOpenAI | 115 |
| 27 | Grok 4 FastxAI | 114 |
| 28 | Claude Haiku 4.5Anthropic | 114 |
| 29 | Gemini 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | 113 |
| 30 | Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent BetaxAI | 113 |
AI models with large context windows can ingest entire research papers and produce structured summaries. Feed in a 50-page PDF and get key findings, methodology, and limitations extracted in seconds. Models with 128K+ context handle even the longest papers without chunking.
Models with web search can look up citations in real time, verify claims against published sources, and find the latest papers on a topic. This dramatically reduces the time spent on manual source checking and helps surface relevant work you may have missed.
Reasoning-capable models excel at statistical analysis, interpreting experimental results, and identifying patterns in research data. They can help with hypothesis formulation, methodology critique, and drawing nuanced conclusions from complex datasets.
Vision-capable models can read charts, figures, tables, and diagrams directly from research papers. Combined with large context windows, these models can process multi-page documents with mixed text and visual content - ideal for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Discover models by specific research capabilities, or compare top models head-to-head on the full leaderboard.
Based on our composite scoring updated hourly, the top-ranked models for research are shown at the top of this page. Rankings consider benchmarks, pricing, capabilities, and community adoption.
Yes, several models listed on this page offer free tiers or are fully open-source. Look for models marked as Free in the pricing column above.
We use a composite scoring system combining benchmark performance, capability matching for research use cases, pricing, context window size, and community adoption. Scores are updated hourly.
Rankings refresh every hour using real-time data from benchmarks, API testing, and community metrics. The data shown always reflects the most current performance.