Best AI Models for Reasoning
Ranking of language models by reasoning performance. These models excel at logical deduction, mathematical proofs, and complex problem-solving.Updated August 2026. Based on independent benchmark data.
Why This Matters
Choosing the right model for reasoning 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 reasoning, 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 | Claude Mythos Preview | Anthropic | 98.8 | 80 t/s | $15/M |
| 2 | GPT-6 Astra | OpenAI | 96.0 | 82 t/s | $50/M |
| 3 | Claude Fable 5.1 | Anthropic | 92.0 | 85 t/s | $15/M |
| 4 | GPT-6 Astra (xhigh) | OpenAI | 90.0 | 76 t/s | $50/M |
| 5 | GPT-6 Astra (high) | OpenAI | 90.0 | 90 t/s | $50/M |
| 6 | GPT-6 Astra (medium) | OpenAI | 90.0 | 98 t/s | $50/M |
| 7 | GPT-6 Astra (low) | OpenAI | 90.0 | 110 t/s | $50/M |
| 8 | GPT-6 Luna | OpenAI | 88.0 | 120 t/s | $20/M |
| 9 | GPT-5.6 Sol | OpenAI | 87.6 | 72 t/s | $30/M |
| 10 | Kimi K3 | Moonshot AI | 86.5 | 37 t/s | $15/M |
| 11 | Claude Opus 5.5 | Anthropic | 86.0 | 68 t/s | $25/M |
| 12 | Claude Fable 5.1 (XHigh) | Anthropic | 85.0 | 78 t/s | $15/M |
| 13 | Claude Fable 5.1 (High) | Anthropic | 85.0 | 92 t/s | $15/M |
| 14 | Claude Fable 5.1 (Medium) | Anthropic | 85.0 | 104 t/s | $15/M |
| 15 | Claude Fable 5.1 (Low) | Anthropic | 85.0 | 118 t/s | $15/M |
| 16 | Claude Opus 4.8 | Anthropic | 82.8 | 50 t/s | $15/M |
| 17 | Claude Opus 5 | Anthropic | 82.3 | 60 t/s | $25/M |
| 18 | Claude Fable 5 | Anthropic | 81.0 | 71 t/s | $50/M |
| 19 | GPT-5.5 | OpenAI | 80.4 | 60 t/s | $10/M |
| 20 | GPT-6 Luna (xhigh) | OpenAI | 80.0 | 118 t/s | $20/M |
Top 5 Reasoning — Quick Comparison
Methodology
Rankings are based on independent benchmark evaluations. The reasoning 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
Which AI model has the best reasoning capabilities?
OpenAI o3/o1, DeepSeek-R1, and Claude 3.7 Sonnet (Thinking) lead in complex reasoning, MATH-500, and competition logic.
How do reasoning models work?
They generate internal chain-of-thought tokens to plan, verify logical steps, and catch reasoning errors before returning their final output.