tokevenBest AI models for code generation
20 models ranked by quality score, sorted by rank with pricing and best-value picks.
Verdict
For code generation, use Claude Opus 4.8 for quality or Claude Sonnet 5 for cost. The quality gap between #1 and #2 is -1 points.
Rankings
Code Generation model rankings
FAQ
What is the best AI model for code generation?
Claude Opus 4.8 ranks #1 for code generation with a confidence score of 95/100.
What is the cheapest good model for code generation?
Claude Sonnet 5 is the best value for code generation at $2.00/$10.00 per million tokens with a confidence of 93/100.
Confidence scores are a third-party benchmark snapshot from week 29 of 2026. This snapshot is 8 weeks old, so treat the scores as directional and validate against your own evals.
Price code generation on the top models
Per-call cost for the highest-ranked models on this task.
Claude Opus 4.8 cost calculator
95/100 · $5.00 / $25.00 per MTok
Claude Fable 5 cost calculator
96/100 · $10.00 / $50.00 per MTok
GPT 5.6 Sol cost calculator
94/100 · $4.00 / $20.00 per MTok
Claude Sonnet 4.6 cost calculator
92/100 · $3.00 / $15.00 per MTok
Claude Sonnet 5 cost calculator
93/100 · $2.00 / $10.00 per MTok
GPT 5.5 cost calculator
91/100 · $5.00 / $30.00 per MTok
Track your real costs
Comparisons show estimated costs at list price. The dashboard reveals your real spend and savings.