Supported models and providers
The LLM providers Helix supports and the model identifiers to use in project and assistant configuration.
Helix routes inference to external providers — it doesn't bundle models. You configure providers under Account → AI Providers (UI) or controlplane.providers (Helm).
Providers
| Provider | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | Cloud API | Claude models. Recommended for coding agents. |
| OpenAI | Cloud API | GPT-4 and o-series models |
| Cloud API | Gemini models via the Gemini API | |
| Together AI | Cloud API | Hosted open-source models (Llama, Mistral, Qwen, etc.) |
| Helix | Built-in | Available on Helix Cloud. Useful for getting started without your own keys. |
| OpenAI-compatible | Any | Any endpoint serving /v1/chat/completions — vLLM, Ollama, LM Studio, Anyscale, etc. |
| Anthropic via Vertex | Cloud API | Anthropic models routed through GCP Vertex AI |
Model identifiers
Use these in model: fields in project and assistant YAML.
Anthropic
| Model ID | Description |
|---|---|
claude-opus-4-8 | Most capable Claude model |
claude-sonnet-4-6 | Balanced capability and speed. Default for most coding tasks. |
claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 | Fastest, lowest cost |
OpenAI
| Model ID | Description |
|---|---|
gpt-4o | GPT-4 Omni — multimodal, strong reasoning |
gpt-4o-mini | Smaller, faster, lower cost |
o3 | High-reasoning model for complex tasks |
o4-mini | Fast reasoning |
| Model ID | Description |
|---|---|
gemini-2.5-pro | Most capable Gemini model |
gemini-2.5-flash | Fast and cost-efficient |
Qwen (via Together AI or Helix runner)
| Model ID | Description |
|---|---|
qwen3-coder-480b | Large coding-tuned Qwen model |
qwen3:8b | Small Qwen model, runs locally |
qwen3:30b-a3b | Mid-size Qwen model |
Local / self-hosted (OpenAI-compatible)
Any model served by Ollama, vLLM, LM Studio, or another OpenAI-compatible server. The model ID is whatever that server uses:
agent:
model: llama3.3 # or deepseek-r1, gemma3, mistral, etc.
provider: ollama # whatever you named this provider in HelixModel selection for code agents
| Code agent | Model selection |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | Managed internally — you don't set model or provider |
| Goose | Set model and provider in the project YAML |
| Qwen Code | Set model and provider. Works with any OpenAI-compatible provider. |
| Zed Agent | Set model and provider. Routes through Helix's /v1 proxy. |
Recommendations
For coding tasks (spec tasks, implementation):
- Claude Code with Anthropic → best overall code quality
- Sonnet 4.6 or Opus 4.8 for Goose/Zed/Qwen → strong alternatives
- Qwen3-Coder-480b via Together AI → best open-source option
For chat assistants (knowledge bases, support bots):
- Qwen3:8b → fast, low cost, runs locally
- GPT-4o-mini → good for cost-sensitive cloud deployments
- Gemini Flash → fast and multimodal
For planning and analysis (complex reasoning):
- o3 or Claude Opus → highest reasoning quality