Cheatsheet 03 — models.dev Columns
How to read the models.dev catalog column-by-column. Full: Phase 4.
The columns and what they mean
| Column | Meaning | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Model | The model name/version | Identity; watch version suffixes |
| Provider | Who serves it (may be many per model) | Model × provider routing (Phase 8) |
| Lab / Creator | Who built it (OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta…) | Lineage, trust, license |
| Context | Max context window (tokens) | Fit your prompt + RAG + output |
| Output (max) | Max output tokens | Long-generation feasibility |
| Input price | $/Mtok input | Cost modeling (Phase 15.05) |
| Output price | $/Mtok output (usually higher) | Cost modeling (output dominates for chatty tasks) |
| Tool calling | Supports function calling? | Agents (Phase 10) |
| Structured output | Native JSON-schema constraint? | Structured features (Phase 10.02) |
| Reasoning | Reasoning/thinking model? | Hard tasks; extra reasoning-token cost |
| Weights | Open vs closed | Self-host vs API (cheatsheet 05) |
| Release | Release date | Recency; trend tracking |
| Updated | Catalog/metadata update date | Recheck before production (prices/features drift) |
How to use it (workflow)
- Filter by hard requirements (context ≥ X, tool calling = yes, weights = open if needed).
- Shortlist 3–5 on capability + price + recency.
- Compare model × provider — same model can differ in price/latency/limits per provider.
- Recheck "Updated" — prices and limits move fast; never trust a stale row in production.
- Decide on YOUR eval, not the catalog (Phase 5).
Gotchas
- Context ≠ max output — a 1M-context model may cap output at 8–64k.
- Price is per provider — the cheapest provider for a model may have worse latency/limits.
- "Reasoning" models bill reasoning tokens — real cost can exceed the visible output.
- Recency ≠ better for your task — always verify on your eval.
Next: 04 — Choosing a Model · Full: Phase 4