AI LLM Guide
Pick the Right AI Model for the Job
A practical breakdown of the top AI models for vibe coding — what each one's best at, and exactly when to reach for it.
Gemini 3.1 Pro
UI design, visual thinking, multimodal work, creative front-end concepts
Landing page designs, dashboard layouts, image-to-UI analysis, product mockups, screenshot redesigns, visual branding ideas, app experience planning.
Google positions Gemini 3.1 Pro around deep reasoning, multimodal understanding, software engineering behavior, agentic workflows, and large-context work.
Sonnet 4.6
Best daily builder
Normal Base44 builds, feature prompts, CRUD flows, admin panels, refactors, debugging, app logic, permission fixes, and front-end polish. It is the "get work done" model: fast enough, smart enough, and usually the best default.
Anthropic describes Sonnet 4.6 as upgraded across coding, computer use, long-context reasoning, agent planning, knowledge work, and design.
Opus 4.6
Deep debugging and architecture
Hard bugs, messy apps, large codebase reviews, security audits, permission logic, complex backend flows, and long multi-step planning. Use it when Sonnet keeps missing the issue.
Anthropic says Opus 4.6 improved coding, planning, long-running agentic tasks, larger-codebase reliability, code review, and debugging.
Opus 4.7
Hardest coding problems and long-running agentic work
Deep app rebuilds, advanced debugging, complex architecture, multi-page system planning, and "I need this done right, not fast" tasks.
Anthropic describes Opus 4.7 as its most capable generally available model for complex reasoning and agentic coding, with a step-change improvement over Opus 4.6.
GPT-5.4
Agent workflows, tool use, software interaction, structured production work
Planning systems, building agents, testing workflows, analyzing app behavior, product documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and task automation.
OpenAI describes GPT-5.4 as strong for coding, reasoning, agentic workflows, computer use, tools, and professional work.
GPT-5.5
High-level reasoning, polished planning, complex professional coding
PRDs, build plans, security strategy, architecture, product-spec-to-prompt workflows, long-context analysis, audits, and clean final explanations.
OpenAI describes GPT-5.5 as its newest frontier model for complex professional work, coding, tool-heavy agents, long-context retrieval, and polished customer-facing workflows.
Quick Reference
| AI Model | Best At | Use It For |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | UI design, visual thinking, multimodal work, creative front-end concepts | Landing page designs, dashboard layouts, image-to-UI analysis, product mockups, screenshot redesigns, visual branding ideas, app experience planning. |
| Sonnet 4.6 | Best daily builder | Normal Base44 builds, feature prompts, CRUD flows, admin panels, refactors, debugging, app logic, permission fixes, and front-end polish. It is the "get work done" model: fast enough, smart enough, and usually the best default. |
| Opus 4.6 | Deep debugging and architecture | Hard bugs, messy apps, large codebase reviews, security audits, permission logic, complex backend flows, and long multi-step planning. Use it when Sonnet keeps missing the issue. |
| Opus 4.7 | Hardest coding problems and long-running agentic work | Deep app rebuilds, advanced debugging, complex architecture, multi-page system planning, and "I need this done right, not fast" tasks. |
| GPT-5.4 | Agent workflows, tool use, software interaction, structured production work | Planning systems, building agents, testing workflows, analyzing app behavior, product documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and task automation. |
| GPT-5.5 | High-level reasoning, polished planning, complex professional coding | PRDs, build plans, security strategy, architecture, product-spec-to-prompt workflows, long-context analysis, audits, and clean final explanations. |
Model behavior changes over time. Always test each model on your specific task — the "best" model is the one that gets your job done with the fewest retries.