With Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, and their various versions, choosing the right AI model for a task can feel overwhelming. It doesn't need to be. Here's a simple decision framework that works for most business situations.
The Three-Tier Framework
Tier 1: Fast and Cheap (Daily Tasks)
Models: Claude Haiku, GPT-4o mini
Cost: Fractions of a cent per interaction
Best for:
- Quick questions and short answers
- Simple email drafts
- Routine formatting and structuring
- Basic summarisation
- Short social media posts
Use this when: Speed matters more than nuance, or the task is straightforward.
Tier 2: Balanced (Standard Business)
Models: Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o
Cost: A few cents per complex interaction
Best for:
- Professional email drafting
- Content creation (blog posts, articles)
- Client communications
- Research and analysis
- Proposal drafting
- Meeting preparation
Use this when: You need good quality output for professional use. This is your default for most business tasks.
Tier 3: Premium (Critical Work)
Models: Claude Opus
Cost: Higher per interaction but worth it for important work
Best for:
- Important client proposals and presentations
- Complex strategic analysis
- Long document review and synthesis
- Nuanced writing that requires exceptional quality
- Complex problem-solving
Use this when: The output directly impacts revenue, reputation, or important decisions.
The Decision Flowchart
- Is it a quick, simple task? → Tier 1
- Is it standard business work? → Tier 2
- Is it high-stakes or complex? → Tier 3
- Not sure? → Start with Tier 2 and upgrade if the quality isn't sufficient
Setting Up Automatic Routing
OpenClaw can be configured to automatically route tasks to the appropriate model tier. Common configurations:
- Default model: Claude Sonnet (Tier 2) for everyday use
- Quick commands: Claude Haiku (Tier 1) for simple questions
- Content creation: Claude Opus (Tier 3) for blog posts and important documents
- Fallback: GPT-4o if Anthropic has an outage
This means you don't need to think about model selection for every interaction. The system makes smart choices automatically, and you can override when needed.
When to Switch Models
Signs your current model tier isn't right:
- Upgrade needed: Output feels shallow, misses nuances, or requires significant editing
- Downgrade possible: Output is consistently excellent but the task doesn't require that level of quality
Most businesses settle into a pattern within a few weeks: Tier 2 for 80% of tasks, Tier 1 for quick queries, Tier 3 for important work.
Book a free discovery call and we'll configure optimal model routing for your business.