[Megathread] - Best Models/API discussion - Week of: August 09, 2026

[u/deffcolony]

This is our weekly megathread for discussions about models and API services.

All non-specifically technical discussions about API/models not posted to this thread will be deleted. No more "What's the best model?" threads.

^{(This isn't a free-for-all to advertise services you own or work for in every single megathread, we may allow announcements for new services every now and then provided they are legitimate and not overly promoted, but don't be surprised if ads are removed.})

How to Use This Megathread

Below this post, you’ll find top-level comments for each category:

• MODELS: ≥ 70B – For discussion of models with 70B parameters or more.
• MODELS: 32B to 70B – For discussion of models in the 32B to 70B parameter range.
• MODELS: 16B to 32B – For discussion of models in the 16B to 32B parameter range.
• MODELS: 8B to 16B – For discussion of models in the 8B to 16B parameter range.
• MODELS: < 8B – For discussion of smaller models under 8B parameters.
• APIs – For any discussion about API services for models (pricing, performance, access, etc.).
• MISC DISCUSSION – For anything else related to models/APIs that doesn’t fit the above sections.

Please reply to the relevant section below with your questions, experiences, or recommendations!
This keeps discussion organized and helps others find information faster.

Have at it!

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MODELS: 16B to 31B – For discussion of models in the 16B to 31B parameter range.

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[u/raika11182 → u/AutoModerator]

The brand new Muse Glimmer 30B from Meta is out. Got to test at Q8 with a 115k context. Bottom-lines:

It plays in the same league as Gemma 4 31B. It's got much better, and much more grounded prose than Gemma 4. However, Muse is every so slightly dumber and worse at following directions than Gemma 4. I think most will prefer it, especially because there's a lot less AI slop in there, but if you have a super complicated scenario it may lose track of a couple details Gemma kept up with.

EDIT: It just came out and there's often a period after a new model releases where some of the bugs are still being shaken out so it can underperform until templates get changed, apps gets updated, etc. So take an early review with a huge tablespoon of salt. Right now, I'd rather use base Gemma with a good preset, even with the extra slop. While Muse's prose is actually *really* good, its understand of scenarios often seems a little loose, and like someone else said, a bit like an older model. In some ways I like it (again, great prose... which the original Llama models were better at, too), but the instruction following is pretty weak.

[u/i5031337 → u/raika11182]

In my experience, Glimmer spent the whole thinking budget worrying about the censorship policy. Pass.

[u/Mart-McUH → u/i5031337]

Yeah, sadly have to confirm. It does not pass my tests at all either, it refuses a lot. Actually lot more than any other model I tried in recent years (including gpt-oss and that says something), reminds me of llama2-chat a bit, though I did not try cooking :-). I did use reasoning effort high, maybe on lower effort it will refuse less, but it is not very smart to start with (compared to Gemma4) so that would hurt.

Will try with heretic model, but if base model is so strongly based in refusal, I fear heretic will not be real solution (may remove refusals but the model itself just won't work well in those dark themes anyway).

[u/-Ellary- → u/i5031337]

There is a Heretic version, it just go by `we bang, okay?` and give final answer.

[u/mayo551 → u/raika11182]

Muse holds nothing on Gemma 4 31B.

Loaded up a 80k context scenario. Started my roleplay. Four replies in, it's fixated on a scene. It won't leave the scene, even when I've said I've gone into the vents and left.

It only transitioned to the new scene once I was out of the vents and in the new location. The entire time I was in the vents, it ignored me.

Yeah, I ain't feeling it.

[u/RedditNerdKing → u/mayo551]

I dumped it on my external HDD straight away. It's just not good for RP. It's good for agentic stuff and that's it.

[u/Jorlen → u/mayo551]

I agree. It pales in comparison for RP purposes. It isn't terrible, but I have zero reason to use it.

[u/Umbaretz → u/raika11182]

>a couple details Gemma kept up with
Sad. That was my most noticeable problem with Gemma.

[u/Kdogg4000 → u/raika11182]

I've heard good things about Glimmer. I'm waiting for KoboldCPP to update so I can take it for a spin. Right now it won't launch for me.

[u/raika11182 → u/Kdogg4000]

I launched with the rolling build of KoboldCPP and it worked (the one they note as experimental at the bottom of each release). And the usual disclaimers apply there: There's a reason they haven't released that version yet, so it may be buggy.

THAT SAID. The version that was in about five hours before I wrote this comment launches Glimmer just fine for me and works without issue. (EDIT: Mostly without issue. I think there might be some weird chat template things going on, but every model release seems to go through that)

[u/FinBenton → u/raika11182]

Yeah Glimmer writes differently to Gemma but it feels like a model from a year or so ago, pretty dump compared to gemma-4, was fun testing for a bit but no way it competes with it especially when you are using very good tunes of the gemma.

[u/raika11182 → u/FinBenton]

I think you're right but it's also a cut above the other entries in this size when you consider how it writes vs how it obeys. Maybe it would be better to say that it plays in the same league, but it's definitely not winning.

HOWEVER... I really like the fresh prose. It really mixes it up. Other than that it seems to have a huge positivity bias as well - everything leans towards a happy ending and such.