GPT-5.4 is the best AI for coding interviews because it explains tradeoffs well, reasons through edge cases, and helps with both implementation and verbal interview prep.
The safest coding interviews default, the cheaper option worth trying first, and the specialist pick — before you read the detail below.
GPT-5.4 is the strongest answer here for coding interviews — pick it when quality of output matters more than the $2.50/1M/1M input you pay for it.
Codestral 25.01 handles the same job for about 79% less per token. Start here and only move up if the output is not good enough.
GPT-5.2 Mini is the fastest of these for coding interviews — worth it when latency is what the reader notices, not the last few points of reasoning depth.
GPT-5.4 is the best premium model for interview reasoning and explanation quality.
GPT-5.2 Mini is the best lower-cost general technical practice option.
Codestral 25.01 is useful when the focus is implementation reps rather than broader interview reasoning.
Use GPT-5.4 for mock explanations, debugging, and system-thinking practice.
Use GPT-5.2 Mini when you want more reps at lower cost.
Use Codestral when you care mostly about coding speed and code-level iteration.
Switch the scoring lens to see whether the coding interviews answer changes when cost, speed, or long-document depth leads the decision.
Anthropic / Premium / Sep 3, 2026
Best daily driver for coding and writing — the model most developers actually reach for.
Ranks models by the broadest mix of coding, writing, research, and long-context usefulness.
You specifically need desktop-control capabilities (GPT-5.5/GPT-5.4) or the absolute highest coding ceiling (Opus 4.7).
Where the coding interviews recommendation shifts once you weigh price or latency differently.
Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
Solid OpenAI budget option, though Gemini Flash offers better value.
Best budget-focused coding specialist for high-volume developer teams.
Best daily driver for coding and writing — the model most developers actually reach for.
List prices and published scores — the numbers this page's pick is built from.
| Model | Input | Output | Est. month | Context | Speed | Coding | Writing | Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.4OpenAI | $2.50/1M | $15.00/1M | $55 | 272k tokens | Balanced | 90 | 88 | 88 |
| GPT-5.2 MiniOpenAI | $1.20/1M | $4.80/1M | $22 | 128k tokens | Fast | 78 | 72 | 68 |
| Codestral 25.01Mistral | $0.90/1M | $2.70/1M | $14 | 256k tokens | Very fast | 88 | 38 | 52 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6Anthropic | $3.00/1M | $15.00/1M | $60 | 1M tokens | Balanced | 97 | 98 | 93 |
Scores out of 100 — how we evaluate models. “Est. month” is 10M in / 2M out at list price: a ceiling, no discounts.
Why each one is on the shortlist for coding interviews, what it is genuinely good at, and where we would steer you away from it.
Ranked first here for coding interviews: 90/100 on coding, with the widest margin of anything in this line-up.
OpenAI's latest flagship with unique desktop-control capabilities — it can see your screen, click, and navigate apps via the API.
You need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks.
Best choice when you need a model that can operate software autonomously at the older GPT-5.4 price tier. For current premium coding quality, Claude Opus 4.7 leads.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the GPT-5.4 page.
The fastest model in this shortlist for coding interviews. Pick it when turnaround is what your readers or users notice.
Lower-cost OpenAI model that keeps a solid balance of usefulness, speed, and affordability for everyday tasks.
Cost is your primary concern — Gemini 3.1 Flash offers more for less.
A decent budget OpenAI pick, but Gemini 3.1 Flash undercuts it on price with a larger context window.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the GPT-5.2 Mini page.
The value option for coding interviews: about 79% less per token than GPT-5.4, at 88/100 on coding. Worth starting here and moving up only if the output disappoints.
Best budget-focused coding specialist for high-volume developer teams. Full Codestral 25.01 review →
The alternative to check next for coding interviews — 97/100 on coding.
Best daily driver for coding and writing — the model most developers actually reach for. Full Claude Sonnet 4.6 review →
UseRightAI recommendations are based on practical decision factors people actually feel in day-to-day use.
Newsletter
We email when the coding interviews pick changes, when one of these models moves on price, or when something new displaces the current leader.
No spam. Useful updates only. Affiliate disclosures always clearly labeled.
For coding interviews, GPT-5.4 (OpenAI) is our pick. Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows. It costs $2.5/1M input and $15/1M output tokens, with a 272K-token context window — enough headroom for all but the largest coding interviews jobs. GPT-5.2 Mini is the closest alternative if it doesn't fit your setup.
Because the work it is built for overlaps closely with coding interviews: building agents that browse the web and operate desktop software autonomously via the API and complex multi-step reasoning for financial modeling and decision analysis. Best choice when you need a model that can operate software autonomously at the older GPT-5.4 price tier. For current premium coding quality, Claude Opus 4.7 leads.
On a moderate month — 10M input and 2M output tokens — GPT-5.4 runs about $55.00 at list price, with no batch or caching discounts applied, so treat that as a ceiling. Codestral 25.01 is the cheaper route at roughly $14.40 for the same volume, if coding interviews is high-volume enough for price to lead the decision.
Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 now outperform it on current premium coding benchmarks. Smaller context window (272K) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro (2M) for research. Avoid it if you need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks. None of that rules it out for coding interviews on its own — but if one of those limits maps onto how you actually work, take the alternative on this page seriously rather than defaulting to the top pick.
Codestral 25.01 at $0.9/1M input is the budget option here. Best budget-focused coding specialist for high-volume developer teams. Expect a quality step down on the hardest cases — the usual pattern is to route routine coding interviews volume to Codestral 25.01 and keep GPT-5.4 for the work where a wrong answer is expensive.
Codestral 25.01, rated very fast against GPT-5.4's balanced. Speed matters most for interactive and high-volume work; if your coding interviews runs in the background, the slower and more capable model is usually the better trade.