Best Open-Weights AI Models
Ranking of open-weights language models — self-hostable and fine-tunable models like Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen and Mistral.Updated August 2026. Based on independent benchmark data.
Why This Matters
Choosing the right model for best open-weights ai models is about more than raw benchmark scores. The models below are ranked using a weighted blend of category-specific benchmarks, arena Elo, and the intelligence index — but real-world performance depends on your context window, latency budget, and integration path.
For best open-weights ai models, we weighted the benchmarks that most strongly predict success in production: task accuracy first, then speed and cost efficiency. Leaders on this page consistently outperform on both standardized tests and real-world workloads.
If you operate under a strict budget, check the Best Value LLMs ranking. If latency matters more than raw quality, see Fastest LLMs. Both pages use the same underlying dataset with different weightings.
| # | Model | Provider | Score | Speed | Price (output) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GLM-5.1 | Z.ai | 72.0 | 74 t/s | $4.4/M |
| 2 | Qwen3.8 Flash Next | Alibaba | 61.5 | 168 t/s | $0.4/M |
| 3 | Kimi K3 | Moonshot AI | 59.7 | 37 t/s | $15/M |
| 4 | GLM-5.3 Flash | Z.ai | 58.0 | 182 t/s | $0.3/M |
| 5 | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek | 53.2 | 66 t/s | $0.87/M |
| 6 | GLM-5.2 | Z.ai | 52.6 | 164 t/s | $4.29/M |
| 7 | DeepSeek V4 Flash | DeepSeek | 51.8 | 113 t/s | $0.28/M |
| 8 | Granite 4.2 30B Instruct | IBM | 51.0 | 78 t/s | $1.2/M |
| 9 | GPT-oss-120B | OpenAI | 47.0 | 240 t/s | $0.4/M |
| 10 | Kimi K2.6 | Moonshot AI | 45.1 | 40 t/s | $4/M |
| 11 | Qwen3 8 2 4t A95b | Alibaba | 45.0 | 85 t/s | $2/M |
| 12 | Glm 5 | Z.ai | 45.0 | 60 t/s | $3/M |
| 13 | Deepseek V4 Pro 0424 | DeepSeek | 45.0 | 60 t/s | $1.1/M |
| 14 | Deepseek V4 Pro 0424 High | DeepSeek | 45.0 | 60 t/s | $1.1/M |
| 15 | Qwen3 6 Max | Alibaba | 45.0 | 85 t/s | $2/M |
| 16 | Deepseek V3 2 Reasoning | DeepSeek | 45.0 | 40 t/s | $1.1/M |
| 17 | Mimo V2 5 0424 | Xiaomi | 45.0 | 60 t/s | $3/M |
| 18 | Qwen3 6 27b | Alibaba | 45.0 | 85 t/s | $2/M |
| 19 | Glm 5 1 Non Reasoning | Z.ai | 45.0 | 40 t/s | $3/M |
| 20 | Glm 5 2 Non Reasoning | Z.ai | 45.0 | 40 t/s | $3/M |
Top 5 Best Open-Weights AI Models — Quick Comparison
Methodology
Rankings are based on independent benchmark evaluations. The best open-weights ai models score is computed from multiple standardized benchmarks and normalized to 0–100. Data is updated regularly from public benchmark results.
Related Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best open-weights AI model in 2026?
DeepSeek, Qwen, Llama and Mistral releases lead the open-weights category, offering near-frontier intelligence with self-hosting freedom.