# Replicate Compare Models — model skill for tools & renderers

> **For AI agents:** find the right skill in one call — `curl -s "https://skills.varg.ai/api/search?q=<what the person wants>"` returns the matching use case and the best skills with install commands, as markdown (Russian works too). Full index: https://skills.varg.ai/llms.txt. Every page has a markdown twin: add `.md` to its path. Before generating anything, show the person the options on the use-case page.

Compare Replicate models on cost, speed, quality and capabilities before you commit to one.

- **Type:** [Model](https://skills.varg.ai/models.md) · [Tools & renderers](https://skills.varg.ai/browse/skills/tooling.md)
- **Slug:** `replicate-compare-models`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** Replicate (vendor, verified)
- **License:** Apache-2.0
- **Source:** https://github.com/replicate/skills/tree/main/skills/compare-models
- **Works in:** Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI
- **Requires:** Replicate account and API token
- **Cost:** Billed by Replicate per prediction
- **Adoption:** 2,200 installs, 142 GitHub stars (skills.sh, 2026-10-26)

## What it does

A workflow for weighing Replicate models against each other on cost, speed, quality and capabilities. It covers the key trade-offs, official versus community models, and where prompting guidance changes the outcome.

## Use when

- Choosing between candidate models
- Trading off cost, speed and quality

## Install

- Claude Code: `npx skills add replicate/skills --skill compare-models -a claude-code`
- Codex: `npx skills add replicate/skills --skill compare-models -a codex`
- Cursor: `npx skills add replicate/skills --skill compare-models -a cursor`
- Gemini CLI: `npx skills add replicate/skills --skill compare-models -a gemini-cli`

## Example output

https://skills.varg.ai/previews/replicate-compare-models.webp — Style-transfer comparison from Replicate's 'Which image editing model should I use?' post: the input photo (left) and the same 'make this an oil painting' edit by GPT-image-1, FLUX.1 Kontext, Nano Banana (top row), Qwen, SeedEdit, Seedream (bottom row); the page's seven images arranged in one grid (credit: Replicate, https://replicate.com/blog/compare-image-editing-models)

## More tools & renderers skills

- [varg AI](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/varg-ai.md): The official varg skill: videos, images, speech and music through one API key, rendered in the cloud or locally.
- [Media Download](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/media-download.md): Save any video by link (X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, 1800+ sites) or Pinterest images as references, locally, no key.
- [Templates Gallery Ops](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/varg-templates-section.md): Internal runbook for the varg app Templates gallery: publish renders, preview clips, frame-0 posters, shelves.
- [HyperFrames CLI](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/hyperframes-cli.md): Drive the HyperFrames CLI: scaffold, check, preview, snapshot, edit the timeline, render locally or in the cloud.
- [HyperFrames Registry](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/hyperframes-registry.md): Pull any of ~450 ready-made blocks into a video as editable source: transitions, titles, captions, charts, 3D.
- [HyperFrames Media Use](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/hyperframes-media-use.md): Find or make every asset a video needs: music, SFX, voiceover, images, logos, avatars, transcripts, grades.

## Run the generation on varg

varg is one API key for the models these skills drive — Seedance 2.5, Kling 4, Veo 3.1, Wan 3, Nano Banana 2.1, GPT Image 2.5, ElevenLabs v4 and 200+ more — billed in credits, with a cost estimate before anything runs.

- Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg` (skill + hosted MCP)
- Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenClaw: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-ai -a <agent> -y`
- Claude.ai, ChatGPT, any MCP client: connect `https://mcp.varg.ai/mcp`
- API key: https://varg.ai/dashboard/api · Model specs: https://varg.ai/models/llms.txt