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Mesa gives you a choice of AI models and effort levels for every conversation. Matching them to the task at hand gets you better results while making the most of your usage allocation.

Select a model and effort level

Use the dropdown above the chat box on the home page to pick a model and effort level before you send your message.

Compare models

ModelBest forUsage
Claude Opus 4.8Corpus research, document drafting, and complex tasksHigher
GPT 5.5Corpus research, document drafting, and complex tasksHigher
Claude Sonnet 5Short questions and simpler tasksLower
GPT 5.4 MiniShort questions and simpler tasksLower
Gemini 3.5 FlashQuick questions and simpler tasksLower

Compare effort levels

Effort levelBest for
Deep ResearchLarge context, many files or documents, and deliverable-style tasks
BalancedIntermediate document drafting and specific investigations
FastQuick questions and simple requests

Which combination should you pick?

  • Quick lookup or simple question: a lighter model on Fast. You’ll get an answer in seconds without dipping into your allocation.
  • Drafting a document or investigating a specific issue: a higher-capability model on Balanced.
  • Comprehensive research, many documents, or a polished deliverable: a higher-capability model on Deep Research. Pair it with Notifications so you don’t have to wait at the screen.
Higher-capability models and effort levels consume more of your allocation. See Usage to check how much you have left.

Usage

Track daily and weekly usage so you can plan your work.

Writing effective prompts

A well-written prompt matters as much as the model you pick.

Exhaustive search

Use a comprehensive search mode when completeness matters more than speed.
Last modified on July 8, 2026