Reference · How-to · ~10 min

How to compare two models

Pick with **your tasks**, not leaderboard hype.

Pick with **your tasks**, not leaderboard hype.

Steps

1. List **5–10 real prompts** from your product (anonymized)

2. Run **same system prompt + temperature** on model A and B

3. Score blind if possible — which answer would you ship?

4. Measure **latency**, **cost**, and **failure modes** (refusals, format breaks)

5. Choose default model; keep the other for hard escalations

Scorecard

| Prompt | Model A | Model B | Winner | Notes |

|--------|---------|---------|--------|-------|

| … | quality 1–5 | quality 1–5 | | |

Dimensions beyond quality

  • Follows JSON schema?
  • Handles long context without forgetting?
  • Tool calling reliable?
  • Safe on adversarial inputs?

Copy-paste comparison prompt

Use identical messages; only change `model=` in API calls.

**Try the lessons:** `choosing-a-model` · `pick-the-right-tool`