Recommended AI Models Across 6 Core Scenarios
Skip noisy benchmarks and jump straight to your task. Every scenario highlights the best overall model, best value pick, China-direct option, and budget pick.
Use Case 1: Coding & Software Engineering Agents
For coding and CLI agents, GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fable 5.2, and Gemini 4 Argon lead in multi-file engineering accuracy.
Use Case 2: Daily Chat, Copywriting & Prose
STEM-heavy models like GPT-6.1 Sol can sound stiff in prose. For natural copywriting and nuanced tone, Claude Opus 5.5, Gemini 4 Argon/Carbon, and Kimi K3.1 Pro lead.
Use Case 3: Long-Document Analysis & Enterprise RAG
When feeding 100K–1M token documents, prioritize 1M+ context windows and deep Prompt Cache discounts.
Use Case 4: Vision Understanding, OCR & Chart Parsing
Extract structured data from receipts, charts, UI screenshots, and PDF scans.
Use Case 5: Image Generation (Billed per Image)
Image models bill per generated image rather than tokens. For multi-turn conversational editing, Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 leads; for Chinese poster typography, Seedream 3.0 and Wan 2.6 offer high value and direct domestic access.
| Image Model | Access | Base Price | Resolution Pricing Details | Ideal Workloads | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 (Google 生图旗舰)
Google DeepMind · 2026-10-06
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Global API | $0.0336 / per image | $0.0336/img (1K) · $0.0504/img (2K) · $0.0756/img (4K) with multi-turn editing | Typography-heavy posters, multi-turn conversational image editing, and consistent characters | Official → |
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OpenAI GPT-Image 2
OpenAI · 2026-04-21
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Global API | $0.04 / per image | ~$0.02/img (low) · $0.04/img (standard) · $0.08/img (high quality) | Ad creatives, infographics, and complex multi-subject compositions | Official → |
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豆包即梦生图 Seedream 3.0
字节跳动火山引擎 · 2026-07-20
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Direct in CN | $0.015 / per image | ~$0.015/img (¥0.10), native Chinese typography rendering without garbled characters | Chinese e-commerce banners, posters with Chinese typography, and social media visuals | Official → |
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通义万相 Wan 2.6 文生图
阿里云通义万相 · 2026-08-10
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Direct in CN | $0.012 / per image | ~$0.012/img (¥0.08) on Alibaba Cloud Bailian with free trial quota | High-volume budget image generation and enterprise content workflows | Official → |
Use Case 6: Video Generation (Billed per Second of Video)
Video generation APIs bill per second of output video. Google Veo 3.1 leads global audio-synced quality; Kling 2.5 Pro, Hailuo 03, Seedance 2.0, and open-weight Wan 2.6 lead domestic production value.
| Video Model | Access | Price / Sec | Tier Pricing & 5s Clip Cost | Ideal Workloads & Notes | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Google Veo 3.1
Google DeepMind · 2026-10-13
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Global API | $0.4 / per second | $0.05/s (Lite 720p) · $0.20/s (Fast 1080p) · $0.40/s (Standard 1080p) · $0.60/s (4K) | Cinematic video generation with synchronized native sound effects and dialogue | Official → |
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Google Veo 3.1 Lite
Google DeepMind · 2026-10-13
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Global API | $0.05 / per second | $0.05/s (720p) · Only $0.25 per 5-second clip | High-volume social video prototyping and low-cost storyboarding | Official → |
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Grok Imagine Video 1.5
xAI (Grok) · 2026-10-01
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Global API | $0.08 / per second | ~$0.04/s (Lite) · ~$0.08/s (Standard 1.5 via xAI API) | Creative social clips, image-to-video animation, and stylized motion | Official → |
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可灵 Kling 2.5 Pro / Master
快手可灵 (Kling AI) · 2026-09-15
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Direct in CN | $0.07 / per second | ~$0.035/s (Standard) · ~$0.07/s (Master 1080p), direct access in China | Top domestic choice for AI drama production, e-commerce product videos, and camera control | Official → |
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海螺视频 Hailuo Video (MiniMax)
MiniMax (海螺 AI) · 2026-09-20
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Direct in CN | $0.06 / per second | ~$0.06/s ($0.36 per 6s 1080p clip), direct API access | Cinematic storytelling, emotional character acting, and stylized shorts | Official → |
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通义万相 Wan 2.6 Video (开源+API)
阿里云通义万相 · 2026-08-28
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Direct in CN | $0.03 / per second | ~$0.03/s on Alibaba Cloud Bailian; Open-weight Apache-2.0 for local GPU deployment | Cost-sensitive batch video generation and enterprise self-hosted video pipelines | Official → |
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豆包即梦视频 Seedance 2.0
字节跳动火山引擎 · 2026-08-15
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Direct in CN | $0.04 / per second | ~$0.04/s on ByteDance Volcengine Ark with high enterprise concurrency | Short-video marketing creatives, e-commerce ads, and high-concurrency apps | Official → |
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OpenAI Sora 2 (API 已于 2026-09 下线)
OpenAI · 2026-09-11
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Global API | $0.1 / per second (retired API) | Historical $0.10/s (720p) · $0.30/s (Pro); Note: OpenAI retired the standalone Videos API on Sep 24, 2026—use Veo 3.1 or Kling 2.5 instead | Migration notice: switch new video API workloads to Google Veo 3.1, Kling 2.5, or Hailuo | Official → |