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Which TextMate AI Model Should You Use? A Guide to All 8 Models

2026-07-02 · Thamodharan Ganesan

TextMate AI isn't locked to a single model. Every chat lets you pick from 8 models served via NVIDIA NIM, three of which are available on the Free plan.

Free-tier models

ModelBest for
GPT-OSS 120B (default)Balanced, fast, general-purpose — the right default for most conversations. Verified ~131K context window.
GPT-OSS 20BA lighter, faster variant of GPT-OSS for quick questions where you don't need the full 120B model.
Mistral Small 4The fastest response times in the picker — good for short back-and-forth chat.

Pro-only models

ModelBest for
Mistral Large 3The largest model available — highest output quality for complex requests.
Llama 4 MaverickFast and accurate, a strong middle ground between speed and depth.
GLM 5.1Strong reasoning — a good pick for multi-step logic or analysis.
Qwen 3.5 122BA balanced Qwen model, useful as an alternative "second opinion" model.
Kimi K2.6Built for long-context reasoning — pick this when you're working with a lot of prior conversation or a long document.

The "reasoning effort" knob

Only the GPT-OSS models (120B and 20B) expose a thinking-depth control. When a question needs deeper multi-step reasoning, TextMate AI can raise GPT-OSS's reasoning effort rather than switching models entirely — this is why GPT-OSS 120B is the default: it's the one model in the picker that scales its own depth of thought on demand.

Output length varies by model

Every model has a per-response output cap. GPT-OSS 120B and 20B support up to 120,000 output tokens in a single response — enough for very long rewrites or documents. Llama 4 Maverick caps at 16,384 tokens. The remaining Pro models use a conservative 8,192-token cap. If you're generating long-form content in one shot, GPT-OSS is the model built for that.

How to pick

  • Default / unsure: stick with GPT-OSS 120B.
  • Need speed over depth: Mistral Small 4 (free) or Llama 4 Maverick (Pro).
  • Long documents or long chat history: Kimi K2.6.
  • Heavier reasoning/analysis: GLM 5.1, or raise GPT-OSS's reasoning effort.

See the Models page for the live picker with plan requirements, or Pricing for what Free vs Pro unlocks.