Skip to main content

​
Model Comparison for Coding

ModelSpeedCode QualityCostContext WindowBest For
claude-opus-4-6ModerateExcellent$$$$200KArchitecture, complex refactoring
gpt-5.4ModerateExcellent$$$$200KComplex reasoning, planning
claude-sonnet-4-6FastVery Good$$$200KGeneral coding, reviews
gemini-3-pro-previewFastVery Good$$$1MLarge codebase analysis
gpt-5-miniVery FastGood$$128KQuick edits, completions
gemini-3-flash-previewVery FastGood$$1MFast iteration, search
deepseek-r1ModerateVery Good$64KReasoning-heavy tasks
deepseek-v3.2FastGood$128KBulk generation, boilerplate

​
Task-Specific Recommendations

Recommended: claude-sonnet-4-6, gemini-3-pro-previewThese models produce clean, well-structured code with good naming conventions. For complex multi-file scaffolding, consider claude-opus-4-6.Budget alternative: deepseek-v3.2 handles boilerplate well at a fraction of the cost.
Recommended: claude-sonnet-4-6, deepseek-r1Code review benefits from reasoning ability. deepseek-r1 is particularly cost-effective here — its chain-of-thought approach catches subtle issues.For security-focused reviews: claude-opus-4-6 or gpt-5.4.
Recommended: claude-sonnet-4-6, gpt-5-miniBug fixing is usually well-scoped — you know what’s broken. Standard-tier models handle this well. Use premium models only for complex, multi-file bugs.
Recommended: claude-opus-4-6, gpt-5.4Architecture decisions benefit from the strongest reasoning. Worth the premium cost since these decisions are infrequent but high-impact.
Recommended: gpt-5-mini, gemini-3-flash-previewSpeed is critical for interactive use. Budget models with fast response times provide the best experience. Don’t waste premium tokens on autocomplete.

​
How LemonData Routing Works

LemonData routes your requests to the best available provider automatically.

​
Routing Strategies

StrategyBehaviorBest For
PRIORITYRoutes to highest-priority available providerReliability-focused
COSTRoutes to cheapest available providerCost-focused
You can set your preferred strategy in the dashboard.

​
Automatic Fallback

If a provider is unavailable or returns an error, LemonData automatically retries with the next provider: 
Request: claude-sonnet-4-6
  → Provider A (primary): 503 error
  → Provider B (fallback): ✓ Success
This happens transparently — your coding agent sees a normal response.

​
Native Format Routing

When the selected model and routed channel support it, LemonData can route requests through the model family’s native API format for better compatibility:
Model FamilyAPI FormatBase URL
ClaudeAnthropic Messageshttps://api.lemondata.cc
GPTOpenAI Responseshttps://api.lemondata.cc/v1
GeminiGemini Native APIhttps://api.lemondata.cc or https://api.lemondata.cc/v1beta depending on client path
DeepSeekOpenAI Chathttps://api.lemondata.cc/v1
Claude Code is a strong native Anthropic path. Gemini-native APIs exist too, but Gemini CLI itself remains a best-effort compatibility path rather than a guaranteed long-term workflow.

​
Configuration per Tool

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-your-lemondata-key"
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.lemondata.cc"
Select model: claude --model claude-sonnet-4-6Full guide →
In Settings → Models:
  • API Key: sk-your-lemondata-key
  • Base URL: https://api.lemondata.cc/v1
  • Model: claude-sonnet-4-6 or gpt-5-mini
Full guide →
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-lemondata-key"
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://api.lemondata.cc/v1"
Full guide →
export GEMINI_API_KEY="sk-your-lemondata-key"
export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="https://api.lemondata.cc"
Treat this as best-effort compatibility rather than a stable upstream contract.Full guide →
{
  "provider": "openai",
  "apiKey": "sk-your-lemondata-key",
  "baseURL": "https://api.lemondata.cc/v1"
}
Full guide →