Best AI model release trackers for AI hobbyists in 2026
Compare Model Odds, Artificial Analysis, LLM Stats, LMSYS Chatbot Arena and AI News for model release timing, model comparisons and news.
SupaKeeper is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.
Ask what a hobbyist needs: when a model might arrive, how existing models compare, and where the community is talking. Model Odds ranks Anthropic and OpenAI model families by their estimated chance of release, and it is free. [1] [1] The sections below say what each source states.
| Option | What it does | Price as stated |
|---|---|---|
| Model Odds | Ranks every Anthropic and OpenAI model family by its estimated chance of release within 30 days. [1] | Free, and so is its API, with no account needed. [1] |
| Polymarket | Operates globally through separate legal entities. [2] | not published |
| Manifold | Lets users browse markets in categories including politics, technology, sports, culture, business and fun. [3] | New users are given 1,000 Mana to start trading. [3] |
| Kalshi | Kalshi is a prediction market for trading the future. [4] | not published |
| Artificial Analysis | Lets users compare models on intelligence, pricing, speed, latency, benchmarks and more. [5] | not published |
| Hugging Face | Lets users browse 2M+ models. [6] | GPU compute starts at $0.60 per hour. [6] |
| LMSYS Chatbot Arena | Lets users battle 2 anonymous models. [7] | not published |
| Vellum | Its assistant can send emails, manage calendars, browse the web, create slides, write code, run deep research, monitor websites, and run recurring tasks in the background. [8] | Free to download and start. [8] |
| Latent Space | Covers how leading labs build agents, models, infrastructure, and AI for science. [9] | not published |
| The Rundown AI | Runs weekly live, interactive workshops with industry leaders. [10] | not published |
| LLM Stats | Ranks GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, GLM and more by intelligence, speed and price. [11] | not published |
| AI News by Smol AI | Summarizes top AI Discords, AI Reddits and AI X/Twitters and sends a daily roundup. [12] | not published |
What AI hobbyists need from AI model release trackers
An AI hobbyist usually wants to answer three things: whether a new model is likely to arrive soon, how the models that already exist compare, and whether a model can be tried without a large bill.
Those jobs need different tools. A release tracker estimates or reports when models arrive. A comparison site puts models side by side. A news digest collects what people say in community channels. A hosting site lets you open models and try them. A tool built for one of these jobs may not do the others, so check which job a tool is for before you compare it with the rest.
Two limits matter. A release estimate is a guess about timing, and the company decides when it publishes a model. Comparison results depend on the tests a site runs, so read what each one measures. The sections below say what each source states and nothing more, and the last section lists what to check where a source is silent.
Model Odds for AI hobbyists
Model Odds is made by the team that publishes this site. It ranks every Anthropic and OpenAI model family by its estimated chance of release within 30 days. [1] Anthropic and OpenAI each get their own page that lists every past release. [1] Each past release is confirmed by an official post and an independent timeline, and it is listed with its date. [1]
The estimate uses the gaps between recent releases and how long the current wait has already lasted. [1] Three separate calculations run side by side, and the page shows how far apart they are. [1] Signals read automatically from company developer kits and documentation can only raise the odds. [1] The estimator can replay any past date without using information from after that date, so you can see how it would have judged earlier releases. [1]
Model Odds is a web app that runs in the browser and needs JavaScript. [1] It is free, and so is its API, with no account needed. [1]
Artificial Analysis for AI hobbyists
Artificial Analysis lets users compare models on intelligence, pricing, speed, latency, benchmarks and more. [5] It offers a product called Optima. [5] It also announced a Cyber Index. [5]
For a hobbyist, check whether the models you want to try appear in its comparisons before you rely on it.
LMSYS Chatbot Arena for AI hobbyists
LMSYS Chatbot Arena lets you battle 2 anonymous models. [7] It also lets you compare 2 models side by side. [7] On its leaderboard, Claude Opus 5.5 (High) is ranked number one at 14.33%. [13]
The leaderboard can change, so check the current listing yourself before you draw a conclusion from it.
LLM Stats for AI hobbyists
LLM Stats ranks GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, GLM and more by intelligence, speed and price. [11] The LLM Stats Score is updated continuously from public benchmarks and live API metrics. [11] Its Open LLM Leaderboard filters the catalog to models with publicly released weights. [11]
Check whether the models you follow appear on the list you use.
