For Small Products
Recommended: one premium model for quality-critical prompts and one low-cost model for bulk jobs.
Avoid: building a complex routing layer too early.
Clear Recommendations
If you want a quick answer, this page gives direct picks and anti-patterns to avoid.
For Mid-Scale SaaS
Recommended: multi-model fallback + prompt caching + strict eval suite by feature.
Avoid: model switching without monitoring real user outcomes.
For Enterprise
Recommended: dual-vendor strategy, policy guardrails, and selective self-hosting where compliance demands it.
Avoid: single-vendor dependency for all critical workloads.
Default Stack We Recommend in 2026
- Primary high-quality closed model for top-tier reasoning and writing.
- Secondary cost-efficient model for large-volume routine automation.
- Optional open model for privacy-critical or predictable internal tasks.
- Unified observability, evals, and prompt versioning across all models.