Choosing a Model
Compare 20+ AI models across speed, creativity, and cost.
Last updated October 2026
Overview
Genesis Writer gives you access to 20+ AI models from every major provider: Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), Google (Gemini), xAI (Grok), MoonshotAI (Kimi), and DeepSeek. Each model has its own personality — different strengths, different weaknesses, and different costs.
The Free plan includes GPT-6 Luna and Claude Haiku 5.5. Any paid subscription unlocks all of them. You can switch models between generations, so there's no commitment — use a cheap model for rough drafts and a premium one for your most important scenes.

The model selector — switch models anytime from the toolbar
Your Free Models Free
The Free plan starts you on Claude Haiku 5.5 (Anthropic), the model included on every plan, with one of the lowest per-token prices in the lineup. It is the newest Claude Haiku model. Genesis Writer has not rated its writing yet.
The Free plan also includes GPT-6 Luna (OpenAI). OpenAI describes it as its most efficient model for focused, high-volume tasks.
Any paid plan unlocks 20+ models from every major provider — the budget, balanced, premium, and ultra tiers below.
Budget Models Basic+
Affordable subscriber options for everyday writing — fast, capable models at a price that won't drain your token balance.
| Model | Provider | Best For | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.4 Nano | OpenAI | Fast drafts, quick revisions, scene sketches | 5/5 | 2 cost |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | Everyday writing, quick revisions, scene work | 5/5 | 2 cost | |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite | Fast drafts, document work, high-volume revisions | 5/5 | 2 cost | |
| GPT-5 Mini | OpenAI | Long chapters, consistent drafts, world-building | 4/5 | 2 cost |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Everyday writing, descriptions, mid-draft revisions | 4/5 | 2 cost | |
| Gemini 3.7 Flash | Structured revisions, long documents, everyday writing | 4/5 | 2 cost | |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek | Complex narratives, long-context drafting, mature fiction | 4/5 | 2 cost |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Anthropic | Dialogue, character voice, scene work | 5/5 | 3 cost |
Claude Haiku 4.5 is the standout here. It has a natural ear for dialogue — the way characters talk feels less like AI than most models at this price point. If your scene is heavy on conversation, Haiku is an excellent choice.
Balanced Models Basic+
The sweet spot between cost and quality. These models produce noticeably better prose than budget options while remaining affordable for regular use.
| Model | Provider | Best For | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4.1 | OpenAI | Precise instructions, genre adaptation, consistent tone | 4/5 | 3 cost |
| GPT-5.4 Mini | OpenAI | Character voice, everyday writing, mid-draft revisions | 4/5 | 3 cost |
| Kimi K2.5 | MoonshotAI | Long-context writing, multi-step edits, mature fiction | 4/5 | 2 cost |
Premium Models Basic+
The heavy hitters. These models produce the highest-quality prose, handle complex narratives, and offer the most nuanced writing. Use them for scenes that matter.
| Model | Provider | Best For | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | Layered narratives, thematic writing, atmosphere | 3/5 | 4 cost | |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Anthropic | Interiority, emotional scenes, character-driven fiction | 3/5 | 4 cost |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | Voice consistency, tone control, long-form fiction | 3/5 | 4 cost |
| Claude Sonnet 5 | Anthropic | Emotional scenes, character voice, long-form fiction | 4/5 | 3 cost |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Anthropic | Newly added, not yet rated | — | 3 cost |
| GPT-5.2 | OpenAI | Novel chapters, exposition, sustained narratives | 3/5 | 4 cost |
| GPT-5.4 | OpenAI | Complex narratives, multi-POV stories, long-form fiction | 3/5 | 4 cost |
| GPT-6 Sol | OpenAI | Paid-plan GPT-6 model | — | 3 cost |
| Grok 4.3 | xAI | Mature fiction, thriller & horror, dark themes | 3/5 | 2 cost |
| Grok 4.7 | xAI | Newly added, not yet rated | — | 4 cost |
| Kimi K2.6 | MoonshotAI | Multi-step plotting, layered edits, mature fiction | 3/5 | 3 cost |
The two Claude Sonnets have different strengths. Sonnet 4.5 is the emotional writer — it gets inside a character's head convincingly and excels at scenes that need to land emotionally. Sonnet 4.6 is tighter and more controlled — better at holding a specific voice across twenty chapters without drift.
Ultra Models Basic+
The highest price tier in the lineup.
| Model | Provider | Best For | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Anthropic | Newly added, not yet rated | — | 5 cost |
| Claude Opus 5 | Anthropic | Character psychology, literary fiction, key scenes | 2/5 | 5 cost |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | Anthropic | Character psychology, literary fiction, key scenes | 2/5 | 5 cost |
| Claude Opus 4.7 | Anthropic | Literary fiction, subtext, key scenes | 2/5 | 5 cost |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | Character psychology, long-form fiction, key scenes | 2/5 | 5 cost |
Claude Opus 5 is the closest thing to a human co-writer in the lineup. It understands character psychology — motivations, contradictions, the gap between what characters say and what they mean. Prose has genuine texture and weight.
The Opus models carry the highest cost ratings in the lineup and are the slowest. Save them for the scenes that matter most — the climactic confrontation, the quiet moment of grief, the chapter that makes or breaks your novel.
