Top LLM APIs Compared: OpenAI, Llama, Gemini, Sonar, Claude (September-2024)

Ewan MakEwan Mak
4 min read

When comparing the top LLM APIs, including OpenAI's o1-preview and o1-mini, GPT-4o, Llama 3.1 405B, Gemini 1.5 Pro, Sonar Huge, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, each model has unique strengths that make it suitable for different applications. Here is a detailed comparison:

OpenAI o1-preview and o1-mini

  • Capabilities: These models are designed for reasoning and problem-solving tasks, with a focus on science, coding, and math. They excel in complex code generation and document comparison.

  • Strengths: Strong performance in reasoning and safety benchmarks, with advanced problem-solving capabilities.

  • Limitations: Currently in preview and lack some features like image understanding, which are available in models like GPT-4o.

GPT-4o

  • Capabilities: A multimodal model that handles text, images, and sound, making it versatile for various applications such as customer service and education.

  • Strengths: Faster and more efficient than its predecessors, with improved multimodal features and cost-effectiveness.

  • Limitations: Primarily supports English and Chinese.

Llama 3.1 405B

  • Capabilities: The largest model in the Llama series, featuring a dense transformer architecture with a 128K context window.

  • Strengths: Excels in large-scale data analysis and complex problem-solving, with advanced functionalities like synthetic data generation and model distillation.

  • Limitations: High computational requirements due to its large size.

Gemini 1.5 Pro

  • Capabilities: A multimodal mixture-of-experts model with a focus on long-form content reasoning and large context processing, up to 1 million tokens.

  • Strengths: Near-perfect retrieval performance and improved multimodal capabilities, including video and audio understanding.

  • Limitations: Primarily available through Google platforms and may require significant computational resources for optimal performance.

Sonar Huge

  • Capabilities: Known for its moderate performance and cost-effectiveness, with a context window of 33k tokens.

  • Strengths: Affordable pricing and reasonable output speed, making it suitable for budget-conscious applications.

  • Limitations: Average performance compared to other models in terms of speed and context handling.

Claude 3.5 Sonnet

  • Capabilities: Excels in graduate-level reasoning and coding proficiency, with improved multilingual capabilities.

  • Strengths: High-quality content generation and advanced reasoning, making it ideal for complex tasks and multilingual applications.

  • Limitations: Struggles with certain visual tasks and may provide factually inaccurate information (hallucinations).

LLM Comparison (Updated - 09/15/2024)

Here is a table comparing the LLM models based on price per million tokens, context window, and other characteristics:

ModelPrice per 1M TokensContext WindowCapabilitiesStrengthsLimitations
GPT-4o mini$0.15128KMultimodal with vision capabilitiesCost-efficient and smarter than GPT-3.5 TurboSmaller model size
Claude 3.5 Sonnet$3 (input), $15 (output)200KAdvanced reasoning and coding proficiencyHigh-quality content generation and multilingualStruggles with certain visual tasks
GPT-4o$2.50128KMultimodal: text, images, soundFast, efficient, and cost-effectivePrimarily supports English and Chinese
Sonar HugeNot specified33KModerate performance and cost-effectiveAffordable and reasonable output speedAverage performance compared to others
Llama 3.1 405BNot specifiedNot specifiedLarge-scale data analysisExcels in large-scale data analysis and generationHigh computational requirements
o1-mini$3 (approx. 80% cheaper than o1-preview)128KFocused reasoning for coding and STEMCost-effective and efficient for specific tasksLess broad knowledge compared to o1-preview
o1-preview$26.25128KAdvanced reasoning and complex tasksStrong performance in complex tasksHigher cost and slower speed

This table provides a comprehensive overview of each model, highlighting their pricing, context window, capabilities, strengths, and limitations, helping to determine which model best fits specific needs.

Citations: [1] https://claudeaihub.com/claude-3-sonnet-pricing-and-features/ [2] https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-405B [3] https://apidog.com/blog/claude-3-5-sonnet/ [4] https://artificialanalysis.ai/models/o1 [5] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/openai-o1-ai-model-launch-details/ [6] https://platform.openai.com/pricing

Conclusion

  • For complex reasoning and problem-solving: OpenAI's o1-preview and o1-mini, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet are strong contenders.

  • For multimodal tasks: GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro offer advanced capabilities in handling diverse data types.

  • For large-scale data processing: Llama 3.1 405B is highly capable but requires significant resources.

  • For cost-effective solutions: Sonar Huge provides a balanced approach with affordable pricing.

The choice of model depends on specific requirements such as the complexity of tasks, budget, and the need for multimodal capabilities.

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Written by

Ewan Mak
Ewan Mak

Crafting seamless user experiences with a passion for headless CMS, Vercel deployments, and Cloudflare optimization. I'm a Full Stack Developer with expertise in building modern web applications that are blazing fast, secure, and scalable. Let's connect and discuss how I can help you elevate your next project!