180 models ranked for backend development. Scored with bonuses for reasoning (architecture), function calling (API design), JSON mode (data structures), large context, large output, and streaming.
| # | Model | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claude Opus 4.7Anthropic | 95 |
| 2 | GPT-5.5OpenAI | 93 |
| 3 | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom ToolsGoogle | 92 |
| 4 | Gemini 3.1 Pro PreviewGoogle | 92 |
| 5 | GPT-5.4 ProOpenAI | 92 |
| 6 | GPT-5.4OpenAI | 92 |
| 7 | GPT-5.5 ProOpenAI | 91 |
| 8 | GPT-5.2 ProOpenAI | 91 |
| 9 | Claude Opus 4.6 (Fast)Anthropic | 90 |
| 10 | Claude Opus 4.6Anthropic | 90 |
| 11 | GPT-5.2-CodexOpenAI | 90 |
| 12 | GPT-5.2OpenAI | 90 |
| 13 | GPT-5.3-CodexOpenAI | 89 |
| 14 | GPT-5 ProOpenAI | 89 |
| 15 | Gemini 3 Flash PreviewGoogle | 88 |
| 16 | GPT-5.1-Codex-MaxOpenAI | 88 |
| 17 | GPT-5 CodexOpenAI | 88 |
| 18 | GPT-5OpenAI | 88 |
| 19 | GPT-5.1OpenAI | 87 |
| 20 | GPT-5.1-CodexOpenAI | 87 |
| 21 | GPT-5.1-Codex-MiniOpenAI | 87 |
| 22 | DeepSeek V4 ProDeepSeek | 87 |
| 23 | o3 Deep ResearchOpenAI | 87 |
| 24 | o3 ProOpenAI | 87 |
| 25 | o3OpenAI | 87 |
| 26 | Grok 4.20xAI | 89 |
| 27 | Claude Sonnet 4.6Anthropic | 85 |
| 28 | Claude Opus 4.5Anthropic | 85 |
| 29 | Grok 4xAI | 88 |
| 30 | Gemini 2.5 ProGoogle | 84 |
Generate REST and GraphQL APIs with proper validation, error handling, and authentication. Function calling models understand API contracts and OpenAPI specs.
Write Prisma schemas, SQL migrations, and query optimizations. JSON mode produces structured database schemas and seed data.
Design microservices, message queues, and event-driven architectures. Reasoning models evaluate trade-offs between monolith and distributed approaches.
Implement OAuth, JWT, RBAC, and API rate limiting. Models understand security best practices, OWASP guidelines, and common vulnerability patterns.
Models ranking highest here excel at generating server-side code in Node.js, Python, Go, and Rust. Key differentiators are reasoning (for system design), large context windows (for understanding full codebases), and function calling (for testing generated APIs).
Yes, reasoning-capable models can design normalized schemas, write complex SQL/NoSQL queries, optimize indexes, and generate migration scripts. Models with large context can analyze existing schemas alongside new requirements to suggest incremental changes.
Top-ranked models identify SQL injection, authentication bypass, and insecure deserialization patterns. Reasoning models explain the attack vector and suggest specific fixes. For security-critical code, use models that score high on reasoning rather than just speed.
Models with strong reasoning produce service boundaries, API contracts, message queue designs, and deployment configs from natural language requirements. JSON mode outputs structured architecture decision records (ADRs) and OpenAPI specs.