LMArena – AI models in direct comparison

What is LMArena?

LMArena (often also called "Chatbot Arena") is a community platform where modern large-language models (LLMs) compete against each other. Users select a prompt, two different models provide their answers, and then the community decides via blind voting which answer is more helpful. These head-to-head battles capture a model's "vibe"—how natural it feels, how well the format fits, and how helpful the answer is. The ranking is calculated using an Elo system and displayed in live leaderboards for various categories (text, web development, search, image and video generation). LMArena thus complements classic benchmarks like the Artificial Analysis Index tests, which tend to measure a model's "raw intelligence."

Further information about the platform can be found directly at lmarena.ai .

Prompt comparisons in practical testing

For users, LMArena offers a simple way to experience the strengths and weaknesses of new AI models firsthand. After entering a prompt, the answers from two randomly selected models appear side-by-side. Participants don't see which model is behind the answer ("blind voting") and choose the better one. This creates a continuously updated ranking that reflects user experience. Those who want to experiment can use the platform to have different models solve specific questions, code snippets, or creative tasks – the results are often surprising!

Current leaderboards: Gemini 3 Pro vs. ChatGPT 5.2

The top rankings in January 2026 show that there isn't one single best model. Gemini 3 Pro tops the LMArena text ranking. This model impresses the community with its natural writing style, enormous context length (over one million tokens according to Google documentation), and its ability to process images, audio, and video in addition to text. For general chats, emails, and creative tasks, Gemini is therefore the most popular choice.

ChatGPT 5.2 (OpenAI GPT-5.2 Extended Reasoning), on the other hand, holds the top position in the Artificial Analysis Index. This benchmark combines over ten challenging tests in logic, mathematics, programming, and scientific reasoning. GPT-5.2 is therefore considered the "smartest" model and is suitable for complex analyses, research, and deep logic. However, in the LMArena text ranking, it only came in second place in January 2026 and is described by the community as having a somewhat "robotic" tone.

In the area of coding/web development, Claude Opus 4.5 (Thinking Mode) leads the LMArena WebDev ranking. It plans the architecture first during coding and efficiently resolves real GitHub issues. For searching for current facts with source citations , Gemini 3 Pro Grounding dominates the LMArena Search ranking; it accesses Google's live index and provides clickable sources.

Why do so many people still use ChatGPT?

Although Gemini 3 Pro leads in user experience, ChatGPT (GPT-5.2) remains the most widely used model. The reasons lie beyond mere rankings: OpenAI has a large ecosystem of plugins and integrations that seamlessly integrates into existing workflows. Many companies have already licensed ChatGPT and trust its stable API and comprehensive documentation. Furthermore, the "hallucination rate" is low when solving structured problems, and the community has become accustomed to its language style and response formats. For pure knowledge and logic tests, GPT-5.2 continues to excel. The choice between Gemini and ChatGPT therefore depends on the use case: if a more human-like feel and multimodal capabilities are preferred, Gemini 3 Pro is worth considering; for deep analytical reasoning, ChatGPT remains unbeatable.

LMArena Leaderboard – dynamic and open

The developers behind LMArena are constantly adding new models and categories. The Leaderboard Changelog documents when new models like GPT-5.2, Claude Opus 4.5, or Gemini 3 Flash appear on the Text, Vision, and WebDev leaderboards. This keeps the platform up-to-date and reflects the rapid progress in AI development.

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