Full Comparison Table
Here's every model at a glance. Ratings are on a 1–5 scale. Cost is the model picker's relative price rating (1–5), rounded to a whole number; see The Token Economy for how usage turns into Genesis Tokens.
| Model | Provider | Tier | Creativity | Consistency | Freedom | Speed | Cost | Max Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6 Luna | OpenAI | Free | — | — | — | — | 1 | 128K |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 | Anthropic | Free | — | — | — | — | 1 | 128K |
| GPT-5.4 Nano | OpenAI | Budget | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 128K |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | Budget | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 64K | |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite | Budget | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 64K | |
| GPT-5 Mini | OpenAI | Budget | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 128K |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Budget | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 64K | |
| Gemini 3.7 Flash | Budget | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 64K | |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek | Budget | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 384K |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Anthropic | Budget | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 64K |
| GPT-4.1 | OpenAI | Balanced | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 32K |
| GPT-5.4 Mini | OpenAI | Balanced | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 128K |
| Kimi K2.5 | MoonshotAI | Balanced | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 64K |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | Premium | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 64K | |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Anthropic | Premium | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 64K |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | Premium | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 64K |
| Claude Sonnet 5 | Anthropic | Premium | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 64K |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Anthropic | Premium | — | — | — | — | 3 | 128K |
| GPT-5.2 | OpenAI | Premium | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 128K |
| GPT-5.4 | OpenAI | Premium | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 128K |
| GPT-6 Sol | OpenAI | Premium | — | — | — | — | 3 | 128K |
| Grok 4.3 | xAI | Premium | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 32K |
| Grok 4.7 | xAI | Premium | — | — | — | — | 4 | 32K |
| Kimi K2.6 | MoonshotAI | Premium | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 64K |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Anthropic | Ultra | — | — | — | — | 5 | 128K |
| Claude Opus 5 | Anthropic | Ultra | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 128K |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | Anthropic | Ultra | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 128K |
| Claude Opus 4.7 | Anthropic | Ultra | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 128K |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | Ultra | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 128K |
A dash (—) means not yet rated. For the newest models, cost and max output come from the provider's published specifications.
Recommendations by Use Case
Not sure which model to pick? Here are battle-tested recommendations for common scenarios:
Fast Drafting
When you want to get ideas down quickly and worry about polish later, reach for Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite or GPT-5 Mini. Both are fast, affordable, and produce coherent prose. GPT-5 Mini can generate very long passages without losing the thread, making it especially good for marathon drafting sessions.
Character Voice & Dialogue
Anthropic's Claude models have the best ear for how people actually talk. Claude Haiku 4.5 is the budget-friendly option — fast and natural-sounding. For deeper character work, Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 produce dialogue that feels genuinely human.
Emotional Scenes
Scenes that need to land emotionally — grief, longing, quiet tension, a character's internal reckoning — are where Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Claude Opus 5 truly shine. They show rather than tell, and they render internal states with surprising depth.
Long Chapters
If you need the AI to generate long, sustained passages (full chapters, extended scenes), choose a model with a high max output: DeepSeek V4 Pro (384K), GPT-5 Mini, GPT-5.2, GPT-5.4, GPT-6 Luna or Sol, or any Claude Opus model (all 128K). A higher max output lets a single generation run longer.
Mature & Unrestricted Content
Most models have content restrictions that limit how they handle explicit romance, graphic violence, or taboo themes. If you need a model that writes any scene without hesitation, use Grok 4.3 (premium, Freedom 5/5). It writes mature scenes without softening them and holds long-arc continuity. Genesis Writer's content guidelines still apply.
Literary Fiction
For prose that has genuine texture — subtext, layered meaning, psychological depth — use Claude Opus 5 or Claude Sonnet 5. Opus is the best in the lineup at writing prose that reads like it was crafted by a human author.
Plot-Heavy Fiction
Stories with complex magic systems, interconnected mysteries, or elaborate world rules need a model that thinks structurally. Gemini 3.1 Pro is excellent at maintaining internal consistency and tracking plot threads.
Budget-Friendly Writing
If you want to maximize your token balance, GPT-6 Luna has the lowest cost rating in the lineup — and it's included on every plan.Claude Haiku 5.5, also included on every plan, shares that rating; its rates rise for requests over 100,000 tokens. On a paid plan, GPT-5.4 Nano, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite are the next lowest; exact token rates vary by model.
Understanding the Ratings
Every model has three ratings on a 1–5 scale:
- Creativity — the quality and originality of the prose. Higher means more varied vocabulary, more surprising metaphors, and more distinctive voice.
- Consistency — how closely the model follows your instructions, style settings, and established context. A 5/5 means it does exactly what you ask, every time.
- Freedom — how freely the model handles mature content, violence, and sensitive themes.
The Freedom Rating
This rating is especially important for genre fiction writers. Here's what each level means in practice:
- 5/5 (Unrestricted) — no content restrictions whatsoever. Handles explicit romance, graphic violence, horror, and taboo themes without refusing or softening. Only Grok 4.3 has this rating in the current lineup.
- 3/5 (Moderate) — handles most content but may soften explicit scenes or add content warnings. Fine for most fiction, but may frustrate writers of very dark or explicit material.
- 2/5 (Conservative) — will decline or significantly tone down explicit content. Best for clean fiction, young adult, or writers who prefer content guardrails.
Switching Models
You can switch models at any time using the model selector in the toolbar. Your choice persists for the current session. A few things to keep in mind:
- Switching models does not affect already-generated text — only future generations.
- Writing styles can specify a preferred model, but you can override this in the Advanced Settings panel.
- Different models cost different amounts. Check the cost rating ($ to $$$$$) in the model selector before generating if you're watching your token balance.
Want to understand how model costs translate to your token balance? Read The Token Economy.