Choosing the Right Model
Selecting the optimal AI model depends on your specific task requirements, compliance needs, and budget. All Schatzi AI models run exclusively on Swiss infrastructure, ensuring your data never leaves Switzerland. This guide helps you match your use case to the right model.
Quick Decision Guide
"I just want to draft an email or LinkedIn post"
→ Chat & Document Analysis - Medium
This model offers instant responses with strong contextual understanding and efficient support for all major European languages. It provides excellent value for routine writing tasks and general chat applications.
"I need to ensure Swiss/EU compliance and transparency"
→ Apertus Swiss LLM - Large
Specifically designed for government agencies and organizations requiring strict data sovereignty, this Swiss LLM is fully compliant with the AI Act and respects privacy and intellectual property. With documented data and methods for unprecedented transparency, it delivers frontier-level performance in a 70B parameter configuration.
"I need complex reasoning and agent workflows"
→ Reasoning & Agent tasks - Large
Optimized for powerful reasoning, agentic tasks, and versatile developer use cases, this model supports advanced function calling and reasoning capabilities. It is the ideal choice for automation workflows, complex problem-solving, and sophisticated AI agents.
"I need up-to-date web search and current information"
→ Search, Chat & Analysis - Small
Optimized for web search and chat, this model is suitable for accessing current information and recent developments. It also supports vision capabilities, making it useful for content creation and artistic applications including storytelling.
"I need to analyze documents and images"
→ Chat & Document Analysis - Large
This large-scale model delivers frontier-level performance across a broad range of complex tasks. With advanced multilingual capabilities and vision support, it can analyze both text documents and images, with an optional reasoning mode to dynamically tailor responses to query complexity.
"I need maximum capability for everything"
→ Chat, Document Analysis & Agent tasks - Xtra Large
This very large-scale model combines vision, reasoning, function calling, and web search capabilities. It handles document analysis, agent tasks, and complex reasoning, dynamically tailoring responses to context and complexity. Use this when you need the highest capability across all modalities.
Model Capabilities at a Glance
| Model | Category | Vision | Reasoning | Web Search | Function Calling | Context Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apertus Swiss LLM - Large | Swiss LLM / Multilingual | No | No | No | No | 65,536 |
| Chat & Document Analysis - Medium | Document Analysis | No | No | No | No | 128,000 |
| Reasoning & Agent tasks - Large | Reasoning & Agent | No | Yes | No | Yes | 32,768 |
| Search, Chat & Analysis - Small | Web Search & Chat | Yes | No | Yes | No | Not specified |
| Chat & Document Analysis - Large | Document Analysis (Vision) | Yes | No | No | No | Not specified |
| Chat, Document Analysis & Agent tasks - Xtra Large | Universal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not specified |
Pricing Overview
The following table provides a complete comparison of input and output pricing for all models. Prices are shown in CHF per million tokens.
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For more details on how tokens are calculated and billed, see Understanding Tokens.
General Tips
Start Simple
Begin with cost-effective models like Chat & Document Analysis - Medium for routine tasks. You can always switch to more powerful models if you need additional capabilities such as vision or reasoning. See our Lite Plan for economical entry-level access.
Match Compliance Requirements
For government agencies, healthcare, or any organization requiring strict data sovereignty and AI Act compliance, Apertus Swiss LLM - Large is the recommended choice. While all models run on Swiss infrastructure with data never leaving Switzerland, Apertus provides additional transparency and compliance documentation. Learn more about our Data Protection standards.
Mix and Match
It's efficient to use different models for different tasks throughout your workflow:
- Chat & Document Analysis - Medium for daily correspondence and quick questions
- Reasoning & Agent tasks - Large for automation and complex analysis
- Search, Chat & Analysis - Small for research requiring current web data
Consider Context Window
Understanding context windows helps you select the right model for your document length:
- Short tasks (< 1 page): Any model works well
- Medium tasks (1-20 pages): Chat & Document Analysis - Medium (128K context) or Apertus Swiss LLM - Large (65K context)
- Long tasks (20+ pages): Use models with large context windows or process documents in sections
- Very long documents: Consider Chat & Document Analysis - Medium for its 128,000 token capacity, or chunk your content when using other models
When to Upgrade / Downgrade
When to Upgrade
Consider switching to a more capable model when:
- Results lack depth: Move from Chat & Document Analysis - Medium to Chat & Document Analysis - Large for more sophisticated document analysis and nuanced outputs
- You need reasoning capabilities: Switch to Reasoning & Agent tasks - Large or Chat, Document Analysis & Agent tasks - Xtra Large when complex logic, step-by-step thinking, or agent workflows are required
- Vision is needed: Upgrade to Search, Chat & Analysis - Small, Chat & Document Analysis - Large, or Chat, Document Analysis & Agent tasks - Xtra Large when analyzing images, charts, or visual content
- Maximum capability required: Use Chat, Document Analysis & Agent tasks - Xtra Large for tasks requiring the combination of reasoning, vision, function calling, and web search in a single workflow
When to Downgrade
Consider switching to a simpler model when:
- Speed is priority: Use Chat & Document Analysis - Medium instead of larger models for faster response times in routine tasks
- Cost optimization: For simple chat and document tasks, Chat & Document Analysis - Medium offers excellent value with input pricing at ... per million tokens
- Basic web search: Search, Chat & Analysis - Small is sufficient for web search and basic conversational needs without the overhead of maximum-scale models
- No special features needed: If your task does not require vision, reasoning, or function calling, avoid paying premium rates for models that include these capabilities
Build a personal model selection cheat sheet based on your recurring workflows. Most users find that 2-3 models cover 90% of their needs—typically Chat & Document Analysis - Medium for quick tasks, Reasoning & Agent tasks - Large for specialized work, and Apertus Swiss LLM - Large for any compliance-sensitive operations. Monitor your usage patterns in the dashboard to optimize your selection over time.