Zukko Blog
Guides to Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and the Claude and GPT APIs: setup, token savings and troubleshooting.
Model intelligence index: how to choose an AI model for a task
6 min · · models
Every model in the catalog has an intelligence index and a price. How to read the two together, and why the final word belongs to a test on your own tasks.
Qwen 3.8 Flash via API: setup, pricing and bulk text tasks
5 min · · models
The junior model of the Qwen 3.8 line for text tasks at volume. How to connect it, what it costs, and what to compare it with before you launch.
GPT-6 Luna via API: the low-cost GPT-6 for bulk text tasks
6 min · · models
The cheapest GPT-6 model in the catalog. How to connect it, what it can't take as input, and what labelling 100,000 messages costs.
Claude Fable 5.1 via API: setup, pricing and spend control
7 min · · models
Fable 5.1 is one of the most expensive models in the catalog. How to connect it, what a request costs, and how to cap spend with key settings.
DeepSeek V4 Pro via API: setup, pricing and image input
5 min · · models
How to connect DeepSeek V4 Pro, send it an image and estimate the cost. And why V4.1 Flash is the better deal for plain text.
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash via API: setup from Russia and pricing
5 min · · models
How to connect DeepSeek V4.1 Flash with a Zukko key and pay from Russia, what typical workloads cost, and which tasks the model suits.
Gemini 3.8 Flash via API: setup, pricing and bulk workloads
5 min · · models
How to connect Gemini 3.8 Flash with a Zukko key, what a million short requests cost, and which models to compare it with for bulk work.
GPT-6.1 Sol via API: setup, pricing and caching in Zukko
5 min · · models
How to call GPT-6.1 Sol with a Zukko key, what it costs, how to check caching via cached_tokens, and which models to compare it with.
GLM 5.3 Flash — $0.04 per million, and where that fits
3 min · · glm
Four cents per million tokens. A model for work that needs speed and simplicity, not deep reasoning.
A model vanished from the model list — why, and what to do
3 min · · диагностика
The model list isn't a year-long catalogue — it's a snapshot of what works right now. Here's why it changes.
GLM 5.3 vs Claude Opus 5.5 — when paying more pays off
3 min · · сравнение
$0.10 against $0.30 per million, 128K against a million of context. Where cheap wins and where it quietly costs more.
GLM 5.3 — setup and what it's actually good for
3 min · · glm
$0.10 per million tokens in and out, against $1.40 and $4.40 official. Where GLM 5.3 fits, and where it doesn't.
Which model writes the best Python code
4 min · · models
Instead of a ranking of "the best model for Python," a working method — run the same task through several models and compare honestly, on your own tests.
A million-token context window: what it's actually for
4 min · · models
A million-token context sounds impressive but most tasks don't need it. When it actually solves a problem, and when it just inflates the bill.
The cheapest model for a specific task
4 min · · models
A model's price can't be guessed from its name. How to check it, measure real per-request cost, and not overspend while testing.
Extended thinking: when to turn it on and what it costs
4 min · · models
The feature is available everywhere, but flipping it on for every request is a bad habit. Here's when extended thinking pays off and when it just inflates the bill.
Claude Opus 5.5 vs Opus 5 and 4.8: is switching worth it
4 min · · models
Opus 5 and 4.x are no longer in the catalog; Opus 5.5 with extended thinking and a 1M context has taken their place. Here's how to move and check results based on facts, not the version number.
Qwen 3.8 Max vs 3.7 Max: is it worth switching
4 min · · models
A newer version number always looks tempting. Here's what the preview suffix really means and how to check the difference on your own workload.
GPT-5.6 Terra, Sol, and Luna: how they differ and when to use which
4 min · · models
Similarly named models with no stated difference. Here's how to find out in a couple of requests which one fits your workload.
Why Russian text tokenizes differently than English
4 min · · models
The same sentence in Russian and English isn't billed the same — not because of markup, but because the tokenizer splits Cyrillic differently.
Claude or GPT for a tool-using agent — how to choose
4 min · · models
Both lineups have vision, extended thinking and a 1M context window — the real difference is how each API shapes tool calls and what happens when a loop step fails.
What a very long context actually costs you
4 min · · payments
A million-token context window sounds like permission to stop worrying. In practice you pay for it in more than one currency.
Nano Banana image generation through the API
2 min · · models
The image endpoint explained: three modes, request shape, and honest arithmetic on what an image costs.
Grok 4.6 through the API: setup and pricing
3 min · · models
Access through a shared key, a flat rate, a million-token window. Setup and what the model is worth comparing on.