hard AIs Model Catalog
The hard AIs Model Catalog is designed to save you time by consolidating the AI models worth knowing about into one browsable, plain-English resource.
If you’ve browsed a site like Hugging Face, you’ve seen millions of models and wondered where to start. Here’s the secret: most of them aren’t distinct. The overwhelming majority are fine-tunes, quantizations, and re-uploads of a few hundred original foundation models — the genuine, built-from-scratch “trunks” that everything else branches off. We catalog those trunks comprehensively, plus the derivatives that earn their place by offering a real specialization, a meaningful cost or accessibility win, or notable adoption. That’s why a focused list of a couple hundred entries can cover the field that looks, at first glance, bottomless.
All entries are researched and drafted with AI tools using primary sources wherever possible; claims that can't be verified don't make it in. That said, AI-assisted research is not infallible and model details — particularly pricing and licensing — change quickly. Before committing to a model for a business use case, verify the specifics with the model's creator or official documentation.
Describe what you need
Tell us the job in plain English — we’ll return only models that are actually in this catalog, ranked, with why each one matched. We never invent a model.
Creators
ByteDance
China-based (TikTok's parent company); AI work runs through its Seed research team.
Mistral AI
Paris-based, subject to French and EU regulations including the EU AI Act.
Watchlist
2 models we’re tracking but haven’t fully cataloged.
How this catalog works
Sources, methods, and why you should trust this catalog — or not.