AI News by Smol AI for AI hobbyists
AI News by Smol AI summarizes top AI Discords, AI Reddits and AI X/Twitters and sends a daily roundup. [12] A customizable version of the service is available. [12] Its page says it respects user privacy. [12]
Check whether its roundup covers the places you read.
Matching the tool to the job
To estimate whether a new Anthropic or OpenAI model may come soon, Model Odds ranks each family by its estimated chance of release within 30 days. [1] Alerts go to a confirmed email you sign up with, and every subscriber gets every company's releases at the same time. [1]
To compare models before you try one, Artificial Analysis lets users compare models on intelligence, pricing, speed, latency, benchmarks and more. [5] LMSYS Chatbot Arena lets you battle 2 anonymous models. [7] Check which comparison matches the question you have.
To find models you can open and try, Hugging Face lets users browse 2M+ models. [6] To follow models with publicly released weights, LLM Stats filters its catalog to them. [11]
To catch up on community talk, AI News by Smol AI sends a daily roundup. [12] Check whether its roundup covers the places you read.
To look at prediction markets, check the legal setup first. Polymarket operates globally through separate legal entities. [2] Its international platform is not regulated by the CFTC and operates independently. [2] Manifold lets users browse markets in categories including technology. [3]
Questions to ask before you choose
Which question do you need answered: when a model might arrive, how models compare, or what the community is saying?
Is a web page enough, or do you need data your own code can read? Model Odds is a website with a public API. [1]
Does the source list the models you follow, and how often does it update its numbers? Check both before you commit.
Is the tool free for the use you have in mind? Model Odds is free. [1] Check the terms of each other option before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Model Odds free for AI hobbyists?
Model Odds is free, and so is its API, with no account needed. [1] It is a web app that runs in the browser and needs JavaScript. [1] It ranks every Anthropic and OpenAI model family by its estimated chance of release within 30 days. [1] Those are estimates, not announcements, so check each company's own posts before you plan around a release.
Can Model Odds send email alerts about model releases?
You can sign up with a confirmed email to get alerts. [1] Every subscriber gets every company's releases at the same time. [1] Each past release is listed with its date once an official post and an independent timeline confirm it. [1] Anthropic and OpenAI each get their own page that lists every past release. [1]
Can Artificial Analysis compare models for AI hobbyists?
Artificial Analysis lets users compare models on intelligence, pricing, speed, latency, benchmarks and more. [5] It offers a product called Optima. [5] It also announced a Cyber Index. [5] Check whether the models you want to try appear in its comparisons, and check its own site for current pricing before you rely on it.
Does Hugging Face let AI hobbyists try open models?
Hugging Face lets users browse 2M+ models. [6] Its Inference Providers give access to 45,000+ models with no service fees. [6] GPU compute on Hugging Face starts at $0.60 per hour. [6] Check which models you need, and what compute would cost for your use, before you start.
Does LLM Stats filter for models with public weights?
The Open LLM Leaderboard filters its list to models with publicly released weights. [11] LLM Stats ranks GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, GLM and more by intelligence, speed and price. [11] The LLM Stats Score is updated continuously from public benchmarks and live API metrics. [11] Check whether the models you follow appear on the list before you rely on it.
Model Odds is free, and so is its API, with no account needed. [1]
Try Model OddsSources
- Model Odds' own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
- Polymarket, polymarket.com, read 2026-10-08
- Manifold, manifold.markets, read 2026-10-08
- Kalshi, kalshi.com, read 2026-10-08
- Artificial Analysis, artificialanalysis.ai, read 2026-10-08
- Hugging Face, huggingface.co, read 2026-10-09
- LMSYS Chatbot Arena, lmarena.ai, read 2026-10-09
- Vellum, vellum.ai, read 2026-10-09
- Latent Space, latent.space, read 2026-10-09
- The Rundown AI, therundown.ai, read 2026-10-09
- LLM Stats, llm-stats.com, read 2026-10-18
- AI News by Smol AI, news.smol.ai, read 2026-10-18
- LMSYS Chatbot Arena, lmarena.ai/leaderboard, read 2026-10-09
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