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I tested 15 free AI models at building real software on a $25/year VPS

I tested 15 free AI models at building real software on a $25/year VPS

by j0rg3·Apr 2, 2026·37 points·7 comments

AI Analysis

MidDark Horse

Interesting free-tier LLM benchmarking methodology, but it's a blog post not a tool.

Strengths
  • Rigorous showdown loop methodology with 15 iterations and 10-minute timeout per model
  • Code audit comparing server.js architecture across passing models reveals quality differences
  • Honest about infrastructure failures versus genuine capability limitations
Weaknesses
  • Blog post with research findings, not a reusable tool or product
  • Single overnight run means results may vary on different days
Category
Target Audience

Developers evaluating free-tier LLMs for agentic workflows

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