Ant Group vs Thinking Machines
Verdict
- Thinking Machines's flagship leads: Inkling Small at 55.0 vs Ling 3.0 Flash at 54.0.
- Thinking Machines has the better model in 3 of 4 price bands.
- Ant Group's fastest ranked model (Ling 3.0 Flash, 285 tok/s) beats Thinking Machines's (Inkling Small, 133 tok/s).
- Ant Group publishes more open-weights models (3 vs 1).
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | Ant Group | Thinking Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | Ling 3.0 Flash 54.0$0.115/M | – |
| Under $2/M | Ling 3.0 Flash 54.0$0.115/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M |
| Under $10/M | Ling 3.0 Flash 54.0$0.115/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M |
| Any price | Ling 3.0 Flash 54.0$0.115/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M |
Line-up
| Metric | Ant Group | Thinking Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 54.0 | 55.0 |
| Ranked models | 4 | 1 |
| Open-weights models | 3 | 1 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.115 | $0.638 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 285 | 133 |
| Release cadence, days | 82 | – |
| Last release | 6 Aug 2026 | – |
| Next expected | 24 Sept 2026 – 28 Nov 2026 | – |
Data as of 10 Sept 2026. See Ant Group and Thinking Machines in full.