Model Selection and Cost Strategy

There is no single “best model” for all coding work. The right model depends on ambiguity, risk, context load, latency, and cost sensitivity.

Good General Heuristic

Use stronger models for:

• architecture decisions
• complex refactors
• debugging across multiple systems
• ambiguous requirements

Use faster or cheaper models for:

• narrow file edits
• formatting or rename-heavy tasks
• simple tests
• repetitive mechanical work

Think In Task Shapes

Ask:

• Does this task need deep reasoning or just fast execution?
• Is the change risky enough that stronger reasoning is worth the cost?
• Will the agent need to keep a lot of context in play at once?

Practical Default

If you are unsure, use the stronger model for planning and the cheaper model for bounded follow-up tasks. That gives you better judgment up front without paying top-tier cost for every small edit.